8 Ways To Make Your Melanin Skin Look Radiant AF

One of the most important parts of your beauty routine should be looking after your skin. Our skin is the base for our beauty, and this means that if we don’t look after our skin, it doesn’t matter how much makeup we try to put on over the top. It won’t make a difference and the makeup will look patchy.

It can be hard sometimes to know exactly which products to use on the skin, and we end up rifling through product after product, breaking out in spots and ending up with texture in the face. It can be really frustrating when you work so hard to look after your skin, and it can make you feel much less confident because of it. Luckily, there are certain things you can do to keep your skin looking radiant, young and healthy all year round, no matter what your skin type is.

1) Apply sunscreen everyday

The first tip is one that you may have heard of before, but it isn’t necessarily the most obvious of our tips today. The light of the sun is the main cause for drying out our skin, causing skin cancer and making us age more rapidly. Making sure that we look after our skin effectively is the single most important thing we can do for our skin. Even in the winter time the sun still beats down and will start to degrade the collagen in your skin, so it is the best thing for you to apply sunscreen every single day before leaving the house. Don’t bother with low SPF like 15, you should be using at least SPF 30 each time you leave the house.

2) Use the right products for your skin type

Working out what your skin type is actually isn’t as difficult as it seems. You can find out what skin type you have by simply examining yourself a little more closely the next time you are in the bathroom. Wash your face and dry it off. In the next 15 minutes, you will be able to see what skin type you have. Dry skin will stay feeling tight and even start to flake without moisturizer, and if this is the case you will need to get some advice for products from dehydrated skin: what you need to know. Oily skin will start to become moist to the touch. This skin type is more prone to acne so you will want to use products which combat this. Combination skin will show flaky skin on the cheeks, and oily skin on the t-zone. Knowing your skin type is a crucial step to keeping it as healthy as it can be. To will then be able to choose products which are made for your specific skin type.

3) Exfoliate, baby girl

Exfoliation is a step which is all to often missed out of skin care regimes, however, it is one of the most crucial steps of all. Exfoliating your skin gently rubs away any debris, dirt and dead skin which is on your face and body. It helps to clean out your pores and make sure that you do not get blackheads or whiteheads. Exfoliation is a great step in your routine because it provides a deep clean as well as clearing your pores out to let your other products get to work. You should always exfoliate in the shower for the best results, this is because the steam will open up your pores and allow the exfoliator to really get in there and rid your skin of blockages. You should be exfoliating your skin three times a week to get the best results and leave your skin and clean as it can be.

4) Remember your neck

Believe it or not, the neck can be the first place on our bodies which really shows our true age. It is crucial therefore to not forget your neck when you are completing your skincare routine. Always apply sunscreen to your neck when you leave the house, and make sure to moisturize your neck after a shower to keep it healthy and radiant. It will make a huge difference to the overall look of your skin and will mean you don’t age as quickly.

5) Purify your water

Skin care is not just about the things you put on the outside of your body, it is actually much more about what to put into it. Water, as you will likely know, is the most important ingredient we consume each day, and it is important to make sure we drink enough water to keep our skin glowing and youthful. But this isn’t the end of the story. The water which you will get running through the taps will contain a few different chemicals to keep it clean, but these chemicals can affect your skin. To make sure your water is pure, you can buy a water filter at the shops and this will get rid of any impurities lurking in the water. It will allow you to drink as much as you like without worrying about what else is in the water.

The second step towards purifying your home water for more radiant skin is making it soft. In contrast to hard water, soft water does not contain calcium in excess amounts which are known to cause dry and sometimes itchy skin. Calcium deprives your skin of its natural oils. The only way to counter that is to remove the calcium using a water softener. If you want to learn more we recommend these water softener reviews.

6) Watch what you eat

There are three main types of food that can have an effect on our skin: dairy, coffee, and alcohol. Dairy is the main culprit for clogged skin as milk contains many hormones which can clog our pores, cause acne and inflammation on the skin. Coffee is very acidic and will dehydrate our skin, therefore it is advisable to only drink one or two cups each day. However, if you drink a cup of lemon water before the coffee, this will neutralize the acid and make it no longer have a negative impact. Alcohol has many different effects on the body, and when it comes to our skin, it can contribute to our collagen deteriorating and it can make you age quicker than others. Try to limit the amount of alcohol you consume and you will be fine.

7) Supplement your skincare

There are plenty of different vitamins and minerals which our body needs to stay clear and happy, and these are some of the main ones which you may want to add to your routine.

• Vitamin A – this vitamin repairs the skin and keeps our cell barriers strong to avoid infections getting in and causing spots.
• Calcium – calcium not only keeps the skin looking young, but it can also reduce the risk of skin cancer.
• Vitamin C – this vitamin heals wounds and even helps form collagen, therefore it is a crucial element in your skin health
• Fish oil – this is a great way to keep your cells hydrated and attract water into the skin, helping it stay young and radiant.

8) Make sure you cleanse properly

You may think that once you’ve used your face wash, everything is out of the skin and you can go about your day. Wrong! There is more to it than that. It is important to use more than one product to cleanse the skin, because even after washing the makeup off your face, there will still be residue left on the skin. If you don’t cleanse the skin again this residue will stay on the skin and block your pores. A great product to use as a second cleanse is micellular water. It will wipe away all of the makeup or dirt which you missed the first time you cleansed, it will also act as a toner to neutralize your skin and keep it fresh.

Featured image via @jaichill_