It’s easy to fall into a pattern of doing the bare minimum to maintain a healthy complexion. But after doing the same old thing for weeks or months, your skin can start to look dull, become more prone to breakouts, dehydrate, or become irritated. When these issues arise, it's probably signaling that it’s time to shake up your routine!
Fortunately, shaking things up doesn’t have to mean a massive overhaul of your skincare regimen. It can mean simply adding a new product, creating your own do-it-yourself facial treatment, adding new and exciting foods to your diet, or changing an old habit.
So, if your skin is not feeling like itself lately, or if you’re looking to jazz up your routine and give your skin a reboot, you’ll want to check out the following list of ten quick and easy pick-me-ups. Try one or try them all until you get your radiantly beautiful glow back!
10 Tips to Reboot Your Complexion
1. Try a facial tool
Have you seen the latest trend? Skincare tools are in! While not all trends are worth trying, facial tools can really make a difference in the health of your skin. And there are so many options to choose from that address a wide range of skin concerns.
Facial rollers, sculptors, gua sha tools, and ice rollers are popular options for manual face massage. Manual facial tools are not expensive and easy to use. Or you could opt for an electric massaging device that uses microcurrents and vibrations to invigorate your skin.
2. Face yoga
The concept of “face yoga” might sound silly to some, but studies have shown that it has excellent skin benefits. Although it’s called “yoga,” it’s more like a series of facial exercises, stretches, and massages that can help smooth out wrinkles, restore a fuller face shape, and impart a more youthful appearance. You can learn the moves by taking an online class or reading a book, and it only takes a few minutes to half an hour a day.
The potential benefits of face yoga include improved blood flow, reduced puffiness, diminished wrinkles and fine lines, firmer skin and a brighter complexion. By stimulating the muscles in your face, you can improve their tone, bring more nourishment to the skin, and help flush out toxins.
3. DIY face mask
Sometimes the best ingredients can be found right in your own kitchen! The options are nearly endless to make a custom concoction that will work for your skin type. And they’re simple to make. Many ingredients can be used alone or mix them together for added effects.
Here’s a list of ingredients and what they do:
Avocado: acts as a moisturizer with a high concentration of fatty acids and vitamins
Honey: a great humectant and moisturizer with antibacterial properties
Yogurt: contains probiotics or “good bacteria” for improved microbiome and anti-inflammatory effects, and lactic acid for exfoliation
Turmeric: fights inflammation present in acne and psoriasis, and reduces hyperpigmentation
Lemon: astringent properties to cleanse pores and control oil
Cocoa: antioxidants to fight damage and anti-inflammatory properties to soothe skin conditions
Green tea: antioxidants, antibacterial effects and caffeine to help tighten skin and protect from free-radical damage
Aloe vera: a humectant and soothing anti-inflammatory
Coffee grinds: manual exfoliation, and caffeine helps tighten skin, improve blood flow and protect from free-radical damage
4. Use a product with vitamins C and A at night
The most potent antioxidant for your skin is vitamin C. If you’re not using one already, adding a product to your routine that delivers vitamin C can take years off your skin’s age. Vitamin C promotes collagen synthesis, reduces hyperpigmentation, and counteracts damage from the sun and other elements, a win-win-win for mature skin with signs of aging.
Vitamin A is another amazing skin nutrient with the power to give you a more youthful look. Vitamin A, a natural form of retinol, supports collagen production, promotes skin renewal and repair, and helps reduce acne and soothe other skin conditions.
Applying products with these vitamins at night is most effective because that’s when your body is focusing on healing. Plus, you always want to avoid sun exposure after applying vitamin A, so using it at night eliminates that risk.
For a product that contains both A and C, take a look at our all-natural Vita C Repair Cream. It’s bursting with age-fighting botanical compounds that restore and renew your complexion to a younger version.
5. Use a thicker moisturizer at night
One of the most important factors in healthy skin is keeping it well hydrated. It’s when your skin loses moisture that the condition of your skin suffers the most. And the most critical time of the day to maintain moisture levels is at night when water loss is more likely. So, you might want to rethink what kind of moisturizer you use before you lie down to sleep.
Your moisturizer is meant to create a seal on top of your skin to prevent moisture from escaping. So, look for one that contains rich and creamy oils and butters (like shea and cocoa) that will form a strong barrier to retain hydration better.
6. Facial steam
A warm mist can do wonders for your skin. While there isn’t any research to back it up, many people have claimed its benefits. For one, the warmth of the steam can open pores to allow dirt and debris to escape. In addition to cleansing, the water droplets will leave your skin ultra-hydrated. It’s also a soothing ritual that can help calm stress levels.
The best (and cheapest) way to steam your face is by boiling water, pouring it into a large bowl, and hovering your face over it to soak up the steam. Use a towel over your head to prevent the steam from escaping. You can also add ingredients like lemon, tea tree oil, mint, or green tea to the water for a scintillating spa-like experience.
7. Clean your makeup brushes weekly
It’s an easy thing to forget to do, but cleaning your makeup brushes is vital to the health of your skin. Your makeup brushes can harbor tons of dirt and grime, turning them into a breeding ground for bacteria. Touching your face with dirty brushes can cause all sorts of problems, like breakouts, rashes and other irritations, and even infection. So it’s worth making an effort to keep them sparkly clean.
The American Academy of Dermatology Association recommends cleaning them every 7 to 10 days. Use warm water to rinse the heads, dip them in soapy water and massage them, rinse again, and then let them dry. Make sure the water runs clear to ensure you’ve removed all the dirt. And take care not to get the handles wet.
8. Eat more antioxidants
Applying antioxidants like vitamin C will protect your skin from the outside. But don’t forget that beauty comes from what’s inside too. Eating a large variety of vegetables and fruits will provide even more antioxidant protection and help prevent premature signs of aging.
Some of the best foods to eat for antioxidants include dark leafy greens, blueberries, citrus, red peppers, carrots, cherries, kiwi, and beans. Go for a colorful array of foods to maximize nourishment for your skin.
9. Double cleanse
You might want to consider double cleansing your skin if you wear makeup daily or are outside often. Double cleansing may sound harsh, but it doesn’t have to be if you use the right products. The best way to do it is to start with oil as a cleanser, then use a cream- or gel-based cleanser.
For an oil cleanser, you can make it simple and use a single oil like almond oil, jojoba oil, or olive oil that you rub onto your face and wipe off with a warm, moist cloth. Then follow with an all-natural creamy or milky cleanser to get any remaining debris without stripping the oils from your skin.
10. Sleep on a silk pillowcase
Although silk pillowcases can be expensive, they aren’t only for royalty. You can treat yourself to a fancy silk pillowcase and enjoy less friction on your face while you sleep. With less friction, your skin will retain moisture better and won’t be red and irritated when you awake. Plus, it will reduce damage to your hair as well. And you’ll feel like a princess.
To Recap…
A new treatment or add-on to your skincare routine can help combat skin doldrums and revive your look. Here are a few great ideas to try out to wake up your skin and turn up the glow factor. These suggestions are simple to do and won’t cost a pretty penny. And they give you an excuse to focus on you. And who wouldn’t love a little more me time?