Learn to love the skin you’re in
Wouldn't we all love to have perfect skin? Unfortunately, puberty can be super cruel and turn your skin into a minefield. This isn't great timing when you’re not exactly always brimming with self-confidence anyway.
Blemishes are generally caused by hormonal changes, improper skin care and poor eating habits. It's also caused by blocked pores, pimples and scarring and can be anything from spots, scars, moles or stains.
But all is not lost: one look at your mates and you'll realise you're not alone. Plus there are some things you can do to prevent and get rid of skin blemishes, and help your skin look its best.
The Top 10 Tips to Better Skin
1. Establish a twice-daily routine of cleansing, toning and moisturising
Even if you're tired or in a rush, stick to your routine! Always wash your face before going to bed, especially if you wear makeup.
Don't wash more than twice a day, don't scrub your skin and always use a mild soap. Remember: be gentle; your skin will thank you.
Also, use a facial scrub to gently exfoliate your skin. Exfoliation helps to remove the top, dead layers of skin to unveil the fresher, cleaner skin below the surface cells.
2. Wear sunscreen every day
Any degree of sun exposure can lead to skin damage and this damage prevents your skin's ability to heal itself. Use a face cream daily with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15.
3. Talk to your GP about effective medicines or treatments
There are lots of fantastic options on the market. Your doctor can help you sort out what's best for you, even if it's an over-the-counter product.
4. Drink eight glasses of water every day
Tap water is fine, filtered even better. But drinking plenty of water every day can help hydrate your skin and filter out impurities.
5. Get a good night's sleep
Studies show that teenagers need between 8.5 to 9 hours of sleep each and every night. Additional studies have also shown sleep to be one of the most effective beauty treatments no matter what your age – helping you to look healthier and more attractive to others.
6. Don’t squeeze, pick or pop your spots
It may be difficult to resist, but squeezing, picking or popping your spots will only make them worse.
7. Eat lots of healthy, natural food
Fruits and vegetable, including leafy greens will do a world of good for your skin. Low-fat dairy foods, especially low or no-fat yogurt, are good for your skin as are whole grain foods including whole grain breads and pasta. Avoid fatty and greasy foods, particularly fast foods and foods with a lot of salt and sugar. Boring, but true.
8. Keep your hair clean and out of your face
This will prevent additional dirt and oil from clogging your pores.
9. Avoid touching your face with your fingers or leaning your face against objects like your phone
Touching your face can spread the bacteria that cause pores to become inflamed and irritated. To fight bacteria, wash your hands before applying anything to your face, such as makeup or creams.
10. Take care of your general well being
Keep your stress levels in check, because stress can show up in your skin. Try activities like yoga or taking walks to keep your stress levels low.
Exercise is also the best way to boost your circulation and circulation is great for the skin
Additionally, don't keep your worries bottled in: talk to your mates and family.
What's your skin type?
To take care of your skin, it helps to know or understand your skin type.
Test your skin by blotting tissue paper against your face when you first wake up in the morning. In good light, look closely to see if there's any oil on the tissue paper. If the paper is somewhat greasy, that indicates oily skin. Partial stains will indicate a mixture of dry and oily skin, and nothing on the paper may mean you have dry skin.
Normal skin – Blemish-free, smooth and soft. If you don't have oily skin, or if your skin doesn't feel dry and tight, you probably have normal skin, in which case, you are one of the lucky ones! Mild cleansing should be enough for taking care of your skin.
Dry skin – Thin and delicate, feels dry and tight and is easily irritated. Dry skin requires more care and is prone to aging faster than other skin types because it looses moisture easily. Moisturise with products made for dry skin, drink lots of water and use mild cosmetics designed for dry skin.
Oily skin – Shines, large visible pores, frequent acne (on the face and other parts of the body). It may have gray or yellowish tone and has a tendency to blackhead and whiteheads. This type of skin is very common for teenagers and people in their early 20s. Washing your face twice a day is very important, but washing too frequently may dry your skin out. There are many products on the market designed specifically for oily skin.
Combination skin – Both oily and dry in places. The majority of people with combination skin have a T-zone (across your forehead and down the centre of your face, including your nose and chin) that is oily, and cheeks that are dry. This is tricky to clean because you don't want to dry out the oily parts and make the already dry parts even worse. Figure out which zones of your face are oily and dry, and treat each accordingly. Seek out gentle, alcohol-free products for combination skin.
Sensitive skin – Tends to be thin and delicate with fine pores. If you blush easily, often have broken capillaries, find your skin is prone to allergic reactions or is easily irritated (for example, in the sun or wind), you most likely have sensitive skin. Seek out skincare products and cosmetics designed for sensitive skin.