Your skin takes a real beating every single day so it’s no wonder smooth, even skin can sometimes feel totally out of reach. Word up: nothing is impossible when it comes to improving the texture of your skin.
From stressful days at work to restless nights of zero zzzs, there are countless ways your lifestyle impacts the texture of your skin. Then there’s the humidity levels of your environment which, if you live in dry climates can totally batter your skin, causing dehydration, dryness and rough skin at lightning speeds. Reckon that’s more than enough for your skin to contend with? If only. Because then you throw in genetics, hormones and questionable skincare choices like not exfoliating – or, indeed, exfoliating too much – and… bam… real problems with the texture of your skin.
It's no wonder, then, that silky smooth, flawless skin feels like nothing but a pipedream. But, fear not, because this is a good thing. And bear with us on this one because we’re not going mad. The simple truth is that at the end of the day there’s no such thing as perfect skin so giving yourself such out-of-reach goals is a fruitless mission. Instead, just think about the things you can do to improve your skin as best you can. Because you can only work with what you were born with, right?
On that note, here are a few tricks we’ve picked up over the years that are guaranteed to help even out the texture of your skin. Will these tips have your skin feeling perfectly smooth in a hot minute? Not at all. But as we said, perfection is overrated anyway. Improvement is what it’s all about.
Come Clean
Most forms of rough, uneven skin are down to blocked pores which, if left to their own devices, get completely bunged up with sweat, oil, sunscreen, makeup, pollution, dirt and, well, you get the picture. This means a seriously good cleansing routine with a balancing, detoxifying cleanser like Charcoal Clarifying Cleanser is vital. Do this at least twice a day, and always after exercising, to ensure your pores stay clean, clear and less likely to swell or make your skin feel bumpy.
Also, remember that being clean doesn’t begin and end with your face. Keeping your hands, smartphone, towels, bed linen and makeup brushes spotless is just as important because these all touch your face and can transfer yucky, pore-clogging stuff straight onto your skin.
Find Your Exfoliation Sweet Spot
Exfoliation – the process of removing dead, hardened cells from the surface of your skin – is one of, if not the most effective ways to give your skin a smoother, softer edge.
Your skin has its own natural system of shedding dead skin cells (a process called desquamation) but as you age and subject your skin to all manner of lifestyle and environmental stress, this process slows down from an average of 28 days to as much as 80 days. Seriously bad news. Why? Because slow cell turnover results in all those dead, dull skin cells hanging around at the surface of your skin, blocking up pores and leaving your complexion congested, patchy, rough and dull-looking.
Thankfully, exfoliation gives the whole process a kick up the butt, helping to reduce build-up and thus making your skin look and feel ten times better.
But (why is there ALWAYS a but?) the most common mistake you can make with exfoliation is doing it too often and too vigorously.
If you like to use a physical scrub, stick to two or three times a week depending on your skin type, or for a more gentle approach try a cleanser or toner than contains some kind of chemical exfoliator like glycolic, lactic or salicylic acid. Our Ocean Minerals Super Toner is a great choice here.
Sweat It Out At The Gym
Fancy making your skin feel and look better while simultaneously improving the health of your entire body? Then up your exercise game.
Exercise not only improves your circulation, helping to bring more oxygen and nutrients to the surface of your skin, but it also reduces inflammation. What’s more, building up a good sweat is a great way to clear out blocked pores. Just remember, always cleanse your skin straight after working out to ensure all that sweat doesn’t get left on your skin.
Boost Cell Turnover With Retinol
One of the most effective ingredients for accelerating cell turnover and improving the tone AND texture of your skin? Hands down: retinol. It gives similar results to exfoliation but works on a deeper level to boost collagen and elastin at the same time as kickstarting your skin’s desquamation process to bring healthier cells to the skin’s surface.
Here are some important rules to follow when introducing retinol into your skincare routine.
1. Always do a patch test first to check your skin’s compatibility with this potent ingredient. Not sure how to go about that? We’ve got your back, right here.
2. Start slowly and steadily. Once you’re sure a retinol product is suitable for your skin type, introduce it slowly to your routine. Two or three times a week is a good place to start, then you can build on this as your skin acclimates.
3. Be patient. Retinol works at a deep, cellular level which means it’ll take time before you start seeing results. Give it a good three months, maybe even longer. But don’t worry, it’ll be worth it.
Don’t Scrimp On Quality Sleep
Starving your skin of valuable zzzs is a mean trick to play because that valuable rest time is when your skin repairs and recovers itself from the daily grind. You see, when you sleep, your skin gets super busy: blood flow increases, cell turnover accelerates, collagen production revs up and antioxidants kick in to help neutralize free radical damage. All this helps strengthen your skin’s natural barrier function, enabling it to keep your skin hydrated, smooth, soft and supple.
Make sure you get somewhere between seven and nine hours of sleep each night and try sleeping with a humidifier to up the moisture levels in your bedroom and help keep your skin plump, soft and hydrated.
Love Your Sunscreen
We feel like we say this all the time, but it’s totally valid because we also know there are plenty of people out there who still don’t protect their skin with sunscreen every morning. Don’t be like those people. Sunscreen is the most powerful anti-aging weapon you can have in your skincare arsenal. And that is no exaggeration.
Most skin damage is caused by exposure to the sun and as you get older this builds and builds, leading to all manner of photoaging issues such as poor texture, dark spots, lines, wrinkles, sagging skin, the works. So… Protect. Your. Skin.
First up, apply topical antioxidants like vitamin C, niacinamide or vitamin E every morning which work on free radical damage caused by the sun. Not sure which to go for? Not a problem, try our new Multi-Vitamin Facial Serum which is chock-full of vitamins and antioxidants, as well as minerals, electrolytes and other skin-loving nutrients to protect against UV radiation and help improve the texture and tone of your skin. Follow with SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen With Vitamin C and you will literally be winning at life.
Eat All The Good Stuff
Sugar, salt, refined carbs, processed foods and nasty fats are hella bad news for your skin, killing good bacteria, accelerating inflammation and destroying collagen and elastin. So stay away from the junk as much as you can.
Of course, the odd red velvet cupcake and packet of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos won’t completely ruin your skin but swap them out every now and again for healthier snacks and your skin will love you so much more. Skin-friendly foods include those packed with antioxidants and vitamins like bright-colored fruit and veggies; dairy and poultry which is full of zinc; plus omega fatty acids which are found in nuts, seeds and oily fish.
Oh, and it also goes without saying to drink plenty of sugar-free, caffeine-free fluids like water (obvs!) or herbal teas.
PS: Rough Skin Not Going Away?
Rough, dry skin can also be down to more serious, chronic skin conditions like eczema, rosacea, psoriasis and keratosis pilaris which require a professional diagnosis for the best treatment. Reckon this could be you? Then always seek help from your healthcare provider.
