Mirror Time: How to Get Clearer Skin in Five Easy Steps

It has happened to all of us at one point or another, waking up from a wonderful night’s sleep to that dreaded pimple. Or worse, a whole group of them. But there is no need to fret, with these five steps you can kiss acne goodbye and say hello to clearer skin.

Start From Within

When making an effort to restore your skin to its’ best condition, starting from the inside-out is key. Doctors tell us to drink those eight glasses of water a day, and for good reason. Water flushes out toxins in our systems that can come out in the form of nasty pimples. Though it is debated, some people have seen a change in diet help out their skin as well. Dairy is thought to be a culprit in creating those craters because of the added hormones, so it wouldn’t hurt to cut that out of your diet and see if it helps out. Certain supplements from places like ASEA Redox Science also help signal cell communication within the body, making you feel better from the inside out.

Refrain From Over-Washing

Washing your face once a day is preferred to keep that skin clear. Of course, after a long day wearing a full face of makeup, or an hour at the gym, cleansing is definitely needed. But over-washing can be just as detrimental as not washing enough. Stripping all of the oils from your skin by scrubbing too often will dry out your face and prompt those pimples to pop up. Drying can also cause premature aging, another big negative. Your cleanser should be mild and contain no coarse scrubbing agents. While exfoliating once in a while is great for cell turnover, doing this everyday would be much too harsh.

Spot Treat

Resist the urge to pop a pimple. It will create more, becoming a rotating cycle of breakouts. Instead, spot treat. After cleansing, zone in on any of those blemishes naturally with a cotton swab soaked in apple cider vinegar. It is a great disinfecting agent, and when used overnight, can greatly reduce the size of that budding blemish. Salicylic acid treatments are a little bit harsher, but will also work. If you notice over-drying of the area, reduce the application. Clay masks work as well, but can pull moisture away from the areas that do not need to be dealt with.

Pump Up the Moisture

Even if you have oily skin, moisturizing is absolutely necessary to keep the balance. As mentioned previously, if your skin is drying out, those pores will overcompensate and produce massive amounts of oil, causing breakouts. When choosing a moisturizer, try to find one without alcohol, as it is another drying agent. Simple is always best when it comes to skincare. Apply a good moisturizer after cleansing and spot treating to keep that skin in tiptop shape.

Relax

Stress can be a major cause of those nasty little breakouts. Take a little time out, draw a bath, sip some tea (bonus for the detoxifying agents in green tea), and simply relax. Find whatever it is that makes you happy and do it. Enjoy the moment and remember, there are far worse things in life than a blackhead.

Caring for your skin does not have to be difficult or a chore. Following the advice of these few tips will help improve your skin quality drastically. Best of luck and remember, keep your paws off of those budding pimples!

 

Today’s post was written by Brooke Chaplan, a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and spends most her time hiking, biking and gardening. For more information contact Brooke via Twitter @BrookeChaplan.