Skincare can be pretty pricey sometimes. This is true, especially now that we’re amid a pandemic. Nowadays, most people are finding ways to save on expenses. Looking for natural alternatives to care for your skin is one way to save money. Read on to discover ways to take care of your skin naturally and effectively that will cost you nothing.
First, you’ll learn how to manage your stress. Then, we’ll talk about the reasons why you should not pick your face and not use hot water when you’re washing your skin. Next, this article will discuss the importance of proper hydration, lessening the time you spend under the sun, protecting your skin from cigarette smoke, and getting enough sleep, then finish off with opting out of sugar. You will be able to take care of your skin in a natural way and at no cost to you after you have familiarized yourself with the information in this article.
1 Manage And Reduce Stress
Cortisol is released when your body perceives stress or anxiety. Your flight or fight response is all thanks to this hormone; however, too much of it can hurt you more than it helps. Your skin will lose its glow, produce excess oil, and will not be able to lock in moisture if your body has high levels of cortisol. Your skin’s moisture level can be affected by high levels of cortisol, causing a dull, gray look as well as the production of excess oil, which can lead to inflammation, redness, acne, line development, and premature wrinkling.
It can also cause eczema, psoriasis, and rosacea to flare up. You’ll also notice that your face would temporarily swell or flush when you’re stressed or anxious. This is due to an increase in blood flow, which also happens when the blood vessels under your skin’s surface dilate.
2 Don’t Pick Your Pimples
Always resist the urge to pop your pimple to avoid damaging your skin; also, the satisfaction you’ll get from doing it is only fleeting. A type of acne called acne mechanica is triggered by friction that occurs when you pick your pimple and caused by the bacteria and oil that clog the pores. Picking your pimples can only make the situation worse.
You will get a scar or post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (brown spot) if you pop or squeeze a pimple. You may want to deal with a scar instead of a pimple. However, you can live without it.
3 Use Lukewarm Water (Not Hot)
Sebum is an oily, waxy substance found on your skin. Washing your face or showering with hot water can strip away the natural oils of your skin. On the other hand, washing with lukewarm water is ideal, as it locks in moisture that’s needed by your skin.
Lukewarm water is an excellent choice because it cleanses without completely removing all your skin’s oils. To get the best out of your cleanser, massage it on your skin for 60 seconds. Rinse well and allow it to dry.
4 Always Drink Water
Drinking enough water doesn’t necessarily hydrate the skin. But it helps your body perform better. Proper hydration helps boost kidney function, reduces the appearance of dark circles, removes the toxins from the body, reduces eczema and psoriasis, and eliminates puffiness.
What is a telltale sign of dehydration? Check the color of your urine. Drink more water if you see that it’s the shade of deep amber. The goal is lemonade-colored urine.
5 Limit Your Time In The Sun
You can always use sunscreen for protection, but it’s always better to stay out of the sun. The sun is responsible for about 90 percent of skin aging cases. This is especially true for those with fairer skin; it also increases the risk of skin cancer. Given the said high percentage, it’s recommended that you minimize your exposure to the sun or stay in the shade when you’re out.
Find other ways to protect your eyes, too, as you can’t put sunscreen on them. Note that squinting will not protect your eyes from the sun. Instead, it may just cause wrinkles and lines to form on your forehead and eye area.
6 Avoid Cigarette Smoke
The tobacco in cigarettes and vapes contains free radicals that may damage the DNA and other parts of skin cells. Cigarette or vape smoke also damages your skin’s collagen and elastin. This also results in constricted blood vessels, which reduces the levels of vitamins, nutrients, and oxygen in the skin. Blackheads can form when the toxic cigarette or vape smoke reaches the skin around your mouth and cheek areas.
Over time, this will bring about dark circles, premature aging, dehydration, and a dull complexion. Research also shows that smoking slows down healing. This means that the pimples will take much longer to heal and will then end up as brown spots.
7 Get Enough Sleep
Get yourself some beauty sleep. This allows cell regeneration and healing of your body. Cortisol, the hormone which causes thinning skin, stretch marks, and skin discoloration, is reduced when you sleep.
The good thing is that sleep boosts melatonin, the hormone that combats fine lines, skin cancer, and wrinkles. Sleep also increases collagen levels, and this results in wrinkle-free, plump skin. Most importantly, our human growth hormone levels increase during sleep, which helps repair any damage that our body goes through daily.
8 Opt Out Of Sugar
The skin takes some time to keep up with what you ate or how you felt days ago. The effects will show on your skin if you only have added sugars and refined carbohydrates as your energy source. As with everything else, too much of anything can damage the skin and body.
Too much sugar intake could cause inflammation and an insulin (the hormone responsible for regulating sugar levels in the blood) spike; also, the excessive use of exfoliating acids can strip the skin of its natural protective barrier. This is because an enzyme is produced, which attaches to the collagen fibers, breaking them down and making them lose their flexibility and strength. Check and control your diet once you see that your skin has become less elastic, more prone to acne, more susceptible to sun damage, and lines and wrinkles become more visible.
People these days are looking for ways to cut their spending, particularly now that we’re in the time of a pandemic. The truth is that skincare can burn a hole in your pocket. One easy way to reduce your expenses is to find natural ways of caring for your skin. This article has shared with you some of the best natural, no-cost beauty tips.
To give you the information you need, first, we covered some pointers for managing daily stress. Next, you were taught that you should not pick your pimples and not use hot water when washing your skin. Lastly, we discussed the importance of hydration, limiting your time under the sun, staying away from cigarette smoke, getting enough sleep, and opting out of sugar. Now that you’ve read this article, you’re well equipped with all the knowledge you need to care for your skin naturally without spending a dime.
