Getting sexy, smooth skin can be a bigger battle than getting your kids to eat their vegetables. Every day, your skin fights against its natural enemies: the sun, wind, smoke, and other moisture-sucking saboteurs. If your skin is ready to throw in the towel, here are five simple ways you can get your skin back to its supple, satiny self:
1. Exfoliate
Exfoliation is simply a fancy term for removing the topmost layers of dead skin. This can be accomplished two ways: manually and chemically. Loofahs, brushes, and granular face scrubs are examples of manual exfoliators. Chemical exfoliators include retinol and alpha hydroxyl acids. Use caution with both methods.
2. Moisturize
Once you’ve exfoliated, it’s time to slather on some moisturizer to soften and protect your freshly revealed, glowing skin. In the quest to find your favorite go-to moisturizer, it helps to remember the acronym “ACE.” This stands for Vitamins A, C and E. These vitamins are antioxidants that help to repair your skin and protect it from further damage.
3. Hydrate
Plump, youthful-looking skin starts on the inside. Most people who believe they have dry skin actually have dehydrated skin. Skin is dry when it lacks oil and dehydrated when it lacks water. Experts recommend drinking between 6 and 8 glasses of non-caffeinated liquids a day for optimum hydration.
4. Limit sun exposure
While you may need your 10 minutes in the sun to keep up your Vitamin D levels, anything beyond that should involve sunscreen. The sun’s rays are the biggest sappers of your skin’s natural moisture barrier. They also cause hyperpigmentation, commonly called “age spots” or “sun spots,” which create an uneven skin tone and cause you to look older than your actual age. Another way to shield yourself from the sun’s harmful rays is to invest in window tinting for your home or vehicle. Window tinting offers continuous UV protection.
5. Quit smoking
Smoking is responsible for dehydration and premature wrinkling, especially around the mouth. If you’re a nonsmoker, good for you; you have one less thing to be concerned about when it comes to your skin and overall health. If you do smoke, quit. Seriously. You can do it. Your skin, not to mention your lungs, will thank you for it.
See? Pretty simple. All you have to do is take a couple of decent skin care products, add in a little water, and mix it all together with a healthy serving of sun protection, and you have a rejuvenating recipe for some seriously silky skin.
What do you do to achieve silky skin?
Dixie Somers is a freelance writer and blogger for business, home, and family niches. Dixie lives in Phoenix, Arizona, and is the proud mother of three beautiful girls and wife to a wonderful husband.
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Excellent tips! I do the same, but I don’t smoke– so quitting isn’t a necessity!
Thanks! I don’t smoke either and never have but have those lines that I hate more than anything… 🙁 Stacie xo
No smoking ever. My sister and I are always told how young we look (for our age) and we’ve never smoked. I probably could hydrate more but I do drink a lot of water, I just don’t measure it. I don’t buy bottled water often since we have a great water system here.
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Great tips! I was just diagnosed with rosacea the other day at the derm. My once smooth clear skin has been so red, with little bumps, so now I have to totally re-work my skin care routine to figure out what works and what doesn’t!
Yes, those are the tried and true steps. Plus exercise and eat lots of fruits & veggies. I need to drink more water. I keep trying different drink cups, carryalls etc to entice myself into drinking more but I haven’t cracked the code yet. Trying though
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I agree with everything you said! Great post
I’m always so glad I quit smoking young.
These are great tips. Number one is especially important. You can’t do without the other on this list. Everything is a must.
Healthy, glowing skin comes from more than a bottle; it is the result of a state of optimum health. Normal skin is smooth, unblemished, evenly toned, soft and elastic. Blemishes, eruptions, patches and pale skin are often related to inappropriate diet or lifestyle choices and improper skincare & imbalances that lead to accumulation of dietary toxins. Good skin care begins with proper cleansing regardless of your skin type or your age. Keeping skin clean is essential to have skin that looks and feels beautiful, whether your complexion is oily, dry, combination or normal. For many reasons besides your skin, it is beneficial to avoid foods that are made with sugar, white flour and caffeine. A lot of these foods, such as cake and coffee, have lots of calories, provide little nutritional value and can aggravate your skin and cause oiliness and blemishes. Also remember to have a fitness routine you participate in at least three times per week to improve your circulation. Proper circulation enables nutrients to be transported to all the organs in your body, including the largest organ of all – your skin.
Cheers then.
Thanks for your tips! Stacie xo
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I agreed with all the tips. I strongly agree with the fifth point. Smoking does affect our skin.