Improve your skin complexion and texture with simple tips.
Consider Your Water
Soft water doesn’t remove soap well, so it can leave a residue on your skin. If your water is soft, use face and body cleansers sparingly (no more than a nickel- or quarter-size amount, respectively). Hard water, on the other hand, doesn’t allow washes to lather easily, prompting you to use even more cleanser, which can cause dryness. Gentle, nonsoap formulas, which aren’t meant to lather, can minimize this.
Drink Green Tea
If your complexion is red or blotchy, this tea’s anti-inflammatory properties can be soothing. Iced is best because hot beverages can worsen redness and other symptoms of rosacea. Another benefit: The epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) in green tea may help prevent the collagen destruction that leads to wrinkles as well as sun-induced DNA damage in the skin (think lines and discoloration), according to some experts. Consider subbing tea for your morning mug of coffee.
Keep Stress in Check
It takes a toll on nearly every part of your body, including your skin. In a study conducted at Stanford University, researchers found that during exam time, students who felt stressed had more severe acne breakouts than did those under less pressure. That’s because stress increases the body’s production of hormones such as cortisol, which can make skin oilier and decrease its ability to fight off acne-causing bacteria. To keep that frazzled feeling under control, regularly practice stress-management techniques, like yoga, deep breathing, and meditation. This “can help conditions such as acne, psoriasis, rosacea, and seborrhea.
Improve Your Air Quality
Avoiding smoky environments is smart since just being around smoke can lead to the release of free radicals that damage skin and hasten aging. Other indoor pollutants can adversely affect skin, too. Change the air filter in your furnace regularly and, if you cook with oil, use the fan over your range. Also keep in mind that dry indoor air can dehydrate skin and make fine lines more noticeable.
Switch to Plain Toothpaste
Those with tartar-control ingredients or added flavors, like cinnamon, may contribute to a common skin condition called perioral dermatitis. It looks like pimples, redness, and scaling around the mouth.
Watch Sun Exposure
UV rays (in particular UVA rays) can penetrate the windows in your home and office and cause wrinkling and brown spots. The same goes for car windows: Studies have found higher rates of skin cancers on the left side of the face and upper body than on the right, since that side is more exposed when you’re driving. Cancers aside, “many people have more wrinkles and sun damage on the left side of their faces, too.
Monitor Your Dairy Intake
Research from the Harvard School of Public Health found that teenage girls who consume a lot of milk are almost 30 percent more likely to have acne than those who drink less, and experts believe the same holds true for adult women prone to serious breakouts. Surprisingly, skim milk seems to be a worse offender than whole milk. Scientists don’t understand exactly why milk products can lead to acne, but some surmise that the natural hormones present in dairy may be to blame, says a dermatologist.