I don’t know about you, but I can never get enough of reading about skin care tips! I love learning about our skin, what works, what doesn’t, and everything in between. I also like hearing about skin care myths because I often follow certain skin care tricks and tips only to later find out that it turned out to be a total skin care fable! So, I did my own research and came up with 15 excellent skin care tips along with some myths mixed in that I wanted to share with you!
Skin care tips don’t always involve using creams - ice can be just as effective in helping to reduce puffiness, blotchiness and dark circles! The next time you wake up feeling puffy and tired, get an ice cube and use your tongue to place the ice cube under the roof of your mouth and allow it to melt. Easy enough, right? Celeb esthetician Scott-Vincent Borba recommends using this method to decrease the appearance of dark circles and puffiness in the eye area!
A common skin care myth that I hear is that only extremely fair-skinned people need to use sunscreen. This is so wrong. All skin types and shades require protection from the sun, no one is safe! Even if you tan easily and rarely burn, the sun can still damage your skin. Use sunscreen on your face and body to stay sun safe!
A great skin care tip for busy ladies is to use a face cleansing brush! Whether you invest in a pricey model or a more affordable one, they make cleansing, exfoliating and increasing circulation a total breeze. Your skin will look and feel so much better and it makes your skin care routine shorter and easier.
I had a hard time believing this skin care myth because I always thought steam opened pores but I was wrong. Discovery Fit & Health as well as other sources confirm that pores are merely tiny openings in our skin and don’t have muscles so they don’t have the ability to open and close with home remedies or any skin care product. Pores can only appear smaller or larger.
If you have dry skin or just want to have soft, hydrated skin, try applying it while your skin is still a little damp. This is a great tip for ladies with eczema and very dry skin as it’ll help seal in the moisture and help prevent dry, itchy skin. It also helps those with normal skin to really lock in moisture!
This is another skin care myth that might be hard to believe since we’re bombarded with so many ads telling us that pricey skin care products are best. The truth of the matter is, many drugstore skin care products can work just as well as the higher end ones! Everyone’s skin is different so there’s no guarantee that a brand name product will work better than others. Moreover, dermatologists Jenny Kim and Leslie Bauman state that most active ingredients in skin care products are similar regardless of where you buy them!
A smart skin care tip to keep in mind when you’re shopping for lip products is to search for products that contain SPF. Our lips are thin, and like the skin on our body, also need protection from the sun! Erin Welch, M.D. states that skin cancer stems from the lips, it can be especially aggressive and have a higher likelihood of spreading. Look for lip balms and other products that contain SPF to stay on the safe side!
Anti-aging creams promise to do a whole lot of things including getting rid of lines and wrinkles but that’s not the whole truth. Most wrinkle creams only temporarily plump up the skin making it appear like wrinkles have decreased or diminished. Dermatologist Leslie Bauman states that the only topical that has been proven to reduce fine lines and wrinkles are retinoids. If you invest in anti-aging creams, make sure it contains retinoids or Vitamin A or you’re only getting an expensive moisturizer!
While you’re going through your skin care regimen, make sure you’re always gentle with your skin. Even if your skin feels dirty or dull, easy does it! Massage your cleanser into your skin gently using your fingers or other cleansing tool and avoid scrubbing. Take it easy with the exfoliator also, no need to rub vigorously or you can risk irritating your skin!
I’m sure you’ve heard that using the same hair care products for a long time can cause your hair to get used to it and stop working. Someone felt the same way about skin care products, also. Skin care expert Paula Begoun says that as long as you are using products that are good for your skin, it’ll stay healthy. The only reason you might notice a difference later is that your skin is maintaining its condition so the change won’t be as dramatic as when you first use it.
If you’re not in the habit of washing your face in the morning, get on it! It might seem like our skin is still fresh and clean since we just went to bed, but it’s actually not! When we go to sleep, dust, dirt, oil and dead skin cells can collect on our face overnight so it’s a good idea to cleanse first thing in the morning!
Eating a lot of oily foods isn't ideal, but using oils on your skin is A-OK. I'm sure you've seen all the various oil cleansers and moisturizers out there and if you've been hesitant to try them out, don't be! Even if you have oily skin, it won't cause you to produce more oil. Typically, when you over-cleanse your skin in an attempt to stop the oil, you get more oil production. Try them out!
These days, lots of cosmetics companies have added SPF to their beauty products. While it is a good thing, it can also give us a false sense of security. Just because your foundation, powder, primer or BB cream contains SPF, it doesn't mean you should skip sunscreen. Dermatologist Joshua Fox, director of Advanced Dermatology states that due to the thickness and binders in makeup, it takes up to 7 times the amount of makeup needed to get the amount of SPF you want.
As much as I wish this were true, exfoliating does not do anything for hair growth. Exfoliating does have a lot of benefits so it should be part of everyone's skin care routine, but unfortunately you'll still have to shave just as often.
Stress is one of the major causes of many skin care issues so take time to de-stress. Do something nice for yourself like take a nap, do some deep breathing, eat a good meal or spend time with someone you love. You'll not only feel better on the inside, but it will show on the outside.
I hope these skin care tips and skin care myths were helpful for you! I know everyone and their dog has skin care tips for everyone and it can get confusing. But, I hope these tips can help clear things up a bit! Do you have any skin care tips or myths you want to share?
Sources: thefashionspot.com, webmd.com, health.howstuffworks, nationaleczema.org, paulaschoice.com