How to Get Nice Skin

Everyone wants an easy way to have clear, wrinkle free, beautiful skin. But it's hard to find a trick that really works. Both women and men find themselves with acne, dead skin, and even wrinkles at any age. if you want nice skin, you can get it by cleaning regularly and using products tailored to the needs of your skin.

Steps

Creating a Maintenance Routine

1. Be consistent with any skin care routine. Whatever routine you create, the important part is to be consistent. As with most things when it comes to taking care of your body, it’s more important that you’re doing anything at all. That means that if you’re going to be better about doing a shorter, simpler routine every day rather than sporadically doing something more complex once every two weeks, just do the simpler routine.
   
   
   
   • A routine which you can really be regular about is more likely to be something that you keep up over time. Since long-term care is really what’s needed for nice skin, that is why it’s important to choose something that you can make a habit out of.
   
   
   • This is going to be the most important thing if your major skin problem is acne. Acne is a difficult skin problem to defeat and regular cleaning is the most important thing you can do to get it.
   
   
   
   


2. Wash your skin at least once every day. Washing your skin is one of the most important things you can do to get nice skin. As you go through your day, you build up all sorts of dirt and bacteria on your skin that can clog your pores, cause redness, make you itch, and other problems. When you wash your skin, you remove these materials before they have the chance to really cause problems.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Start by rinsing your skin with clean, warm water. Next, lather up with a soap that is geared toward the type of skin you have. You'll want to use oil-free soaps on your face, unless you have dry skin. Your body will usually do best with a moisturizing soap. Gently rub the skin using a washcloth, in circular motions. When you're done, rinse with clean, cool water.
   
   
   
   


3. Exfoliate your skin to remove dead skin and grime. Exfoliating your skin will leave you feeling more comfortable but it will also help your skin in many different ways. Exfoliating uses textured materials to remove dead skin and dirt from your healthy skin underneath. Most people associate it with the skin of the face, but you'll want to exfoliate all over your body if possible.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • One of the major benefits of exfoliating comes with exfoliating in areas where you shave (legs, face, whatever). When you shave, the root can become misaligned with the skin opening and cause ingrown hairs. By exfoliating, you can realign the hair and prevent those annoying red bumps. Try exfoliating after you shave every time and occasionally before you shave as well.
   
   
   • You can buy many exfoliating products wherever other skin products are found (including creams and scrubbing tools) or you can make some basic products at home. One easy option is to make a baking soda paste. Mix baking soda with just a few drops of water until a paste is formed. This can be used like a "soap" in order to exfoliate the skin. This works best on the face. A homemade sugar scrub may work better for the rest of your body.
   
   
   
   


4. Dry your face correctly to prevent even more problems. When you dry your face, don't use a regular towel and don't just rub your face with it. This spreads bacteria, which can lead to unhealthy skin to begin with. Instead, pat it gently with a clean towel that's used for your face and only your face.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Patting dry and using a clean towel is especially important if you're combatting acne.
   
   
   
   


5. Deal with skin problems instead of leaving them to get worse. There are all sorts of problems that you might have with your skin, but regardless of what they are: don't ignore them! The sooner you take a serious approach to fixing the problem, the easier it will be to solve. If you don't have luck on your own, talk to a dermatologist. You may have a condition which requires stronger medication than what is available at your local Walgreens.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Deal with acne and blemishes. There are lots of different ways to get rid of acne and which one works for you will depend on the type of acne you have, as well as your skin type. Experiment to find something that works for you.
   
   
   • Treat dry skin You'll want to take dry skin just as seriously as oily skin, even if the appearance isn't quite as bad or it's in an area you don't normally see. Dry skin can crack, opening you up to infection and acne, so it's important to deal with. Moisturizers and increased water consumption are a good place to start, as well as regularly exfoliating.
   
   
   
   


6. Take extra care in winter to prevent cracks and dryness. You'll want to take extra steps to protect your skin in the winter, if you want to ensure that you develop nice skin. The cold temperatures are harsh on your skin, drying it out and causing damage. Cover as much of your skin as you can with clothing. For the skin that must stay exposed, use a moisture cream or lanolin product to protect your skin. Be extra careful and hydrate more than you normally would to help your body naturally compensate as well.
   
   
   
   • Cold air is low in moisture because the water precipitates out in the form of mist or snow. Because it is low in moisture, it sucks the water out of your own skin, drying it out.^[1]
   
   
   
   

Using Effective Products

1. Use sunscreen to protect your skin. This is one of the most important things you can do for your skin, not just on your face but over your whole body. The sun's UVA and UVB rays create the most wear-and-tear on your skin, but that same wear and tear can come just as easily in a tanning bed. Use sunscreen whenever you go out on a sunny day on avoid using tanning beds.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • You'll need a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 if you want to be protected. Put it on 30 minutes before sun exposure so that your body can absorb it, then reapply 20 minutes after going out. If you use this early reapplication, you'll only need to reapply if you get wet or sweat a lot (or stay at the beach all day).
   
   
   • You're also probably not putting on enough. Use roughly two finger-lengths for each of the 11 areas of the body (head, left/right shoulder, left/right arm, left/right chest, left/right thigh, and left/right calf).^[2]
   
   
   • Ignore the higher SPF sunscreens. SPF 15 will work just fine and higher formulations don't carry that much more benefit. Higher numbers also don't mean that you can use less. You still have to use just as much.
   
