Whenever we are asked to name the vital organs of our body, we think of the Heart or the Brain. We often overlook the equally important as well as the largest organ of our body i.e. the Skin. The skin covers 16% of our body weight. The skin is the interface between us and the rest of the world. The obvious purpose of the skin is to put our insides in. But if we observe closely, our skin plays a very important role in our lives.

Millions of people are aware of the importance of skincare. Although there are many people who associate skincare with luxury and beauty. Skincare is basically important for not just your appearance. Keeping the skin healthy protects us against the environment. If the skin is dry and unhealthy, cracks may occur in the skin which eventually makes a person more likely to get infected.

There are people who wash their face with plain water, which only may work well for them to some extent but, everyone’s skin is different and most people need to do many other things to make their skin look better and keep it healthy.

These are some of the tips for better looking and healthy skin:

1) Use sunscreen

Using sunscreen is the first and foremost way to take care of your skin. The sunscreen protects your skin from direct exposure to sunlight. Sun exposure causes wrinkles, spots, many other skin issues and also increases the risk of Skin cancer. You should choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 for better results and apply 30 minutes before sun exposure. Also, you should apply sunscreen even if you are staying home. You should put sunscreen on all parts of your skin exposed to the sun. You have to apply the sunscreen again after swimming or sweating.

2) Eat and drink with your skin in your mind

You are what you eat. You should avoid junk food if you are looking for better skin. You should include a lot of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and protein in your diet. You should include Vitamin C, Zinc, Omega 3 fats, Vitamin E in your diet. Also, you should drink at least six to eight glasses of water to hydrate yourself.

3) Manage Stress

Another key to healthy skin is being stress-free. Stress makes the skin more sensitive. The acne breakouts are maximum during the times a person is stressed. It is not possible to curb stress utterly in our lives because at some point in time we become stressed even if we are not willing to be stressed. But we can still perform the following acts to handle the stress:

a) Exercise regularly.
b) Practice techniques like breathing exercises, yoga, and meditation to manage your stress.
c) Talk to close ones about what is causing you the stress.
d) Take a walk.
e) Say no to things that stress you out.
f) Listen to music.
g) Read a book.

4) Get enough sleep

If you are not sleeping enough, you are most likely to get swollen eyes, dark circles, pale skin, wrinkles. The term “Beauty Sleep” is very much real because deep sleep releases growth hormones that help to create new cells which assist to heal the skin from any damage done during the day. Therefore when you wake up, your skin will look fresh and youthful. So a good sleep of 8 to 9 hours is very much needed to take good care of your skin.

How to get enough sleep?

a) Avoid using electronic gadgets before bedtime.
b) Exercise.
c) Be consistent with the sleep timings.
d) Avoid caffeine before bedtime.

5) Remove makeup before you sleep

Please take your make-up off before going to bed. It is very important that one should remove the makeup because if we don’t remove the make-up we are preventing the renewal of the skin while we sleep. Removing the make-up washes away all the impurities and dirt from the skin and rejuvenates the skin.

Not removing make-up before sleep gives rise to the following consequences:

a) It will lead to breakouts and if you are already suffering from acne, it will worsen the acne situation.
b) The complexion of your skin will appear lusterless.
c) Wrinkles
d) Risk of infection

6) Avoid touching your skin frequently

Touching and picking at your skin makes it more likely to get acne breakouts and blemishes and also the Coronavirus. The bacteria present in your hands shift into your face when you frequently touch your skin and block the pores of your skin which ultimately causes problems.

But even if we touch the skin frequently, we should wash our hands often for at least 20 seconds.

7) Exfoliate

It is done to remove the dead skin cells from your skin. It is done with the use of a chemical or granular substance, or exfoliation tool. Normally the dead skin comes off by itself in a span of 30 days. But sometimes, the dead cells are not removed entirely which results in dryness, blocked pores. For this, we need to exfoliate our skin often. Exfoliation also helps to brighten your skin and makes the appearance of your skin better. The way you need to exfoliate your skin depends on your skin type.

The methods to exfoliate the skin are:

Brush: This kind of brush is used to remove the dead skin layers. It is a bristle brush. You can use it directly on the skin or use it along with a cleanser or Body wash.

Sponge: If you want to exfoliate your skin gently, you must use the sponge along with water, soap, body wash, etc.

Scrub: It contains a granular substance that makes the dead skin cells come off easily. You should apply it directly to the skin and massage it gently in a circular motion. Then wash the skin after the massage.

It will do wonders for your skin and your overall wellbeing if you consistently take care of your skin using the above-mentioned methods. It is just that you have to be a little cautious and determined. Keep going!