Tips For Healthier Skin

Confidence is a gorgeous, attractive trait but only if you have it. If you don't have confidence, it can be quite the opposite - low self esteem can leave people feeling down and horrible about themselves. Personally, when I have clear, healthy skin it definitely boosts my confidence and makes me feel more confident in my own skin. So today I decided to share with you a few of my skincare tips and tricks that I use to try and keep my skin looking clear, glowy, healthy and generally just nice. 

1. ALWAYS TAKE YOUR MAKEUP OFF BEFORE BED

I know this is a pretty standard beauty rule, but it's actually surprising how many girls forget to take their makeup off before bed. By leaving your makeup on every night, your pores become clogged and you increase your chances of breaking out a lot. Your skin needs time to breathe without makeup and a chance to repair cells. A good trick is stashing a pack of makeup wipes on your bedside table. This way, if you're in bed and really can't bring yourself to get up and take your makeup off properly, you can quickly wipe it off in bed.

2. WASH MAKEUP BRUSHES REGULARLY

I'm terrible for not washing my makeup brushes regularly, but if you wear makeup everyday then you should be washing your brushes weekly. Not cleaning your brushes regularly allows dirt and bacteria to build in them, meaning every time you apply makeup with that brush, you are transferring the bacteria to your face. I use baby shampoo to wash my makeup brushes as it's super gentle - simple put a squirt of baby shampoo in warm water and swirl each brush in the water. Next, leave them all to soak for five minutes and then let them dry out.

3. DRINK WATER

Another pretty standard rule, but once again it's surprising how much we forget the importance of water and the positive effects it has on our skin. You're supposed to drink eight glasses of water a day, and doing this flushes unwanted toxins out of your body. Drinking water also gives your skin more moisture whilst helping to keep you hydrated.

4. DON'T TOUCH YOUR FACE

Touching your face transfers the bacteria and oils from your hands and fingers to your face. By touching your face you're adding dirt and bacteria, causing your pores to become greasy and clogged. If you do touch your face, make sure your hands are clean. Touching your face consistently can cause spots to spread and breakout in other areas of your skin so, basically, don't do it.

5. MOISTURISE

I often get dry skin, so using moisturiser is a must. Even if you don't suffer from dry skin, moisturising helps to keep your skin soft and hydrated. When you wash your face, you strip your skin of moisture, so moisturising daily helps to replenish your skin and keep the moisture locked in. Don't apply moisturiser to your face when it is wet, and massage the moisturiser in with small, circular motions. This 'wakes' your skin up and gives you more of a glow.

6. USE COCONUT OIL

Coconut oil is a holy grail when it comes to skincare and keeping your skin in top condition. Coconut oil can be used for so many things - to take off your makeup, to cure dry skin and you can also use it as a lip balm to soothe and moisturise. The antioxidant properties of coconut oil help to repair and heal your skin, leaving it radiant and glowing. I especially love using coconut oil to take my eye makeup off as it is super gentle and good for sensitive skin.

7. WEAR SPF (SUN PROTECTION FACTOR)

I'm not sure if this is stressed enough but using SPF in your daily skincare routine is so important. For foundation, I use MAC's Matchmaster Foundation which has a built in SPF of 15. Try to find a moisturiser or foundation which contains SPF as it protects your skin from harmful sun rays which can age your skin and dry it out. Even when it isn't particularly sunny out, the sun is still strong and has powerful UV rays that attack your skin cells.

8. TAKE A COOL SHOWER EVERY NOW AND THEN

I'm all for a lovely long hot shower, but it does in fact leave your skin really dehydrated. When you come out of a hot shower, you may experience reddening and itchiness of the skin - signs that your skin is drying out. Taking cool showers every so often opens up your pores and allows them to breathe and clean, leaving your skin looking clearer. Taking cool showers is also super refreshing - pat your skin gently afterwards to close up pores.

9. SLEEP IT OFF 

Sleep is really important and it's surprising how a late or sleepless night can effect our skin. Being deprived of sleep leaves your skin looking dull and lifeless and the skin darkens around our eyes, leaving us with 'bags' - not attractive. You should aim to have around eight hours sleep a night, which will give your skin and body enough time to replenish itself and heal.

10. REPLACE MAKEUP REGULARLY

When I was a bit of a newbie to makeup, I had no idea how important it was to regularly replace and renew beauty products. Keeping makeup for years, even months, allows dirt and bacteria to build within the products and you are therefore transferring this to your face each time. Here's a little guide to show exactly when you should replace each product:

Mascara - 3 months
Lipsticks - 2 years

Foundation - 1 year

Eye pencils - 1-2 years

Liquid Eyeliner - 3 months

Powder eyeshadows - 2 years
Cream eyeshadows - 6 months

Suncream - 6 months