Hello everyone! I am sharing my 10 tips on how to improve your skin without products. Improving your skin is all about making small adjustments to your everyday life. Some of these tips will blow your mind. Some you have probably thought of, but most likely never have implemented.
Skincare is all about prevention and having a simple routine makes things easier. You can prevent aging and unwanted wrinkles by practicing these 10 tips:
1) Disinfect Your Phone
Do you ever stop and think about the bacteria that is living on your phone? If you don’t disinfect your phone, you probably won’t forget to after reading this fact! According to Time, your phone is 10 times dirtier than a toilet seat. Just think about all of the places we bring our phones with us, including public restrooms. There are so many pollutants in the air and environment, along with oils and excess makeup from our skin. This combination can lead to some serious breakouts. A quick, easy and natural way to clean your phone is by combining 60% water with 40% rubbing alcohol. Gently press some paper towel into the solution and wipe your phone clean. Another life hack is to put some hand sanitizer on your phone and use a paper towel dry it off. Soap and water or alcohol are more effective though! Do this on a weekly basis.
2) Change Your Pillow Case, Often
I honestly think that a lot of my cystic acne came from not washing my pillow case often enough. I know keeping up with laundry can be challenging, but try to do a small load once or twice a week and wash your pillow cases. Your face will thank you later, and it’s the easiest way to improve skin without products! The oils and leftover makeup on our face seep into the fabrics of our pillow cases. This bacteria can fester and later cause breakouts. I also recommend wiping down your yoga mats, as I found my yoga mat to be a key culprit in my cystic acne. I was doing hot yoga 2-4 times a week, so between the heat opening my pores to bacteria and my mat absorbing everyone else in the studio’s sweat (gross to think about right?) my skin was NOT happy! Another tip is to wash your actual pillow. Check your pillows to see if they have any yellowish stains on them. Washing pillows is recommended twice per year. You can easily wash pillows in your washing machine. Depending on the materials they may need special care. Make sure to be following the care label instructions. Here is a wonderful guide for washing pillows of all varieties. After implementing these changes to my lifestyle I noticed a significant decrease in cystic acne!
3) Rolling & Gua Sha
These are both skincare practices to help support healthy, elastic skin. Rolling and Gua Sha are both tools from ancient Chinese Medicine. While the tools are used differently and on different parts of the face, both can help skin to be more firm while reducing fine lines and wrinkles. One of my favorite skincare products is the Angela Caglia rose quartz face roller. I also love this Gua Sha set that I bought on Amazon. Gua Sha is designed to relieve tension in the muscles of the face, boost blood circulation and encourage lymphatic drainage to banish bloating and puffiness. While both of these come in the traditional jade stone, I love the rose quartz versions! The healing powers of the crystals will tingle your heart chakra. Unleash your inner goddess with these incredible face shaping tools. You can also manage your lymphatic drainage with your fingers, no tools needed!
4) Silk Pillow Cases
Silk is a softer material and less abrasive on the face than your average cotton pillowcase. If you have sensitive skin or redness try using a silk pillowcase to improve your skin. Cotton pillowcases can absorb moisture from your hair and face. Since silk reduces the friction caused by rolling in your sleep, silk pillow cases absorb less moisture. Think of all the products you apply right before bed – this can dry out your skin and cause irritation if it gets absorbed into your pillowcase. Don’t forget that hair product ends up on your pillow too! “Hair products can contain harsh ingredients and can be oil or silicone based, all of which can cause inflammation and breakouts,” explains Dermatologist Dr. Elizabeth Tanzi. Hair products were not meant for your face, so having access product in your pillow can lead to breakouts and irritation!
5) Wear A Hat and Sunglasses
Protect your eyes at all costs! Eye wrinkles are typically the first to show during the aging process. By protecting your eyes from the sun not only will you prevent sun damage, but you also won’t be straining your eyes to see. Squinting when it is bright out can increase eye wrinkles, so using these two accessories are an easy way to prevent rapid aging! Do you ever catch yourself shielding your eyes behind your car’s sun visor because you didn’t have a pair of sunglasses on you? I always keep a pair of cheap sunglasses in my car and leave them there so it is never an issue! Protecting yourself from the sun is the easiest way to improve skin without products. Oh, but be sure to wear some sunscreen as well!
6) Stop Using Straws
This tip blows my mind every time I think about it. Not only will it save the sea turtles, but it will also save your lips from mouth wrinkles. Pretend you are using a straw, and then lightly run your fingers above your lip line. Do you feel all sorts of bumps and crevasses? That is your pursed skin folding up to make a squishy kiss face. Repetitively drinking from straws will increase lip and mouth wrinkles. This goes for smoking and vaping too! So do yourself, and sea turtles, a favor and stop using straws! If you do use a straw, try a reusable metal one. Pro tip: I found that putting the straw on the side of my mouth doesn’t make me purse my lips to drink!
7) Drink More Water
This one is a given. According to the BBC, we should all be practicing the 8×8 rule when drinking water. This means drink 8 glasses of water 8 times a day. It might sound like a lot but trust me, once you’re in the habit of drinking water it will become the best sensation ever, and you will actually feel dehydrated the moment you’re off track with your water intake. Drinking water helps your skin because the water allows your internal systems to flush out toxins from the body. This will improve your complexion for healthy and glowing skin.
8) Be Aware of Tech Neck
This is a MAJOR tip! Do you ever feel like you have a double chin when using your phone? Well not to be rude, but you most likely do if you aren’t actively conscious about your posture and neck positioning when using your phone. Make sure to lift your chin up and shoulders down while using your phone or computer. This is another simple way that lifestyle changes can improve skin without products. Tech neck is the term that has been coined for people who spend a lot of time on electronics, who are constantly looking down. Just like smoking or drinking from a straw, you can get neck wrinkles from repetitive actions. Since we are all constantly on our phones, this is something to think about. Every time I use my phone I remind myself to have better posture to avoid tech neck at all costs!
9) Get A Better Sleep
This one is a given, but just think about all of those times that you stayed up SUPER late and had to wake up SUPER early. Did you look like a rabid raccoon the next morning? Probably. Let’s just say beauty sleep exists for a reason. Getting a better sleep will improve skin health because when you are sleeping your body’s hydration replenishes. This means that while you are sleeping your skin is able to recover moisture. Not getting enough sleep results in poor water balance. This leads to puffiness, dark under-eye circles, dryness, and more visible wrinkles. So not to sound like your mom or anything, but go to bed earlier!!!
10) Work on Your Facial Expressions
Are you squinting to see, or do you catch yourself constantly smiling or frowning? Working on relaxing your face and managing your facial expressions is an easy way to improve your skin without products. Let’s just say resting bitch face is a good thing because that means your face is at rest. Obviously we should show as much joy and expressions as we please, but be cautious of when and how often you’re showing your mood on your face. Frowning, smiling and squinting constantly can take a toll on your skin and create wrinkles. I feel like these days it’s so easy to hold on to tension. For me, I clench my jaw a lot so I am constantly trying to relax my face. Don’t forget the muscles underneath your skin can have a long-term effect on wrinkles and lines created from face expressions!
Celyn
May 19, 2020oh wow these are great tips! My dermatologist always tells me to lessen sun exposure too as the sun is the skin’s worst enemy! I love the bit about the Resting Bitch Face! haha! thanks for sharing!
Life is a Shoe
tayloraube
May 19, 2020Right! RBF can totally be a good thing hahaha!
Diana Hogg
May 26, 2020Wonderful tips to live by. Those photos are amazing. I just love pink dogwoods.