When I go to work, I usually have a full face of makeup on from foundation to eye and lip makeup. So when people get up close, people tend to complement me on my skin by saying, "Oh my goodness! You have beautiful skin!" That tells me that I've probably done a good job with concealing my imperfections.
What does beautiful, nice, or good skin mean to you? To me, beautiful skin is skin that is healthy and well hydrated (without any blotchiness or flakiness) without any harsh dark spots, enlarged pores, and acne. Of course I have all of these but I try to minimize them by taking good care of my body.
So the question now is "How do you take care of your skin?"
Taking care of my skin is part of my health and beauty ritual. Everything starts from the INSIDE OUT.
Rose's TIPS
1. Have a Healthy Diet
Yes, I know this sounds so generic but it's true that this is the #1 thing you should do to take good care of your skin. Just like your body, the skin on your face needs to detox. I'm sure you've seen tons of skincare products that have antioxidants including green tea and fruit extracts (acai, blueberries, etc). Estee Lauder's Advanced Night Repair even claims to neutralize free radicals before they can damage your skin. So eat lots of greens and antioxidants. I'm also trying to cut down on red meat and I've noticed that I have less breakouts and I feel lighter!
2. Drink Lots of Water
The average person does not drink enough water. I have a friend who refuses to drink lots of water because she hates to go to the restroom often. They say that every person should drink at least 8 cups of water a day, but I don't think that's enough. I try to drink 10+ cups of water every day. Try it! And you'll noticed the difference of hydration levels in your skin! It also feels good to know that your body is helping you get rid of some toxins when you drink more water.
3. Cut down on Caffeine!
Many of my friends LOVE to drink coffee. I love my lattes as well but my friends are hardcore coffee drinkers. You know when someone is a hardcore coffee drinker when they always order an Americano and are typical about how full their cup is. When I was in school, I drank so much coffee that I started to feel the jitters so I completely cut out coffee in my diet. I switched over to teas (especially green teas) but that too, eventually I had to cut out because I was having too much caffeine. For every cup of caffeine you drink, you should drink 2 cups of water. That means you have to run to the restroom every 40 minutes! (At least, that's how it is for me).
4. Cut Out the Junk in Your Diet
Cut out the extra sodium, sugars, and oils! I try not to eat salty foods as well as fried foods. I don't drink sodas and I just order water when I'm at a restaurant. Iced teas and juices have too much sugar. So I try to limit myself from drinking juices too. For juices, try to get ones that are Not From Concentrate.
Stop eating all the fried foods! The only way to stop eating fried foods is to stop eating out. Try to have homemade meals as often as you can. It feels good to know exactly what goes in your food, doesn't it?
5. Get Enough Sleep
When I don't get at least 7-8 hours of sleep, I look tired because I get dark circles and my face looks puffy. Your skin needs rest and your face is probably screaming that it does not want to be in touch with anymore pollution and UV rays. Even sitting in front of the computer for long periods of time is damaging to your skin! Your skin needs rest from fighting off all the free radicals and damage that the environment does to your skin. Also, if you're using expensive skincare, you will only reap the right or full benefits if you get proper sleep. Your skin can repair itself and absorb the skincare products you are using when you are resting. Lack of rest can lead to dull, dehydrated, and wrinkled skin! So let's get some sleep people!!
Here are a few articles on Why Sleep is Good for Skin.
http://www.theticker.org/2.10637/why-sleep-is-good-for-skin-1.1415553
http://www.skincare-news.com/a-2437-A_Good_Nightrsquos_Sleep_for_Great_Skin.aspx
To Be Continued.
