We all desire great looking skin. There are so many fun and fabulous products out there that claim to give you flawless skin but cost a fortune. We often forget that by going back to basics, you can give your skin the best opportunity of looking fantastic, without spending loads of money.

Natural is always best. Let’s explore the various ways in which you can obtain great, youthful looking skin, without breaking the bank.

Nutrition

So important for our overall health, you should start off with a good, balanced, healthy diet. It is never too late to start, and by swapping out unhealthy alternatives for raw, natural ingredients, you should begin to feel a difference in just a few short weeks – maybe even days. You are what you eat, they say – so let’s try and eat healthy, to be healthy.

Stay away from processed foods.

It is imperative to eat fresh vegetables and fruit. Have a weekly mixture of fish, chicken and beef. If you are vegetarian or vegan however, conduct some research on healthy vegetarian and vegan alternatives, as there are many options now available on the internet. It is nobody else’s responsibility but our own to take care of our health and ensure we live a healthy lifestyle.

Sugar is an enemy. 

It is a major cause of many diseases that can creep up on you. Thousands of people walk around not even aware that they may have diabetes. A disease in which there is too much sugar in the blood and in chronic cases, where the pancreas produces little or no insulin due to this. It can become very concerning for some and should be checked for at least twice a year. We need to use sugar with caution, or better yet, stay away from it all together.

Smoking

You are probably already aware of how dangerous smoking is, and how bad it can be for your health. If you are a smoker, you should try to quit this habit immediately. If you are not able to do so by yourself, there are many support groups to get involved with who can help. There are also numerous products on the market that are able to assist with the process. Smoke is exceptionally harmful to your skin and will most definitely take the shine out of it. It affects your eyes and contributes to the early onset of wrinkles around your lips. Squinting your eyes when smoke gets seems innocent until you notice how it contributes to the creases around the eye area. 

Touching your skin

Did you know that the average person touches their face around 16 times per hour! You should try not to touch your skin with your hands, unless you are washing or cleansing your skin. Never, ever pick on any spots or scabs you may have. This will only spread bacteria and could eventually lead to acne forming. Picking or popping a zit exposes the pore to even more bacteria, including those from your hands. It also increases the risk of infection or scarring.

Relax a bit more.

You can achieve amazing results from merely taking some time off from everyday stress. This is a major cause for acne for some people. If you’re dealing with a stressful event or situation, look for healthy ways to de-stress.

You could:

• exercising at a high to moderate intensity for at least 30 minutes

• practise some breathing exercises

• do yoga

• meditate for a few minutes

• write it out by way of a journal or blogging

• practicing sound therapy, like playing a musical instrument or listening to your favourite music

Find what works best for you.

This brings us to the final point…

The importance of sleep.

Yes, you may be young and want to party or stay up late hanging with friends, and that is okay. Just remember that everything in life must be used with moderation. Have balance and make sure you get good quality sleep during the week and especially after a late night out. Our body uses this time to regenerate and restore, so depriving your body of sleep means depriving yourself of healthy restoring benefits.

Bonus Point

Make sure to be careful when choosing which makeup brand you want to use. Think about using brands that do not use animals for testing. Research the ingredients as a lot of makeup from general shops and markets are not tested properly and may have harmful chemicals in, which can damage your skin in the long run. Invest in a good brand that has a good reputation. Try to use more natural products as they are far less damaging to the skin. It could save you from scaring and permanent damage to your skin.