Despite how big the difference is between healthy skin and dry skin, however, it’s not that hard to achieve. Simple changes to your habits and your lifestyle is more than enough for you to notice a difference. Of course, it wouldn’t make much sense if you changed anything without actually understanding the problem first.
So to help you out, here’s everything you’ll need to know on how to deal with dry skin.
Dietary Habit
When it comes to dull skin, a lot of people go straight to skincare products, but in truth, they’re mostly just covering up the symptoms without fixing the underlying issues. The most effective way you can deal with dull skin is by simply eating healthy.
What You Should Consume
1.1 Swap Chips for Nuts and Seeds
Certain nuts and seeds, like sunflower seeds and almonds, are rich in vitamin E. Vitamin E encourages healthy skin cell growth. By forgoing your favorite potato chips for these more natural snacks, you’re not only lowering your calorie intake and losing weight, you’re also taking in essential nutrients that can help nourish your skin.
1.2 Eat Your Greens
Another good source of vitamins and minerals that are essential for healthy skin are leafy vegetables. Eating dark green vegetables daily has the potential to not only improve your skin’s complexion, but also your overall health. On top of that, they’re also rich in antioxidants that help fight off free-radicals, particles that cause damage to your skin and your body as a whole.
1.3 Keep Hydrated
Drinking the proper amounts of water or foods rich in fluids helps keep your body hydrated. Proper hydration can help give your skin a healthier glow. Water also has the added benefit of flushing out any toxins inside your body, toxins that inhibit the healthy growth of your skin cells.
1.4 Vitamin C Rich Food
Vitamin C isn’t just something that can bolster your immune system, it’s also an excellent antioxidant. On top of that, vitamin C is also an essential component for producing collagen, the protein that makes up your skin. Start adding foods into your diet that are rich in vitamin C, such as broccoli, citrus fruits, and certain berries, and you’ll be able to not only see the difference but feel it as well.
Things You Should Avoid Eating
2.1 Soda
If you’re looking to improve your dull skin, drinking soda is one of the worst things you can do. Soda tends to use corn syrup as a sweetener, which is a lot worse for your skin than sugar, although sugar itself is also bad for your skin. Too much of the sweet stuff can cause inflammation on your skin, which can later cause it to age prematurely.
2.2 Dairy Products
Another food item you should avoid is dairy. Cheese, milk and other dairy products rich in lactose also cause inflammation, just like sugar. This inflammation can take the form of breakouts on your skin, which can be problematic to deal with. If you’re known to have severe acne breakouts, then you should try dropping dairy from the menu.
2.3 Carbohydrate-Rich Foods
White bread, rice, and pasta are also to be avoided if you don’t want to have dull skin. Much like everything else we’ve mentioned before, this has a lot to do with sugar. Carbohydrates cause your body sugar spikes after you eat them, so if you’ve eaten too much in a short period of time, then you’re likely to get breakouts in the near future.
Living Habit
Having dull skin isn’t just the result of a poor diet. Some poor lifestyle choices can also affect your skin for the worst. If you’re bent on getting more radiant skin, then changes to how you live your life is necessary.
Good Habits
1.1 Aerobic Exercise
In general, exercise is beneficial for your overall health, not just for your body. You build up strength, lose weight, and also get dopamine spikes that actually improve your overall mood. One of the best types of exercises for your skin is aerobic exercises.
Aerobic exercise is any type of exercise that involves cardiovascular conditioning. This can be jogging, swimming, cycling or even brisk walking. Because this form of exercise improves your cardiovascular system, blood circulation in your entire body actually becomes more efficient. This is especially beneficial for your skin, providing much needed oxygen-rich blood into your capillaries, and improving your skin’s health overall.
1.2 Proper Sleeping Habits
Depriving yourself of much-needed sleep can be problematic for your health, but can also be pretty bad for your skin as well. Sometimes, getting at least 8 hours of sleep per day can actually have immediate good effects. Your skin will start to clear up and your overall mood will also improve.
Why is sleep so important? Because while you’re sleep-deprived, your body produces a hormone known as cortisol. Cortisol is a stress hormone and is your body’s way of telling you that you need to chill out, and can have damaging effects on your skin. Lack of sleep also makes some immunity-related skin diseases to worsen, such as psoriasis.
Bad Habits
2.1 Smoking and Drinking
Alcohol consumption and smoking are known to dry your skin out, causing it to look a lot less healthy. Cigarette smoke itself contains some nasty gasses, such as carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide displaces the much-needed oxygen in your skin and also depletes the nutrients needed for healthy skin, such as vitamin C.
Alcohol, on the other hand, is known to cause wrinkles and break blood vessels. It’s a common cause for dehydration, and drinking too often can cause irreversible skin damage.
2.2 Sitting In Front of the Computer for Too Long
Recent studies have found that staying too long in front of computer screens, as well as tablets, smartphones, and other gadgets can expose you to certain light radiation that can dry up your skin. Some gadgets produce a specific blue light similar to that of UV rays, which are similar to what the sun produces. This can lead to hyperpigmentation and a host of other skin-related issues.
Skin Care
If all else fails, you can also actively use certain treatment methods to make your skin a little less dull. Of course, these methods can be a lot harder than simply changing your habits, since they involve using skincare products in one form or another.
Use The Proper Makeup
Any woman will always want to look their best, and one of the easiest ways to do this is by wearing makeup. Not all makeup is made the same, however, and sometimes, too much of it can cause your skin to lose its usual luster. Some ingredients for certain makeup can cause allergic reactions on your skin, and it’s not always easily visible. Do a bit of research and experiment on which makeup works best for you and stick with it, to avoid stressing your skin out.
Proper Sun Protection
One of the biggest culprits that dull your skin is the sun. The sun’s heat and UV light cause a number of problems on your skin, including hyperpigmentation and dryness, both of which, if not treated properly, can do a number on your skin texture and overall health.
Make use of sunscreen with at least SPF of 30 and wear protective clothing when you have to go outside. Also, if you can avoid it, try not to go out on a sunny day between 10 am and 4 pm when the sun is at its most intense.
Other Tips
Moisturize Daily
Use moisturizer as often as you can, preferably after every time you take a bath. Any moisturizer will do, so long as they keep your skin hydrated. A good habit to do is to moisturize in the morning and also at night, right before bed.
Exfoliate At Least Every Week
One of the best ways to keep your skin looking young and refreshed is by exfoliating once a week, or more. Exfoliation encourages new skin growth by scrubbing off any old or dead skin cells on your body. It also helps uncover new, younger skin as well.
Always Remove Makeup Before Bed
Going to bed with makeup on will lead to clogged pores since they’re basically blocking ventilation to your skin. This in turn can cause your skin to break out and eventually look dull. Always make it a habit to remove your makeup in bed. Looking like you’re ready to go when you wake up is not worth having dull skin over.
