After years of research and tons of hands-on experience, we know that no matter your skin type, there are certain things everyone should be doing to promote healthy skin. If you need tips for healthy skin, keep reading to learn more about high-end skincare and find out what you can do to take your skin to the next level.
Tips for healthy skin
Skincare can be overwhelming when you start looking at all the goat milk products available to you. There are cleansers and toners, exfoliators, moisturizers, and all the different spa or clinic treatments you may have had. No wonder so many of us are confused about what we should be doing and what products we are supposed to be using. At Kate Somerville, we understand how difficult it can be, which is why we take great care in helping all our clients develop the best skincare regimen for their unique skin.
However, in all our years of experience, we’ve found some things that can help promote glowing, healthy skin in almost anyone. Aly Mac, Kate Somerville’s esthetician, recently sat down with us to share her top five tips for healthy skin that you can add to your skincare routine to keep your skin hydrated and reduce the appearance of wrinkles and much more.
1. Exfoliate
If you’re not already using exfoliation as part of your weekly routine, you need to start! This process of removing the outermost layer of skin provides several benefits for your skin’s overall health. First, it helps unclog and minimize the appearance of your pores by removing any lingering dirt or grime from the surface of your face. Exfoliation also helps prepare your skin for whatever products you choose to put on after. With all those dead skin cells and dirt gone, any additional product will be able to penetrate the skin better and be more effective.
Aly recommends exfoliating at least two to three times a week to get the most benefits from exfoliation. But the type of exfoliator you choose and how often you use it will depend on your skin type. As for type, you can use either physical or chemical exfoliants, although some skin care products use a combination of these two methods. A physical exfoliator uses an abrasive substance to help remove dead skin cells from the surface of your face. Chemical exfoliation uses substances such as acids or enzymes to dissolve dead cells lingering on your skin. People with sensitive skin will want to opt for a gentler exfoliator and use it less often.
2. Double your hyaluronic acid intake
Hyaluronic acid is found naturally in our body as the main component of our connective tissues in our skin, cartilage, joints, and eyes. Its main function is to lubricate our joints, but it also supports our skin by moisturizing it. Unfortunately, however, our natural levels of hyaluronic acid begin to decline around the age of 40 [1], which can lead to loss of moisture and volume in the skin. So, applying hyaluronic acid to your face can have several benefits, including regulating your skin’s hydration levels.
With all these benefits, Aly says a simple way to improve the appearance of your skin this year is to double your application of hyaluronic acid. She suggests applying a single coat and letting it dry before applying the second coat of the product. She notes that “your skin is drier in the winter months and hyaluronic acid works like water for your skin, you just need to make sure you keep it hydrated and a double application can help you do that. exactly that!”
3. Double cleaning too
Long popular in Korean skincare practices, double cleansing has seen a recent resurgence here in the United States, and Aly recommends adopting the practice at night, especially after putting on makeup. The process involves washing your face twice, first with an oil-based cleanser and the second with a water-based cleanser specific to your skin type.
Using an oil cleanser seems counterintuitive to most, but these products can be particularly effective at gently dissolving hard-to-remove makeup while removing environmental pollutants from the skin’s surface. Oil-based cleansers can also remove excess oil from your skin’s surface and balance future oil production, as too dry skin often leads to increased oil production. Plus, by removing any surface dirt, this initial cleanse allows the next cleanser to penetrate deeper into your pores and cleanse your face more effectively.
Your water-based cleanser should be designed to specifically address the concerns of your specific skin type: normal, oily, acne-prone, dry, combination, sensitive, or even aging. This second wash removes any lingering dirt or residue left behind by your oil cleanser and leaves you with a clean face.
4. Use facial oils
Facial oils are on the rise within the skincare community. Chances are you haven’t implemented this step into your routine yet and that’s okay – it can be intimidating. But if you want to achieve healthy, glowing skin, this is one product you can’t afford to ignore anymore. Like all products, you can find face oil for almost any skin condition you want to target. But the difference with oils is that the active ingredients effective in treating these issues will often be more concentrated in an oil. But in addition to providing these ingredients, the oils provide a few other benefits:
Seal in moisture – Aly notes that the oil can be especially useful during the winter months as it helps lock in moisture. Depending on the specific oil you choose, they can provide extra nourishment to the skin and help replenish the skin’s natural barrier, keeping your skin feeling fresh and healthy.
Gives you a glow – Aging or weathered skin can look dull and dry because your skin naturally produces less oil in these states. So, using oil can help boost hydration and promote glowing skin.
Protects from the elements – Just as oils can seal moisture and other products like goat milk soap into your skin, they can also protect you from external pollutants or other harmful elements. If you apply an oil towards the end of your skincare regimen, it acts as a barrier on the outer layer of the skin.
5. Hydrate from within
According to Aly, one of the things most people overlook is their water intake. “If you want healthy skin, you need to drink lots of water!” She told us that you should drink at least 100 ounces a day if you want to maintain glowing, radiant skin. “That sounds like a lot of water to most people, but if it is, you’re probably not drinking enough water,” she says. His recommendation for making sure you drink enough every day? “Always make sure you have a big bottle of water with you.
Fill it up in the morning and make sure you finish it by the time you leave for work. Then fill it up again and drink it at the lunch and then again at dinner. If you do this, you will significantly increase your daily water intake.
Drinking plenty of water also helps your body get rid of any lingering toxins in your organs, including your skin. Some have even reported a reduction in acne by increasing their water intake, although studies surrounding these results are lacking. Either way, drinking more water certainly won’t hurt your skin!
We hope this helps you feel confident and ready to achieve your skincare goals. By adding just these five elements to your regimen, you can dramatically improve the appearance of your skin and face the world with your most radiant look yet. Plus, we’ve also got you covered to help reduce the appearance of eye wrinkles or learn more about sulfur as an acne treatment.
