The move from high school to college is a BIG one, and while the excitement is palpable so is the stress.
Because it feels like there are a million things going on during this time in your life, your skin can start to feel this change pretty quick.
Here are some things to keep in mind:
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Are you moving from one climate to another? If so keep this in mind when checking out your skin, as it may account for some changes in texture or oiliness.
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Are you balancing a diet of new and adventurous foods with skin friendly ones? A diet full of diversity is part of living a full life, but skipping out on the healthy fats and proteins that your skin craves is not going to be fun for very long.
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Water! Water! Water! Seriously if you didn’t know you should be keeping yourself hydrated by now you probably never will.
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Sweat it out! Even if hitting the gym/yoga mat isn’t your thing, finding a fun sustainable way to work up a sweat will help you flush all the gunk out of your pores.
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Do you know when and how to wash your face? Washing your face is a huge deal when it comes to clear skin. Before bed and right when you wake up are the most important times of the day to get your skin in the kind of condition you want it to be. And while clear skin is not reserved to those of us who can afford to buy the latest cleansers and treatments, it is a process that takes some trial and error product wise, so find some sample sizes or testers before committing to the full sized product.
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There are beauty terms that exist just to sell you stuff! You can not change the size of your pores, that is genetic just like your hair and eye color. What you can do is clear them out and keep them from getting irritated with over-exfoliation.
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That being said exfoliation is KEY! Just do it in moderation like anything else, maybe two or three times a week depending on your skin’s sensitivity.
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While we are on the topic of moderation, this also applies to moisturization. This is a big part of smooth and supple skin but too much can create a bit of build up, so keep it to some spf added moisturizer in the morning and some cream at night if you have a tendency for dry skin. It may sound counter intuitive at first but you can also take a few drops of your favorite oil; argan, coconut, or neem, and apply that as a moisturizer.
All in all your skincare routine is going to be based on what kind of skin you have, but you really can’t go wrong with some spf, a vitamin C serum in the morning, and a hyaluronic acid serum at night, both of which can be found on amazon for less than $15.
photo credit to Max Pixel