Achieving the healthiest body and mind is many people’s dream. Your physical and mental health affects the aging process, your overall mood, and how you view yourself every day. This also includes caring for your skin. However, skin care can feel confusing, and you may not be sure how to get started.
Luckily, we have a few dermatologist-approved skin-care tips you should know, from wearing sunscreen every day to eating right. Your skin will reward you and bring you closer to your skin-care goals.
Wear Sunscreen Every Day, Year-Round
Sunscreen should be part of your everyday skin-care routine, no matter what time of the year it is. It’s the most critical thing to improving overall skin quality and health. As UVA and UVB rays hit your skin, they can accelerate the aging process, cause sunburn, and increase cancer risk. And sunscreen isn’t only helpful in the summertime. It can penetrate through clouds, windows, and even rainfall, so making sure you have proper protection year-round is vital.
Ideally, you should look for a mechanical sunscreen that you can rub into the skin. A sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 is perfect, allowing only 3% of UVB rays to hit your skin. Ingredients should include either titanium oxide or zinc oxide, as it will help the sun’s rays bounce off the skin. Your skin will then remain youthful and protected all year long.
Don’t Overdo Your Skin-Care Routine
When you want to improve your skin-care routine, you may have a desire to try as many ingredients as possible to get quick results. However, you should keep your routine simple and only use ingredients you need. Less is more when it comes to skin care, as too many products can clog the pores. So ideally, stick with a simple morning and evening skin-care routine. Your morning routine should clean off any buildup from the evening before and refresh the skin, while your evening routine should focus on treatments and hydration. Stick with a gentle cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen for your morning routine. As for the evening, incorporate a double cleanse, treatments, and then night cream. Additionally, protecting your undereye area with either an eye cream or eye serum will reduce sagging and the appearance of wrinkles.
Focus on Antioxidants, Inside and Out
One of the essential dermatologist-approved skin-care tips you should know is incorporating antioxidants into your routine and diet. Antioxidants protect your body from cellular damage and such as free radicals. Free radicals can accelerate the aging process and cellular breakdown, so finding foods and serums that provide antioxidants will keep you and your body in good shape. Foods high in antioxidants include:
- Berries
- Plums and prunes
- Apples
- Dark leafy greens
- Pecans
- Beans
- Artichokes
As you adjust to your new skin-care routine, you’ll notice results over time. Trust the process, and try not to expect drastic changes in a week; good things take time.