perfect skin commandments

1. Hands Off!
     Don't touch, scratch, or pick at your skin. That means no pimple-popping too. Although you may be tempted, understand that there are many serious consequences: leaving deep scars, worsening the infection, spreading the infection, etc.

2. Get your Beauty Sleep
     Strive for at least 7 hours of sleep (at night and without breaks). As agreed by most doctors, having eight hours is optimal as it provides the most benefits; however, 7 hours will be okay. Not only is how long you sleep important, but what time you sleep is important as well. Many doctors say it is best to be asleep before 11 pm. This is because your body naturally undergoes its healing processes during 11 pm. The body's biological clock alerts the body that it is time for it to release human growth hormone (HGH), which repairs damaged cells and grows new ones. New proteins, like collagen, and other materials are also produced at this time.
     Another benefit of getting a good night's sleep is it helps make your skin care products work better. Some products are unstable in the sunlight; therefore, it is best to use them at night. When sleeping, blood flow in your skin is increased. This allows for better skin absorption.
     Sleeping allows your body to rest and de-stress. Hormone levels are balanced during sleep as well. Less stress and balanced hormone levels means better skin!

Some Beauty Sleep Tips
1. Sleep on your Back: You may not find it comfortable, but try to get used to sleeping on your back. It distributes the weight of your face and body evenly. (It's like a free facelift). It also helps to prevent the formation of wrinkles and blemishes. Sleeping on one side of your face creates pressure and forms wrinkles (silk pillowcases don't help because you're still creating pressure). Oil, dirt, and bacteria from your pillowcases may also come into contact with your face, causing breakouts.
2. Wash Up: Never go to bed with makeup on or a unwashed face. You don't want to spend another 7-9 hours with all that makeup, dirt, sweat, oil, and bacteria on your face. (You'll also get your pillowcases dirty!)

3. Stay Hydrated
     Try to drink 2 liters (8 cups) of water a day. Your body actually requires about 3 liters (12 cups) of water every day; however, the additional 1 liter (4 cups) can be obtained through "eating" water (soups, fruits, vegetables) instead of drinking it. If you are physically active, you should drink more. Also, try not to drink only when you're thirsty. Thirst indicates that you have been dehydrated for a long time. You can be dehydrated without being thirsty, so drink water frequently. It is more important how often you drink, not how much you drink. Chugging down 8 cups of water all at once is not as beneficial as drinking 1 cup every hour or so. 
     The beauty benefits of proper hydration are numerous. The most obvious one would be: drinking water helps to hydrate your skin.  It helps to "plump" your skin, so less wrinkles are noticeable. Water is also necessary in order for your body to flush out toxins (kidneys). If you do not have enough water in your body, less toxins are flushed out, and more will remain in your bloodstream. Your skin is also an eliminating organ. If toxins can't be passed through your kidneys because there's not enought water, they'll be passed through your skin (and this can lead to skin problems). Water also prevents constipation and improves the health of your bowels (which is important to skin health).

4. Eat Healthy
     Avoid sugary foods and dairy. These are the only foods that are proven to have a direct link to acne (so that means greasy and spicy foods are still ok!).
     Dairy products are full of hormones (cows have to be pregnant in order to produce milk), and when they are ingested, they can cause hormonal imbalances within your body. This can cause acne or acne conditions to worsen. Try to avoid all dairy products (milk, cheese, cream, ice cream, yogurt) and opt for healthier sources of calcium (almond milk, soy milk, rice milk, tofu, nuts, dark greens, etc.) Dairy is also incredibly hard for your body to digest. Naturally, adult humans (people who have gone through puberty) are not meant to ingest milk or milk products. However, because many of us continue to eat dairy producst, some people are able to keep their lactose enzymes. Other cannot and become lactose intolerant (this is all due to genetics; about 3/4 of the human population is lactose intolerant). Even if you aren't lactose intolerant, as you age, your enzymes decrease, and you have a harder time digesting dairy. It is also proven in credible studies that dairy products doesn't actually "build strong bones" and many of the "benefits" of dairy are just not worth it. Read more about the negatives of dairy products: The Huffington Post, Authority Nutrition 
     Sugar is another food proven to cause acne. According to dermatologist Dr. Ariel Ostad, "Excess consumption of sugar causes the body to rev up your insulin, which leads to inflammation of the skin. The inflammation then causes elevated levels of oil, which in turn clogs pores [and leads to breakouts!]" Therefore it is important to avoid any food that can drastically increase your blood sugar level including sweets and simple carbs (white rice, white bread, pasta).
     Eat more vegetables containing vitamin A (important for combating acne) and fruits rich in antioxidants (these protect your skin from free radicals). Also, try to get some more omega 3 fatty acids (helps to control oil production) by eating certain fish, like salmon, and nuts.

