Although many of us aspire to have youthful, radiant skin, we always seem just short of achieving this goal. While many of the over-the-counter skincare products we buy claim they can produce the results we desire, they frequently miss the mark. However, as a growing number of people have come to discover, less can oftentimes be more when it comes to skincare. So, if blemish-free, healthy-looking skin is what you’re after, put the following low-effort measures to good use.
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Protect Your Moisture Barrier
Skin that has trouble maintaining moisture is practically guaranteed to develop dryness, blemishes and other problems synonymous with insufficiently moist skin. With this in mind, protecting and preserving your skin’s moisture barrier should be among your foremost skincare priorities. Luckily, this task isn’t nearly as daunting as you may think.
For starters, you’ll need to follow up every face-washing with a moisturizing. Even mild cleansers have a tendency to quickly dry out skin, and if you get into the habit of washing without moisturizing, you stand to do considerable damage to your moisture barrier. Secondly, try to avoid using products that cause your skin to become excessively dry. This doesn’t only apply to skincare products, either. Soaps, shampoos and other grooming essentials that contain skin-drying ingredients should be replaced with organic alternatives and/or products designed specifically for people with sensitive skin. For example, organic collagen powder may help your skin retain its youthful elasticity.
Limit Daily Face-Washing
For many of us, washing our face twice a day is a staple of personal grooming. And while keeping your skin clear is certainly a tenet of good skincare, two daily face-washings can be a bit much for certain skin types. As stated above, cleansers – even mild ones – tend to cause dryness, especially when they’re not followed up with a good moisturizer. Furthermore, there’s a good chance that your skin doesn’t get oily or dirty enough in a given day to warrant multiple washings.
So, if you don’t wear makeup, there’s a good chance that a single wash per day is more than sufficient to keep your skin clean. Doing a full wash before going to bed – after your skin has accumulated assorted oils and contaminants – is generally preferable to washing with cleanser in the morning. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with starting the day by splashing a little water on your face – just don’t use cleanser if there’s no need to. Keep in mind that if you have extremely oily skin, two full washes per day may still be okay.
Give Water-Only Washing a Try
If you have supremely dry skin, full face-washes are liable to leave your face dry and irritated, even if you follow up with a moisturizer. (Granted, a good moisturizer can still serve to limit dryness and irritation.) So, if you don’t wear makeup, why not give water-only washes a try? Cleanliness is certainly important when it comes to skincare, but it’s entirely possible to overdo it in this area.
In addition to saving yourself a fair amount of time, embracing water-only washes also stands to save you a fair amount of money on pricey cleansers. Furthermore, there are several ways to tackle water-only washes. If you prefer to wash at the sink, you can use your hands or a washcloth to gently scrub your face with water. Those who prefer to wash in the shower can simply let the water run over their face while gently scrubbing with their hands.
If harsh cleansers or general over-washing have majorly contributed to your skin dry, giving your skin a break by transitioning to water-only washes can be a boon to your moisture barrier. However, those with perpetually oily skin are advised to stick with cleansers designed for their specific skin type.
For many of us, flawless skin seems like an unattainable dream. Despite our best efforts – not to mention a fair amount of money spent on skincare products – we’re never able to get the radiant skin for which we long. Although we’ve been conditioned to believe that copious product use is crucial to proper skincare, this isn’t always the case. In fact, if radiant skin has continuously eluded you, there’s a good chance you’re doing too much. Taking the measures discussed above can help give you the skin you’ve dreamt of while saving you a considerable amount of time, effort and financial resources.
