Having healthy skin involves adopting some healthy habits and avoiding others that could be harmful to skin health.
Taking care of your skin is a habit that is becoming increasingly essential in everyone’s lives. In this sense, nowadays it is possible to find a multitude of products aimed at skin health. However, overdoing your habits and care is not a guarantee of healthy skin. When it comes to taking good care of yourself, a 10-step skincare routine, although useful, is not the solution to your problems. Adopting small habits are essential to avoid acne, dryness and premature aging of the skin.
Skin health involves much more than cleaning treatments. Introducing tonics or micellar water and other various products can help. However, what really helps is keeping some distance from some habits that harm your skin. There are 5 of them that are the most harmful, and likewise, 5 essential habits that guarantee healthy skin.
So, check out everything you need to know below to have good skin health. Also check out the 5 essential habits you should have to maintain healthy skin. Also, find out which are the 5 harmful things to keep your distance from.
What is skin health?
But after all, what exactly does it mean to have healthy skin? Knowing whether she is healthy or not is also an essential point. In general, the main function of the skin is to protect the body, but not only from viruses and bacteria. It also protects the body from pollution and chemical substances, which everyone is in direct contact with every day.
Therefore, having healthy skin means that it is capable of performing this function in the best possible way. Healthy skin has a uniform texture, shine and luminosity. However, using toxic products, even indirectly, such as those present in cosmetics, can become a risk factor. Likewise, having an unbalanced diet and not taking more specific care is also equally harmful. Soon after, results of lack of care appear, such as acne, redness and uneven texture.
How to improve skin health
There are some simple habits to adhere to or just things to keep an eye on in search of better skin. In general, focusing on good nutrition, cleansing, hydration and protection can greatly change the appearance of your skin. Furthermore, choosing better and less aggressive products is also ideal.
1 – Food
First of all, improving your diet is essential. Always look for menus rich in nutrients and vitamins, which are important for good skin appearance. In this sense, invest in red fruits, as they are rich in vitamin C and cyanidin. They prevent skin aging, acne and excess oil. There are also anti-inflammatory fruits, such as grapes and pineapple, which help fight acne and allergies. Grapes, for example, contain the phenolic compound resveratrol, which destroys pimple-causing bacteria.
Furthermore, including foods rich in antioxidants in your diet is also important. They neutralize the action of free radicals, which are toxic metabolic molecules. This way, it is possible to prevent the appearance of blemishes, sagging and wrinkles. Choose orange fruits and vegetables, leafy greens, peas, avocados and nuts.
2 – Skin cleansing
One of the most important steps to good skin health is keeping it clean. Therefore, avoid sleeping with makeup on your face, and wash it at least twice a day every day. Even those who don’t wear makeup need to get into this habit, as all kinds of toxic substances from air pollution end up on their skin at the end of the day. Thus, the pores become clogged, increasing the chance of blackheads and pimples appearing.
Use a soap suitable for your skin type. For oily to combination skin, for example, choose those based on astringent ingredients, which help remove impurities and unclog pores. Dry to normal skin, however, needs liquid soaps with a neutral pH, followed by a cleansing lotion.
3 – Hydration
Hydration is also essential for good skin health, but not just the outside. In addition to using topical products, which prevent dryness and protect the skin, increasing water consumption is also important. Adequate consumption, which is a minimum of 2l of water per day, improves blood circulation, increases oxygen flow and metabolic rate. Thus, drinking water reflects the elimination of toxins, as well as increasing the body’s immunity. Water can also fight wrinkles, eczema and psoriasis.
4 – Skin protection
Did you know that excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation can cause wrinkles, blemishes and even skin cancer? Using sunscreen is not just good for the appearance of your skin. The product is essential for health. The protective factor (SPF) must always be greater than 30. Furthermore, be aware of whether the product is actually protecting you against UVB and UVA radiation. UVA penetrates the skin deeply and is responsible for skin cancer and photoaging. UVB causes sunburn and redness.
5 – Ideal products
A good skincare routine is important for healthy skin, but many products currently on the market have the opposite effect. In this sense, cosmetics that contain toxic substances such as parabens, formaldehyde and sulfates need to stay off your radar. In addition to damaging the outer layer of your skin, they can also be absorbed by the body. Many products follow the clean beauty line, that is, clean beauty, and do not cause the same adverse effects.
Bad habits for skin health
There are certain habits perpetuated by many that cause healthy skin to deteriorate. Often, when prolonged, they can even affect the skin’s texture and ability to rebuild itself. Therefore, avoiding them is essential to maintain good skin health.
1 – Sleeping poorly and wearing makeup
Not getting a good night’s sleep is harmful because it slows down your metabolism, something that compromises skin repair and regeneration at night. Furthermore, it also affects the natural production of melatonin, which is part of the body’s primary antioxidant defense. The way you sleep is also important: sleeping on your side or stomach creates dynamic wrinkles, and causes asymmetric aging. In this sense, sleeping on your back is ideal. Also always avoid sleeping with makeup on, as the habit causes allergies and acne.
2 – Consume a lot of sugar and carbohydrates
A diet with excess sugar contributes to the glycation process. This means that collagen and elastin fibers become hardened when reacting with sugar, and ultimately lose their malleability and flexibility. Furthermore, the accumulation of advanced glycation species can generate inflammatory action and premature aging.
3 – Smoking
Cigarette consumption in general is already harmful, but smoking also causes premature aging. This happens because the toxic substances in cigarettes decrease blood flow to the hair and skin tissue. Thus, there is a loss of vibrancy and luminosity of the skin, as well as yellowing of the tissue. Likewise, it loses firmness, due to not having enough oxygen and nutrition.
4 – Little sunscreen
Sunscreen needs to be part of your morning routine anyway, because of high UVA and UVB exposure. Sun exposure without photoprotection causes cumulative damage to the skin, such as premature aging, blemishes, inflammation and melasma. Furthermore, it increases the risk of skin cancer. Exposure to the sun should preferably take place before 10 am and after 4 pm, which are less dangerous times and with less sunlight.
If you are interested in this article about skin health, take the opportunity to check out Healthy skin – 12 Tips for taking care of your skin at home
Sources: Grupo Mídia, Beauts, ADCOS, SBD
Images: A Cidade ON, Vila Mulher, Best Life, Claudia, Claudia, Cosmética em Foco, Farmabiz, Onodera, Idec, Super Interessante, O Globo
