How To Get Healthy Skin: 5 Simple Habits To Start Now!

You know how to have a healthy body, but now you’re wondering how to get healthy skin.

It is actually quite a simple process of just taking care of your skin all year-round. We are constantly told how we can take care of our inner organs. Unfortunately though, we are not often reminded of how to take care of the biggest organ of all – our skin!

Our skin the the first line of defence for our bodies.

Let’s think about Covid for a moment. Touching anything with our bare skin can easily introduce harmful germs and bacteria into our system. This is why we are told to wear gloves or sanitise our hands to rid our skin of little nasties!

Our skin is also often one of the first places we notice signs of an infection or illness.

Rashes can indicate infections
Dry skin can indicate dehydration or flare-ups of eczema and psoriasis
Changes in colour can suggest lupus or jaundice
Moles or dark spots could be a sign of Cancer

Taking care of our skin is extremely important, as it takes care of us too. Keeping it as healthy as possible will help to provide a barrier from those little nasties I mentioned before.

Here are 5 habits that people with healthy skin employ into their skincare routine on a daily basis.

1. Stay hydrated

Dehydration is one of the worst things for all of your organs to endure.

Not only can it cause a range of health problems, such as lightheadedness, fatigue, achy muscles, diarrhoea and more, but it can also effect your skin in many negative ways.

Becoming dehydrated leads skin to lack moisture from the inside. It can become dry and cracked, wrinkled and dull. Your eyes can become sunken and you can develop under-eye circles.

Luckily though, dehydrated skin is only a temporary problem and can be reversed, which leads me to my next point…

2. Moisturise

Both your morning and evening skin care routine should include moisturiser.

Not only on your face, but also on your body. Don’t forget the areas of your skin that tend to get the most dry, such as your knees, ankles, elbows and the heels of your feet.

Keeping your skin moisturised will help to keep wrinkles and fine lines to a minimum. Many moisturisers now come with other ingredients, which are formulated specifically to fight signs of ageing, such as the Fadeout Brightening Moisturiser with Niacinamide.

If you are into your all-natural skincare, don’t fret as there are plenty of natural ingredients that can also help prevent and minimise signs of ageing.

Retinol, the well-known Queen of anti-ageing is actually a synthetic derivative of Vitamin A. So, for a natural alternative to these synthetic ingredients, try using a moisturiser that has Vitamin A in it.

3. Protect skin against sun damage

It is often forgotten (or, taken for granted) that our skin is the largest organ of our body.

We naturally try to take care of our liver by not drinking too much alcohol, our heart by exercising, our eyes by not sitting too close to the TV and getting regular check-ups at the optician etc.

Unfortunately though, many of us often forget to protect our skin from sun-rays, which damage our skin and can even cause Cancer!

Even if you live in a climate without much sun, you should still continue to wear SPF every day.

Yes, even when the sky is overcast!

Applying a daily moisturiser with SPF30+ or a separate SPF cream after you moisturise can help to protect your skin from sun damage and help you to get healthier skin.

Don’t forget to cream your neck and chest while you’re creaming your face though – these parts of the body tend to be neglected in many skincare routines.

4. Get enough sleep

There are many benefits to getting a good nights sleep. Healthy skin is a commonly overlooked benefit.

Not getting enough sleep increases your cortisol levels (stress hormone levels). Raised cortisol levels result in inflammation and a puffy appearance, along with sunken eyes and generally feeling more stressed!

Your skin cells regenerate and rebuild themselves while you sleep. This allows for your body to produce more collagen, which helps your skin to appear (and feel) more plump and firm.

As your skin cells regenerate while you sleep, your skin actually becomes more receptive to products. This is one of the reasons we are advised to apply anti-ageing products before bed.

Aim to get the recommended 6-9 hours of sleep a night in order to give your skin the love and attention it requires.

5. Eat healthy

How can you expect to have a healthy outer organ (your skin) if you do not take care of your inner organs too?

Research has shown that what you eat can have a direct effect on the health of your skin. Many dermatological conditions, such as acne, skin Cancer, ageing skin and psoriasis can be worsened by eating unhealthy food.

Try to eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, healthy fats and certain types of fish (salmon, sardines etc.).

Here is a free one-week healthy meal plan for weight loss. You can use the recipes on this list to get you started on your healthy eating journey.