While most of us believe that a really good skincare routine is all it takes to achieve a clear and glowing complexion, it might be a bit more complicated than that. It turns out that certain lifestyle habits and choices that we often overlook or ignore can also play a massive role in the appearance, texture, and overall health of our skin.
Diet and Nutrition
They say that you are what you eat, and this is apparently true when it comes to skincare. If you think about it, the food that you consume is digested and turned into fuel and energy for your body, so it might not be that big of a surprise that what goes on your plate can affect the health of your skin. While this doesn’t mean that you should completely overhaul your entire diet, there are some things that you can incorporate more into your daily routine.
Vitamins and minerals play a crucial role in your skin’s natural collagen production, which ensures that your skin stays plump and full for much longer. Omega-3 fatty acids also have the added benefit of promoting a healthier skin barrier, maintaining skin elasticity, as well as protecting your skin from oxidative stress and damage. If you’re looking to integrate more of these into your meals, you can start by adding more berries, vegetables, fish, nuts, and seeds.
Hydration
As great as it is to diligently apply your favorite moisturizer both night and day, there’s nothing that hydrates quite like drinking water, which is why people are constantly saying that drinking water is one of the best ways to get better skin. Not only does it help keep your skin glowy and moisturized, but it also helps flush out the toxins and waste from your skin, while also supporting proper blood circulation.
Make sure that you drink enough water throughout the day to keep your body and skin hydrated from the inside out. You can also meet your water requirements by eating hydrating foods with high water content like cucumbers, watermelons, oranges, and other leafy greens.
Sleep and Rest
They call it beauty sleep for a reason, and that’s because your body—and skin—repairs and rejuvenates itself during those seven to eight hours every night. Quality sleep is essential for maintaining healthy skin cells and a vibrant complexion, especially as this is when your skin undergoes its restorative processes like collagen production and damage repair.
The last thing you want is to have dark circles underneath your eyes making you look tired, so make sure that you get enough sleep every single day to keep you looking youthful and bright. If you live in a particularly disruptive neighborhood, then there are some sleep essentials that you might want to look into such as quality earplugs and a comfortable eye mask. You might also find that a humidifier will help you breathe much more easily through the night.
Exercise
Any form of physical activity can do absolute wonders for your skin. Apart from improving blood circulation and the delivery of nutrients and oxygen to the skin, exercise also nourishes the skin cells and removes any unwanted waste or toxins, leaving you with a wonderful post-workout glow. You’ll also find that having an active lifestyle can greatly benefit your skin’s collagen production, helping your skin’s elasticity and volume for much longer.
Along with a solid skincare routine, these lifestyle changes will help transform your skin and help it become healthier and more radiant than ever before. Just like with everything, seeing any significant changes will take a bit of time and patience, but you’ll eventually realize that all of these are worth it to have the smooth complexion of your dreams.
