I know what you’re thinking. “There we go, another list of all these expensive products to keep your skin glowing and acne-free.” Not today! Instead, here is a list of simple ways to make your skin clearer. Achieving acne-free skin doesn’t have to be difficult. By following these simple yet life-changing steps, your skin will look and feel healthier!
- Wash your hands before touching your face
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Before you ever touch your face, always remember to wash your hands thoroughly with warm soap and water. The last thing you want to do before trying to wash off your face is to add more dirt to it. Spreading dirt and other unnecessary oils onto your skin blocks your pores and causes acne. The more you wash your hands before touching or washing your face, the clearer your skin will look.
- Reduce the number of products you use
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The fewer skin products you use on your face, the better. Over the years I have tried numerous products and some can dry out, burn, or irritate your face. Our skin is delicate and fragile; using too many products can irritate it even more and cause you to break out. The more you reduce the amount of products you apply on your skin, the better it will start to look. Try reducing the number of products that you use by tossing your least favorite ones and watch your skin become clearer over time. Your bank account will also benefit from this as you’ll spend less money on beauty products!
- Avoid touching your face
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Resist the temptation of resting your chin on your hand in class! When we apply pressure to parts of our skin with no room for it to breath, it causes breakouts. Try to avoid touching your face and watch your acne improve!
- Clean makeup brushes frequently
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It can be scary to imagine how long it’s been since you last washed your makeup brushes! No matter how annoying it may be, make it a point to wash your brushes often in order to get rid of access makeup and dirt. I recommend using your daily face wash — rather than body soap — to rinse in with water when washing your brushes and let them air dry. Using clean brushes will help prevent future breakouts!
- Take off all of your makeup whenever you can
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Using a makeup remover wipe is not always enough for your face to be completely makeup-free! Make sure to check that your makeup is completely off before washing your face and going to sleep. Letting your makeup sit overnight can block your pores, causing pimples to arise. Don’t hesitate to take another makeup remover wipe and do a second sweep across your face. You can also use a cotton pad and witch hazel. Although it can tempting to be lazy and fall asleep with your makeup on, do yourself a favor and take it all off to prevent your skin from breaking out the next day!
- Don’t over-exfoliate your skin
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I learned this tip the hard way when I over-exfoliated my face myself. While exfoliating once in a while helps to get rid of dead skin, over-exfoliating can cause damage. If you scrub too hard or too often, your skin might get red and irritated, especially if you have extremely sensitive skin. Instead, you should lightly exfoliate your skin once a week or once every two weeks. When you do exfoliate, very carefully and gently rub your hands in a circular, slow motion. Do not scrub fast and hard as it will cause your skin to turn red. Try exfoliating once in a while and stick with whatever works best for you!
- Moisturize your skin
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Moisturizing helps reduce wrinkles and dryness, especially in the summer. Often, our skin can be easily damaged by the strong rays from the sun. Sunburns may not always be visible but they are definitely there! The best thing to do to avoid sunburns and take care of your skin, in general, is to moisturize. Moisturizing helps to regain your skin’s top layer and to prevent wrinkles!
- Wash your face last in the shower
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This is a very easy change to make and it has a big impact. Instead of washing your face at the beginning or in the middle of your shower routine, wash it at the end. As you stand longer in the steam, your pores will open up more, which allows your skin to be cleaned better. So, wait until you are almost ready to turn the water off to finally wash your face!
- Don’t pop or touch zits
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Anyone who watches Dr. Pimple Popper videos will now have to live vicariously through these videos only rather than testing it out themselves. It may sound crazy, but acne often goes away on its own. Many people cause damage to their skin and scarring when popping pimples or picking at them. Popping your own pimples rather than letting them naturally go away on their own can make zits re-appear. If you must pop a pimple, be sure to use the surfaces of your fingers and not your nails. Squeezing a pimple with your nails will cause more damage. Also, be sure to squeeze the skin area directly on either side of the pimple and pinching with both fingers rather than touching the pimple directly. Through following these steps, you will prevent major breakouts from reoccurring.
- Always wear sunscreen
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Get a moisturizer with sunscreen. Growing up, it was annoying to listen to your parents telling you to wear sunscreen, but like it or not, they were right all along. Even when the weather is cloudy and rainy, the sun can still peak through and cause damage to your skin. Give your skin a break and wear sunscreen to prevent wrinkles and protect yourself from the sun. You can even buy a tinted moisturizer or a CC/BB cream with sunscreen in it! It doesn’t have to be SPF 100, but even SPF 20 or 30 is better than no sunscreen at all.
- Purchase skin care products with minimal ingredients
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Often makeup or skin products have a long list of ingredients on the back in tiny print. Many companies don’t want you to see that long list because the products used can be full of chemicals and dangerous for the skin. Get rid of the products that use these ingredients. Instead, look for skin products with a simple and small list of ingredients. Do your research on which brands are the most natural. Your skin will thank you for using less harmful products!
- Rinse your face and body directly after working out
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Most people jump in the shower right after they work out. But, if you’re anything like me, after getting back from a run or the gym, you lie on the floor until you can catch your breath and wait a few minutes or longer to hop in the shower. Try giving up this bad habit and hop in the shower or rinse your face directly after working out. This stops the sweat from sinking into your pores, overall preventing your face from breaking out. The same goes for back-ne. Hop in the shower and wash off the sweat to prevent pimples from forming on your shoulder or back.
Achieving perfect looking skin can be extremely frustrating. We spend time and money to make our skin look great. Sometimes, making small changes can have the biggest impact. After following these steps, you won’t want to step away from the mirror!
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