Your skin looks great, what's your secret?
So I wanted to write about this because I think it is important to know how to keep your skin looking great and healthy! These are the 7 tips I’ve picked up over the years with trying different things and from some of my dermatology friends. Enjoy!
1. Hydrate! I know this one is obvious. But every mujer should drink at least 40 ounces or more of water daily. It keeps your skin hydrated and plump to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Remember your skin is actually an organ system so not only do you want to protect your liver, kidneys, etc but also your skin. Keep drinking that H20 girls! If you can’t stand the taste of plain water try adding ice because it will quench your thirst or adding a Crystal Light packet with zero calories for some flavor. I’ve never tried those but I have heard they taste pretty good.
2. Always wash your face before going to bed. I know after working all day, taking care of the kids or just coming home from a late-night out, sometimes you don’t even want to think about washing your face. But too bad, you should and have to, in order to get rid of all dirt, cosmetics, pollution and bacteria that touched your beautiful face all day. Your pores will thank you and you will thank yourself when you wake up with a clean and fresh complexion. Two facewashes I’ve used include the active ingredient of salicylic acid or benzoyl acid. Salicylic acid works by sloughing off your skin cells and therefore keeping your pores clean. I’ve used this for the majority of my life to fight off acne and it does work. Lately, though, I’ve been using benzoyl peroxide products because it does unclog pores just like its friend but it also kills the bacteria that causes acne and therefore it should, in theory, prevent more outbreaks and that is what I’m seeing. So when you buy your next face cleanser look at the active ingredient or you might be pleasantly surprised your cleaner already contains this and that’s awesome. Of course, if you don’t need to worry about acne, I think looking for a cleaner that is hydrating or moisturizing is your best bet.
3. Good sunscreen. This is a must! I need all you mujeres to promise to forever and always wear sunscreen especially on your face. Now there are a ton of products out there and I know it’s hard to decide and how much SPF do you need anyway for the face? My favorite one that I started using about a year ago is Elta MD skincare line. There was a booth for it at the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology Annual Meeting so it has to be good! I love this sunscreen because they offer a variety of products and I love that it is tinted! That means no more walking around with a white face. 😊 It comes with different ingredients depending on what you need and different SPFs. I have tried a few and love them all. It doesn’t clog pores and it is light so it goes on under makeup with no extra residue. You do have to buy it most likely at a Dermatology office and it is about $30-40 for a 4oz bottle but it goes a long way. Try it!
4. Vitamin C serum. So this has been in the media a lot lately. I believe once we hit our 30s but even in your 20s, you can start thinking about ways to prevent wrinkles. Hey, ladies, this thing is so good, I got my husband using it. 😊 Anyway, I’ve only tried one brand from Kiehl’s and really like it. It is the highest percentage of Vitamin C I have found at 12.5%. It claims to improve radiance, decrease facial lines, improve skin texture, improve firmness and reduce the appearance of pores. This one is also on the pricey side of about $100 for 3 ounces but I think any Vitamin C product will do you wonders.
5. Moisturize! Moisturize! Moisturize! This is very important. This category probably has the most number of options. Anywhere from a few bucks to hundreds of dollars. This is where I spend the least $ and really like the product line CeraVe that you can buy at Walmart. Bonus! I think as long as your moisturizer has ceramides to help restore your skin barrier and hyaluronic acid which helps to keep in moisture.
6. Put on your bitch face and don’t touch your face! This is a funny one but true. A plastic surgeon once told me, don’t you ever wonder why those models on the catwalk don’t smile but have that “bitch face”?! And I thought, on yeah that’s true. Well, apparently it is to prevent wrinkles! Yup, that’s makes total sense. So I’m not saying don’t smile or make normal facial expressions, but I try not to wrinkle my forehead or frown if unnecessary. Just some food for thought! 😊 Also, don’t touch your face, your hands are full of bacteria and those bugs will love to live in your pores and cause blemishes. Resist the urge!
7. Good bronzer or highlighter. This is more of a cosmetic idea but if you get good quality makeup to bronze or highlight your features your skin will look healthier and your face will glow even more. MAC and Benefit lines have some amazing ones. Go explore and see what looks good on you!
Dr. Erica
Photo by Noah Buscher on Unsplash