Did you know that sleeping on your front is way better for your wrinkles? This and other skin-loving beauty habits incoming…
Of course, innovative skincare ingredients are important, and taking care of your skin’s basic needs with a gentle but effective cleansing and moisturizing routine are vital. But oftentimes it’s the little extras that go further in helping your skin truly thrive.
Nixing bad habits such as not taking your makeup before bed and constantly squeezing your pimples are the obvious no-nos. But what about the hell yesses? Keep scrolling for ten awesome beauty habits that’ll turbocharge your skincare routine and take your complexion to the next, gorgeously glowing level.
1. Sleep On Your Back
Love smushing your face into your pillow as you fall into the land of zzzs every night? Big mistake. Sleeping on your side or front causes unnecessary friction against the pillow, creating folds in your skin which can accelerate the formation of fine lines and wrinkles around the temples, eyes, cheeks and mouth. If you sleep on the same side every night, for example, you’ll probably end up with more lines on that side of your face. So not cool.
Sleeping on your back, on the other hand, is much better for your skin and keeps your face and neck away from all that pillow rubbing. Which is going to be much better for your wrinkles in the long run!
Back sleeping also keeps your face free from any bacteria or dirt that may be lurking on your pillowcase (because, admit it, we’ve all put off washing our bed linen from time to time!).
2. Massage Your Skin Everyday
Anything you can do to stimulate blood flow and increase the level of oxygen and nutrients being transported to the surface of your skin? Priceless. A lymphatic drainage massage, for example, is an incredible way to help keep your skin clearer, firmer and more radiant.
Massaging as you cleanse is the easiest option, so apply your favorite cleanser to damp skin (we’re all over our new Soothing Cleansing Milk right now) and get to work. If you have dry or normal skin, always massage from the neck up to the forehead, working in circular motions to draw in nutrients, whereas if you have oily or combination skin, start at the top of the face and work down to help transport toxins and waste away from your skin.
3. Keep Your Hands Off
No matter how often you wash your hands they’re always going to be carrying a certain number of germs, oils and dirt from things like door handles, money, your smartphone or keyboard. Touch your face all the time and just like that, all that grime gets transferred to your skin which can combine with surface oils and block up your pores.
Hands off, people!
4. Wear SPF... Even When It’s Not Sunny
Getting into the habit of applying SPF every morning without fail is literally the best thing you can do to help prevent the signs of external aging. It’s also one of the easiest, so there really are no excuses.
The thing is, UV radiation is always present during the daytime, rain or shine. Clouds don’t block UV rays from getting to your skin, and neither does the rain or cold weather. So with the sun being the biggest cause of fine lines and wrinkles – we’re talking somewhere between 80 and 90 percent – it could not be more important to protect your skin.
Of course, the best way to shield your skin from the sun is to stay indoors, with the curtains closed, but we don’t recommend that. Because… life. Instead, get into the habit of applying your SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen with Vitamin C every morning as the last step in your skincare routine.
5. Say No To Hot Water
Don’t worry, we’re not going to starve you of your morning coffee or afternoon green tea. Hot water is fine in your beverage choice, just not on your skin.
Scorching hot water disrupts your skin’s barrier function – that super important protective layer on the surface of your skin which keeps moisture in and aggressors out. Hot water chips away at important things like natural oils and proteins, robbing your skin of hydration and encouraging irritation. It can also exacerbate inflammation and aggravate existing conditions like rosacea or acne.
Always wash your face with lukewarm water and try not to crank up the heat too much when showering or bathing.
6. Layer On The Hydration
Dehydration can be a big problem, for all skin types (yes, even oily). It can also go unnoticed, resulting in uncomfortable, dull skin and premature lines.
Don’t be that person. Keep your skin as hydrated as possible by layering it up with both a serum and moisturizer. Great ingredients to look out for are the humectant superheroes of the skincare world: hyaluronic acid, aloe vera and glycerin.
Humectants are ingredients that soak up water like a sponge making them an absolute must for hydrating your skin. Try the combination of Hyaluronic Acid Facial Serum followed by Vitamin C Brightening Moisturizer and you’ll be winning.
While you’re at it, it's also a good idea to hydrate from within. And that’s simple enough. Just ensure your drink plenty of fluids (caffeine-free, of course) and eat lots of water-rich foods like watermelon, tomatoes, cucumber, apples and celery.
7. Pat, Never Scrub Your Skin Dry
The way you dry your skin is pretty darn important. Who knew? Well, we did, but that’s why we here!
For starters, using a bath or hand towel that’s shared by the whole family is far from ideal as bacteria can easily build up on these – even after just a few uses. We recommend investing in a specific face towel for you alone that you can wash regularly (preferably daily). Then, once you have the right tool, gently pat your skin with a light dabbing motion after cleansing. Vigorously rubbing your skin isn’t the end of the world, but it can add to irritation and inflammation if you’re not super careful.
Finally, don’t forget to moisturize while your skin is still damp to seal in hydration and help prevent transepidermal water loss. We're all over our new Renewing Longevity Moisturizing Cream right now.
8. Eat The Rainbow
Munching on plenty of colorful fruit and veggies is not just great for your overall health but it also helps decrease skin inflammation and works hard to protect it from free radical damage.
But what does ‘eating the rainbow’ actually mean? Simple, it’s all about including fruit and veggies of a variety of colors in your diet to provide you with a rich array of skin-loving phytochemicals. Phytochemicals are what give different foods their aroma, color and taste and they all have various benefits. For example, red produce like tomatoes, strawberries and red peppers all contain a phytochemical called lycopene which is a potent antioxidant. Meanwhile, orange and yellow fruit and veggies such as carrots, pineapple, peaches and squash are high in carotenoids which are vital for healthy collagen production and stronger, firmer skin.
Next time you’re at the store, make sure your basket is full of yellow, orange, red, purple, green and, yes, even white fruit and veggies.
9. Take Your Skincare South
It’s easy to concentrate all of your skincare efforts on your face… and stop there. But the skin on your neck and décolletage need just as much love – maybe even more so.
This skin has fewer sebaceous glands than your face which means it struggles to keep itself nourished and moisturized. It’s also super thin, fragile and gets exposed to the elements almost as much as your face. So don’t treat your neck and décolletage as an afterthought. Include this area when cleansing, toning, treating, exfoliating, moisturizing and basically doing anything to your face. A favorite product of ours is Vitamin C Deep Hydration Night Cream which is a joy to smooth over your freshly cleansed face, neck and décolletage before bed.
Oh, and one last very important neck habit. Always apply sunscreen. It’s non-negotiable.
10. Try Skin Icing
A big trend across social media, and a classic trick carried out by models for decades, skin icing (basically applying something cold to your skin) can be a great way to help de-puff your skin or put a little glow in your step after a sleepless night or big night out. Contrary to what some influencers may say, however, it won’t make your wrinkles disappear. Remember that.
Using actual ice cubes on your face is free, but it can get real messy so we recommend investing in some kind of tool like ice globes or a jade roller that you can keep in the freezer instead. You could even apply your favorite serum before use to help encourage better absorption of all those delicious ingredients.
Apply our new Multi-Vitamin Facial Serum to cleansed skin, then grab your globes or a roller and work them over your skin and around your eyes for 10 minutes. Use upwards movements to lift your skin and add radiance, or downwards strokes if you want to encourage lymphatic drainage and reduce swelling.
Whatever you do, though, make sure you don’t press too hard as this could drag and damage your skin.
