:Clear Skin Blog

When it comes to acne control, we hear a lot about what not to do. But what are some good habits to pamper your skin and stay looking your best?

1) Drink plenty of water. The recommended eight glasses per day may sound like a lot, but drinking water is the best way to keep your skin moisturized and supple, flush out unwanted toxins, and promote healing and healthy circulation. Too little water is a common cause of minor breakouts. Around this time of the year, a lot of people also suffer from dry skin, and drinking more water is often more helpful than any topical moisturizer.

2) Get enough sleep. The term “beauty sleep” has some truth to it. Much of your body’s tissue repair occurs while you are asleep. Getting enough sleep and keeping your sleep schedule consistent are two big factors in making sure your skin stays healthy and your skin cells get rejuvenated each day.

3) A little bit of sun is a good thing. Don’t buy into marketing scams that tell you never to leave home without the SPF 15. Too little sun is NOT good for your skin. 15 minutes a day of sun exposure provides your body with essential vitamin D and enhances circulation in your skin cells. Limited sun exposure does speed healing of minor blemishes, just don’t cross the line into trying to hide them under a tan.

4) Wash your face twice a day, but no more than twice. Always be gentle on your skin when routinely washing. Washing too frequently is a common error among stressed-out acne sufferers. Over-washing will only irritate your skin by constantly stripping it of its protective layer of oil. Excess oil is a bad thing, but *some* oil is a good thing. It’s a natural layer of defense for your skin.

5) Exfoliate now and then. There are several different ways to exfoliate that top layer of dead skin cells, but the best to use regularly is a scrub or paste. Avoid chemical peels that can have uneven or harsh effects. Use a coarse-grain scrub with decently large particles (fine particles can enter or scrape the sides of your pores). Exfoliation doesn’t usually need to be done every day, and you should always be gentle when applying an exfoliant, but used properly, these are a great way to safely strip away unwanted dead cells from the surface of your skin.