5. Maintain a Good Skin Care Routine
     A good skin care routine is essential to having good skin. Not only should you make one, you should also stick to it. Remember: patience and endurance are key!

 Read More About Skin Care Routines 

6. Exercise
     Keep your blood pumping and circulation healthy by staying fit. Try doing a light or moderate exercise for 30 minutes 3/4 times every week. Exercising not only increases skin circulation (this increases absorption of skin products, carries toxins away from skin cells, and provides your skin cells with better nutrition), it also reduces stress, and tones the muscle lying below your skin. Although tone muscles don't really benefit your skin, it can still improve your overall look and make you look like you have better, firmer skin.

7. De-stress
     Stress (a.k.a. hormonal) acne is perhaps the worst type of acne to deal with. Stress hormones result in the worst type of acne: large, deep, and painful cystic acne. These pimples are huge, they hurt, and you can't pop them. They also take forever to go away, and nothing seems to work on them. That is becasue cystic acne occurs deep within the skin, and acne medication cannot reach them. Therefore, the best way to deal with cystic acne is to prevent them. In order to prevent them, you should de-stress. Even if you don't experience stress acne right now, it's best to do everything you can to prevent it. Stress acne is really the hardest to get rid of.
     To combat stress, you can practice yoga or meditation. Try starting and endingyour day with 10 minutes of meditation. Use a yoga or meditation app on your phone for help. Also remember, getting enough sleep and sleeping on time is super important in reducing stress.

8. Become a Clean Freak
     Don't just wash your face and think that's all you have to do to keep it clean. Be aware of anything that may come into contact with your face throughout the day: your makeup brushes, your pillowcase, your sheets, your cellphone, your hands, etc. Make sure to limit contact with these items and/or keep theses items clean.
     Make up brushes that come into contact with liquid (foundation, concealer, eye liner, lipstick, etc.) should be cleaned after each use since wet brushes breed germs very easily. Brushes that are used with dry products (powder, blush, eye shadow, etc.) should be cleaned once a week. You can use a brush cleaner like the one that comes in Sephora's Hit Refresh Brush Cleaner Set ($12).
     So much oil, dirt, bacteria, and shedded skin cells lie in your pillowcases. That's why they should be washed every week. Since sheets and duvet covers don't usually come into direct contact with your face, they can be washed only once every month. Your towels (the ones you use to wash or dry your face) can also come to collect a lot of bacteria. Wet towels (especially) become excellent breeding grounds for germs. Towels are also generally left in the bathroom, so they're in constant contact with new bacteria. Every flush of the toilet brings a burst of bacteria (...and fecal matter) into the air, which can then land in your towels. Gross! That's why it's a good idea to dry your face with a different towel everyday. Washcloths should also be switched daily. Another important thing to note: don't use the same towel you dry your hair with to dry your face. What if some conditioner was still left? You don't want that coming near your face. (When washing your laundry, try to use detergents that have no harsh chemicals, dyes, or fragrances. Also do not use fabric softener. These can all irritate your skin.)
     Cell phone screens should be cleaned regularly (every few days or so) to prevent transferring bacteria from your screen to your face. Just think of how often you touch your screen and then touch your face! If you wear glasses, don't forget to wipe them down with the same anti-bacterial wipes you use on your phone. Your glasses are always in constant contact with your face, so you need to keep them clean! A good wipe to use is Spruce & Co’s Screen Cleaning Wipes ($7.99). These wipes are free of alcohol and ammonia, which makes them safe for your skin.
     Lastly, keep your hands clean. Before you wash your face, wash your hands. When applying skin care products, make sure your hands are clean. You don't want to be rubbing your moisturizer and bacteria onto your skin at the same time.

9. Protect your Skin
     Protect your skin from damage by the sun and free radicals. Use sun protection and products containing antioxidants. Also try to avoid overexposure to direct sunlight, harsh winds, and other damaging environmental factors.

10. Choose the Right Formulas
    Be sure to choose the right makeup and skin care products for your specific skin type/skin conditions.

 Read More About Skin Types