   
   
   


2. Try retinoids to keep skin smooth. Vitamin A is a crucial compound for healing and maintaining your skin. These days, you can buy special creams which infuse your skin with retinoids, which are chemically very similar to vitamin A. These are one of the few products on the market that you can buy that have been proven to improve your skin, repairing damage from acne and smoothing up wrinkles.^[3]
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Prescription retinoids will get the best results, but you can also use over-the-counter retinol, which will also provide some benefits.
   
   
   
   


3. Use lanolin to lock in your natural moisture. Lanolin is a substance that animals (most commonly sheep) produce naturally which protects their skin and hair. While you may not baa and eat grass, lanolin still is great for you skin. Most people will be familiar with it through the product Carmex, which is used to smooth chapped lips. However, you can also get it in greater quantities for use on hands, legs, face, and anywhere your skin gets dry or hard. Bag Balm is the most common brand.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • When you first start using lanolin, you'll want to cover the area in the cream once a day or a few times a day, depending on the placement and severity. After that, you should only have to reapply every four or five days to keep your skin just as soft.
   
   
   
   


4. Try facial masks to get your skin even smoother. Ever see people in movies or on TV with cucumbers on their eyes and weird, paint-looking stuff on their face? That's a facial mask. Masks are a sort of creamy substance that can be made out of all sorts of things.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Masks made with turmeric^[4] , activated charcoal, yogurt with active cultures ^[5] , vitamin E, and retinol/retinoids ^[6] should all have benefits. All of these substances have actual science behind how they help your skin.
   
   
   • Watch out for main ingredients like lemon juice, since all it really does is disinfect. Lemon juice can actually cause more skin problems for a lot of people, so it's best to play it safe and avoid this common mask type.
   
   
   • You'll want to pair the main ingredient in the mask with what your skin needs, however. Charcoal masks are good for oily skin but can make dry skin worse. Vitamin E masks are good for dry skin but can cause breakouts if your skin is naturally oily.
   
   
   
   

Taking a Whole-Body Approach

1. Drink plenty of water. It’s very important to drink water for your overall health, of course, but did you know that drinking water is also key in making your skin soft and smooth as well? When you don’t get enough water, one of the first places to suffer is your skin. Drying out your skin through dehydration lead to redness, itchiness, and tight-feeling skin. It’s uncomfortable. But this problem is easily solved by just drinking a few more glasses of water every day.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • As a general rule, you can tell your body is getting the right amount of water when your urine comes out very pale or clear. The darker the color, the more likely that you are dehydrated.
   
   
   
   


2. Eat the right diet so your skin gets the nutrients it needs. Your skin, just like other parts of your body, needs specific nutrients to thrive. You can create long term positive benefits for your skin by eating a diet rich in the nutrients that your skin needs. While the effects won’t be immediate, you should see positive and more serious changes over time. The most important nutrients for your skin are vitamins A, C, and E, as well as omega 3 fatty acids, zinc, and selenium.^[7]
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Salmon is a good source of several of these nutrients. Most fruits are a good source of vitamin C and carrots are a good source of vitamin A.
   
   
   
   


3. Exercise to keep your skin firm. You have probably never thought about it but your skin is just another one of the many areas that exercise can help. Studies have shown that exercise can actually do a lot to keep your skin looking healthy, by keeping it firm and reducing or even reversing other signs of aging.^[8] If you don’t exercise now, you should think about adding more activity to your life.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • It’s important to understand that there’s no such thing as an exercise which targets a particular area of your body. There’s no magical exercise to improve your skin. You just have to be more active and exercise in general.
   
   
   • In order to get started on the path to a life which includes exercise, try walking briskly for half an hour a day in at least 15 minute segments.
   
   
   
   


4. Get enough sleep. When you sleep, your body works on switching its energy over to cleaning and repair all sorts of things around your body. One of those things is your skin. When you miss out on sleep, your body releases too much cortisol (which breaks your skin down and makes it less smooth) and doesn’t release enough human growth hormone (which normally repairs your skin).^[9] Get enough sleep to give your skin its best chance.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Everyone needs a different amount of sleep. Every body is different. You might have to experiment to find what’s right for you, but you should be able to feel functional and alert through most of your day, without the aid of coffee.
   
   
   
   


5. Balance your hormone levels to prevent skin problems. Remember that hormone levels can play a part in the appearance of your skin. We all know the cliche of the pimpled teenager, right? There’s actually a reason for that! Certain hormones can cause your skin to have problems like acne and any time that your hormones fluctuate, your skin might suffer. There are things that you can do to protect yourself from these hormone fluctuations but mainly you should just be aware of what the fluctuations can do. They’re a normal part of life and being patient is often the best thing that you can do.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Puberty, youth, pregnancy, and medications which affect your hormones can all create the imbalances which lead to splotchy skin.
   
   
   • If you really want to, consider taking medication which regulates your hormones. This is easiest for women and girls: birth control pills will tightly control your hormone levels and can often significantly improve your skin.
   
   
   
   

Tips

• If you have blemishes or spots, don't pop or touch them. Simply leave them alone.


• Get facials. Facials will both clear your skin, and create an all over healthy look.

Warnings

• Read all warning labels and ingredients on any products you may use. If using a product you are allergic to, or something that may irritate your skin, it will cause damage to your skin.

Related wikiHows

• How to Have Perfect Skin


• How to Heal Red Skin


• How to Get Beautiful, Glowing Skin

Sources and Citations

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via Peter