It doesn’t matter what skin tone you have. If the sun is shining, you need to wear sunscreen. The ultraviolet rays in the sun don’t just put you at risk of skin cancer, they also prematurely age your skin by damaging cells and causing wrinkles.
Yes, your hair needs protection from the sun too. If you’re a swimmer, then salt water and chlorine can also damage your hair. There are a lot of brands that make spray-on protection for hair. You can also use natural products like coconut oil or shea butter that moisturize your hair and provide a small amount of UV protection.
Still paying for those expensive makeup removers? Why not switch to castor oil instead? Aside from doing a great job of removing makeup from your face, natural castor oil has numerous benefits for the skin. It is rich in fatty acids which moisturize skin. It unclogs pores and has anti-bacteria properties, so is very good at getting rid of acne (yes, even on oily skin). Castor oil is also an anti-inflammatory and can get rid of redness on your face. Just dab a bit of castor oil on a cotton ball and use it to gently remove makeup.
After washing your skin, toning is a must to get rid of any residual dirt and close your pores. The problem is that most skin toners contain ingredients that dry out the skin such as alcohol or perfumes. If you haven’t already, it may be time to switch to a natural skin toner. If you are on a budget, you can use organic unfiltered apple cider vinegar — it works like a charm.
About once a week, you should exfoliate your face to remove dead skin cells. Otherwise, your face could lose its glow and the dead skin cells can clog pores and cause breakouts. There are two ways to exfoliate: buy face scrubs which have gritty ingredients in them and rub them on your face or use a face brush to clean out your pores. If you are on a budget, skip the fancy products and make your own face-exfoliating scrub by mixing about 100 milliliters of coconut oil with 30 milliliters of sugar.
After washing and toning your skin, you should moisturize to replenish. The problem is it’s very difficult to choose the right moisturizer. Since moisturizers are on your skin for hours, you need one that won’t irritate your skin or clog your pores. But you will also want one that locks in moisture. As a general rule, don’t make your decision by reading the claims on the label. Instead, read the ingredients. For a daytime moisturizer, pick one that has UV protection. This may spare you the need of lathering on sunscreen. Remember that you should always apply moisturizer to damp skin.
The skin around our eyes is delicate, so this is where the first signs of aging will appear. A good eye cream will reduce puffiness, dryness, dark circles, and maybe even reduce wrinkles. If you are older, you’ll want to choose an eye cream that has antioxidants and fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamins A, C, and E.
A pumice stone is a really basic product that can do wonders for the skin on your feet. After soaking your feet in water to soften the skin, get the pumice stone wet. Rub it against the skin on your feet, paying attention to areas with calluses or corns. Your feet will be smoother and softer.
A lot of people are diligent about brushing and flossing but overlook the tongue. All those little bumps on your tongue are perfect places for bacteria to grow. Bacteria cause bad breath and eat away at your teeth, which is not going to help in the beauty department. A tongue scraper is a must-have beauty product for men and women. It’s just a curved piece of plastic you drag down your tongue to scrape off any bacteria lurking there.
Do you use the brush that comes with your mascara and no other? Then you might be surprised to learn that there are several different shapes of mascara brushes, and the shape can produce a different effects on your lashes. For example, a straight mascara brush will have a lengthening effect. If you want a curling effect, get a brush that dips in the middle. For more volume, choose a mascara brush with a spiral shape.
