The skincare industry has enjoyed a boom in trade over the last few years, with as much as 92% of UK women using facial cleansers in 2018 – a number that’s only increased, with the ever-increasing market availability of new treatments and tinctures to keep your skin healthy. Your skin is an organ, and the largest one on your body at that! It pays to look after it well, and in some cases the consequences of poor skincare can be plain to see. But what do you need to do to look after your skin, and what could happen if you don’t?
How to Look After Your Skin
Your skin is much more than just an outer layer of your body; it is responsible for many key processes, including but not limited to heat regulation, sensory perception and blood flow. It can also receive a lot of grief from not just the elements, but from your habits. Knowing what to apply and what to moderate can make all the difference, in more ways than you might think.
For a start, UV rays are a year-round phenomenon – and with UV levels reaching Mediterranean levels in the UK, being conscious of it and its effects on your skin can only be a good thing. Avoid fake tanning machines where possible, and make the regular application of high-SPF lotions part of your daily skincare routine.
Speaking of skincare routines, curating one that works for you can make a night-and-day difference in the state of your skin. Any routine that has more than one step is a good one, but a great base routine includes a cleanser, a serum and a moisturiser – with the aim of first cleansing, then balancing, then hydrating your skin.
If you are unfortunate enough to suffer a skin condition, this condition can also be treated correctly as part of your daily routine. For example: acne can be improved with a skincare routine alone, but the addition of acne-specific treatments such as tea-tree or salicylic acid before the moisturising phase of your routine can work wonders; and scars or other hyperpigmentations issues can be improved with the inclusion of Vitamin C or manuka honey into your routine.
The last piece of the puzzle is self-care. Ensuring you sleep well and drink enough water is crucial for the health of your skin, for reasons we are about to elaborate.
The Consequences of Poor Skincare
Sleep and water are especially important for your skin as a shortage of either can result in dry and flaky skin, difficult to bring back with a skincare routine alone. Sleep allows your body to repair itself, and a lack thereof can be responsible for a number of skin issues – and an aging effect. Likewise, dehydration is a sure-fire route to flaky skin.
According to Transform Hospital Group, without the regular application of high-SPF sunscreen your exposure to UV rays year-round can result in signs of premature aging – such as sagging and wrinkles. Meanwhile, vices such as alcohol and cigarettes can have disastrous effects on your skin: smoking constricts the blood vessels in your skin, reducing its oxygen intake and resulting in a dull complexion, while the smoke damages the natural collagen that keeps your skin supple; drinking is another route to dehydration, and similarly constricts blood vessels, sometimes even rupturing them.
In Conclusion
The above might seem a little daunting – whether you’re concerned about the effects of daily life on your skin, or scared to start up a potentially time-consuming routine. However, skin-care routines take no time at all, and are relatively inexpensive for the results you can achieve!
Speak Your Mind