Did you know that your skin is the largest organ in your body? Yet we often neglect it. One of the best “fountains of youth” is to have clear and radiant skin.  Thankfully, taking good care of your skin is easy to do.

However you have to be consistent and persistent to see the results you’d like.

And thankfully your skin is forgiving. It weighs from two to four kilos, and completely refurbishes itself every 7 to 10 weeks.

The routine you choose should depend upon the type of skin you have.

Types of Skin

There are three types of skin and each requires a different method of cleaning and moisturizing. If your skin is dry, you want a gentle cleanser that won’t dry it out even more.

If your skin naturally produces a lot of oil, you want a good moisturizer that isn’t going to add to the extra oil.

And if your skin is combination, you need to find something that will keep the dry parts moist and the oily parts clean.

There are also issues that skin can have, and I’ll go in to that in more detail further down. Some of us have to deal with large pores and others have to deal with acne.

Sensitive Skin

Skin can also be sensitive to both natural and chemical ingredients. Often people think only dry skin can be sensitive. Not so. You can have oily skin that’s sensitive as well.

Some special cleansing and moisturizing products contain Retin-A or sunscreen. This can be good and helpful. But if you’re sensitive to it, then you should try to find another brand until you have a product line that works best for your skin.

How will you know if you’re sensitive? Your skin may get red or itchy. Or you may get some welts.

If you know that you have sensitive skin, see if you can get a sample first. Or only buy quality products with a good return policy if you do react to it. Then try a small amount on your cheek.

Aging Skin

If you have aging skin, then you will want to look for products that are moisturizing and creamy to help nourish and hydrate your skin. That slows down the aging process.

Some anti-aging products are also infused with vitamins like Vitamin E and beta-carotene. And some have natural exfoliates in them to keep your skin looking fresh. They may contain green tea, retinol, and argireline. There are others as well.

Exfoliation

Should you exfoliate? And what is exfoliation anyway!

When you exfoliate your skin, you’re removing the top layer of dead skin cells. Some work as a gentle scrub, and others work to gently dissolve the skin. Exfoliates can be made up of a wide variety of products including silica beads to be the actual scrubber.

The enzyme exfoliation is the best if you have sensitive skin because it’s very gentle.

If you have acne, you will want to look into more of a chemical exfoliation like hydroxyl acids.

And some exfoliates that InnerOrigin has can also act as a mask to pull out impurities beneath the surface of the skin.

Keep Your Skin Moist

Your skin needs to have a balance of moisture to be able to do its job of protecting the body. So when you take away the oils and the dirt, it’s important to add back in some healthy moisture.

A good moisturizer also acts as a moisture barrier to keep your natural moisture in. This protects your body from potential bad things sneaking in through cracks.

Moisturize Regularly

If you have oily skin, I think I hear you asking if you have to moisturize as well. The answer is a definite yes. First, make sure you’re using a moisturizer specially for oily skin.

The reason why is that if your skin is too dry, your body will produce even more oil to try to balance it out.

You should moisturize your whole body if possible. And our feet need extra emollient moisturizing since they build up the callouses and can get cracks on heels.

What’s In Moisturizer

Skin moisturizers are made up of a few different ingredients.

Humectants can help absorb moisture from the hair and hold it in the skin. An example is an alpha-hydroxyl acid.

Emollients assist in filling in spaces between skin cells. They smooth the skin. An example of this is lanolin.

Finally, moisturizers contain minerals, vitamins, preservatives, and plant extracts like aloe. Some contain fragrances.

Drink Water Consistently

Your body needs regular lubrication throughout the day. So don’t drink a lot of water, and then not much during the day. Our bodies flush out what we don’t need. So a regular infusion keeps us hydrated and helps flush out the inner garbage giving us a healthier body.

Your joints will also thank you.

Keep Your Skin Clean

You should wash your face gently in the morning and again at night with an appropriate cleanser and then follow up with an appropriate moisturizer.

Yes, you should wash your face in the evening even if you don’t wear makeup. That ensures you remove the daily grime and oils and can use special serums to minimize pores or improve elasticity.

Masks

Masks are a great way to restore your skin. You can do deep moisturizing or use a clay mask for deep cleaning.

Putting on a mask and then relaxing for ten minutes can be a wonderful way to relax and reflect upon your day. You could even sneak in some journaling or meditation.

Keeping Your Skin Happy

I mentioned drinking water consistently throughout the day. There are quite a few other simple daily habits you should have to keep your skin looking clear and youthful

Eat a Healthy Diet

Having a good diet rich with fruits and vegetables helps keep your skin fresh looking because of the water content and fiber. Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids like almonds and salmon are also good for your skin.

And you will want to eat foods rich in Vitamin A like eggs, spinach, carrots and more. Vitamin A is found in food in it’s natural form. If you supplement, then you’ll need to look for beta carotene.  Vitamin A strengthens your skin which keeps wrinkles at bay.

Vitamin B helps maintain a happy skin tone. You can find Vitamin B naturally in tuna, black beans, asparagus, watermelon and more.

Foods high in Vitamin C enhance the production of collagen. That keeps your skin feeling firm. And Vitamin C also helps protect cells from oxidation caused by pollution, sunshine, and stress.  The oxidation can damage both the skin’s epidermal (or top) layer as well as the subdermal cells.

You can get Vitamin C in foods like strawberries, oranges, broccoli, tomatoes, and cabbage.

InnerOrigin has supplements and skin care products that will ignite your health.

Other Supplements For Your Skin

In my blog on supplements, I discussed how some vitamins and minerals are helpful for your body because we may not be getting all that we need from our diet.

For our skin, we should supplement with Vitamins B and C, and beta carotene which is a Vitamin A derivative. And a good Omega 3 supplement will help keep our skin looking wonderful.

Get a Good Night’s Rest

Nothing beats a good night’s sleep for helping your skin look radiant. Did you know that adequate rest reduces the risks of having acne breakouts, allergic contact dermatitis reactions and irritant allergic contact?

Sleeping well also reduces inflammatory cells in your body. This leads to a reduction in the breakdown of hyaluronic acid and collagen. And collagen is what keeps your skin firm as well as a healthy glow.

A good rest also helps reduce your stress which does impact your skin. It also reduces under-eye circles, puffy bags and skin dryness.

So get a good night’s sleep.

Exercise Regularly

Sweating is a good way of keeping your skin healthy. It increases the blood flow to your skin. Also, regular exercise helps reduce stress as well which we know keeps your skin looking even better.

My Final Thoughts

When you want to feel confident, you need healthy skin. A clear face projects authority and leadership. It also builds up trust and likability which is important when you’re building connections and relationships with other people.

A regular routine to take care of your health is vital to my philosophy of Igniting Your Life. So do find a routine that works well for you to cleanse and moisturize your skin. And then take care of the inside out with a good diet, lots of water, and quality supplements. Oh and get a good nights sleep and exercise.

You’ll feel better facing the world.