After years of heavy contouring and full-coverage makeup trends inspired by the Kardashian sisters, the world of beauty is turning towards natural loveliness. It’s all about bare skin and a glowing complexion, and while we love the idea behind this, in reality, not everyone feels confident going out bare-faced. Unless you truly do have clear, radiant skin that needs next to nothing to look amazing, you might not get to enjoy the latest beauty trends, and it simply doesn’t feel all that great to have a face that constantly suffers from breakouts, irritations, and dullness.
So, what can you do if you want that supermodel complexion that will stun everyone around you even if you’re not wearing a shred of makeup? It’s easy—start with proper skincare, and you’ll be waking up with beautifully clear skin each morning.
Cleanse regularly
You don’t need an expensive product—gentle drugstore cleansers will do the job just fine, but the trick is to cleanse regularly if you want to see an improvement. If you wear makeup, use organic coconut oil to remove it, and then wash your face and pat it gently with a towel. While it’s okay to simply splash your face with lukewarm water in the morning, in the evening you really should use an actual cleanser to make everything thoroughly clean.
Exfoliate the right way
Exfoliation is one of the best things for congested, dull skin, but you shouldn’t overdo it—use a sugar scrub once a week to get rid of all the dirt, sweat, and sebum from your pores, and use AHA and BHA-based exfoliants 1-2 times a week. AHAs and BHAs are acids that are really good at building up your skin’s resistance, fading scars, and smoothing out texture with consistent use. Start with gentle formulas until your skin gets used to them, then switch to stronger products to get full benefits.
Fight breakouts from inside out
Acne can be very tricky to deal with, especially if you’re suffering from the hormonal kind that causes you to break out every month regardless of how you treat your skin. The best way to tackle the problem is from the inside—start by cutting out sugar and dairy from your diet as these two food groups can actually aggravate the problem because they increase inflammation levels in your body.
You should also consider talking to your doctor and having birth control prescribed because this can be a great way to get your hormone levels in check. Bear in mind that this kind of therapy needs to be monitored by a health professional, and you’ll need to do several blood tests before it can be safely prescribed. If you want good results know that the best birth control for acne is the one that contains both progestin and estrogen. If your breakouts are severe, you could also ask your doctor to prescribe you antibiotics that could help destroy pimple-causing bacteria and finally clear your skin.
Spot treat pimples
If you don’t have a lot of acne and only really have to deal with an occasional pimple, you can spot-treat the annoying zits overnight. After cleansing your face apply some benzoyl peroxide to the inflamed spot, use zinc-oxide cream, or buy some pimple patches at the drugstore. Never pop your pimples, and never touch your face with dirty hands.
Don’t forget to moisturize
Regardless of your skin type, you should always moisturize your face in the morning and in the evening. If your skin is very dry, you can try using cold-pressed organic rosehip oil to smooth and soften your complexion and fade hyperpigmentation spots. If your skin is more on the oily or combination side, you can stick to gel moisturizers or natural jojoba oil. Yes, even if you have very oily skin, you could still benefit from using actual oils on your face. Here’s a little guide to help you choose the right type for you.
Use a brightening serum
Is your skin dull and full of scars and sun spots? Then you could definitely benefit from a good vitamin C serum. Consistent use of vitamin C serum can brighten your complexion significantly, just remember to apply it before your moisturizer so it could penetrate your skin properly. If you pair serum use in the evening with everyday sunscreen use in the morning, you could really heal your skin and make it a lot smoother.
Of course, the key to success lies in consistency. Even the best of products won’t help you much unless you use them regularly, so remember to nourish and care for your skin every day. You’ll start waking up with a beautiful, glowing complexion.
Guest Blogger
Sophia Smith can be reached at sophia.smith.bri@gmail.com
