11 Healthy Skin Habits To Keep

We can’t overstate the importance of an effective skincare routine. The right cleanser, serum, and moisturizer can keep your skin detoxified, hydrated, and glowing. But your skincare products aren’t the only players in skin beauty — your daily habits also play a role. 

In this guide from Nourishing Biologicals, we’ll go over 11 healthy skin habits — some of which you may already have — and explain why they’re so important for your skin’s health and appearance.

1. Cleanse Twice Per Day 

We all know the importance of cleansing at the end of the day. Even if you don’t wear makeup, your cleanser can remove excess oils, environmental toxins, and other debris. If left on overnight, these can clog pores and trigger a breakout.

However, cleansing twice per day may actually be more beneficial. One study found that those who washed their face in the morning and at night had fewer breakouts than those sticking to once-a-day cleansings. 

However you cleanse, avoid a cleanser that strips your face of its natural oils. Instead, use a gentle cleaner (like our Miracular Cleanser) to keep the skin well-balanced 

2. Keep Your Skin Moisturized & Hydrated 

First things first: There’s a difference between skin that’s moisturized and skin that’s hydrated. Moisture refers to the skin’s natural oils, while hydration refers to water content. However, both are important for smooth, supple skin. 

To keep your skin moisturized and hydrated, stick to a combination of active ingredients. For instance, hyaluronic acid (found in our Miracular Serum) draws in moisture, keeping the skin barrier hydrated. Ingredients like jojoba seed oil mimic the skin’s natural oils, locking in moisture. 

And what you put on the inside matters, too! Getting plenty of healthy fats, such as those from nuts, seeds, and oily fish, can help to balance out excessive dryness and give the skin a more youthful appearance. 

3. Stay Clear of Harsh Ingredients 

Some active ingredients promise to clear up breakouts, exfoliate dead skin cells, and support a youthful-looking complexion. But these benefits often come at a cost: dryness, flaking, and irritation. 

Over time, some irritating ingredients can compromise your skin barrier, making you prone to a wide range of skin issues. 

While we don’t certainly don’t recommend stopping all active ingredients, we think it’s better to use less when it comes to some of the following: 

• Sulfates
• Phthalates
• Parabens
• Benzoyl peroxide
• Salicylic acid 
• Hydroquinone
• Alcohol (or ethanol)
• Fragrance
• Essential oils 

Instead, we suggest using gentle botanical ingredients that nourish the skin, such as the ones used in our Miracular Line Collection. 

4. Massage Your Face 

A facial massage is a quick and easy beauty hack that you can use to boost circulation. This, in turn, can help to stimulate detoxification, reduce puffiness, and give you an instant glow. 

What’s more, bringing more oxygen to the face — via increased circulation — may even help with collagen production. 

Fortunately, a facial massage doesn’t require any special skills. Just gently massage your face in a circular motion while cleansing. Three minutes or so is all you need!

5. Wear Your SPF

Harmful UV exposure is one of the top causes of aging, leading to loss of collagen and elastin, wrinkles, fine lines, hyperpigmentation, and dryness. 

Of course, some sun is necessary for making vitamin D. But your face, neck, and decolléte have fairly small surface areas, which means they don’t contribute much to vitamin D production. For a youthful face, it’s important to always cover up with some sunblock, a hat, and a big pair of sunglasses. 

6. Never Pick Your Face 

As tempting as it may be, squeezing clogged pores or popping a pimple is incredibly damaging to the skin. Not only does it cause scarring, but it can push bacteria deeper into the pore, making breakouts worse. 

If you leave facial extractions up to professionals, great! If not, work on breaking your skin-picking habit. Some tips that may help include getting regular professional facials, using a spot treatment for breakouts, and finding an outlet for compulsive urges, such as going for a walk. 

If you already experience scarring from picking, then using nourishing ingredients (like the ones found in our Miracular Skin Essence) can help to improve your skin’s appearance. 

7. Stay Hydrated 

Skin hydration is largely an internal process, which depends on how much water you drink. To stay hydrated, the skin pulls water from the circulatory system's capillaries. However, if there’s nothing to pull from — which happens when you’re dehydrated — your skin can dry out. 

If you’re not getting enough water — and noticing it in your skin — then getting things back to normal can take as little as one month, according to one study. Keep in mind that water isn’t the only way to increase hydration. Drinking other fluids, like herbal teas, and eating water-rich produce can also contribute to increased hydration levels. 

8. Reduce Sugar Intake

Eating sugar is probably one of the worst things you can do for your skin. Sugar molecules bind to healthy proteins in the skin (like collagen and elastin) and effectively break them down. The result? Faster aging — even if you avoid the sun like the plague. 

Sugar can also drive inflammation, which isn’t only bad for general health, but for the skin, as well. For instance, one review found a significant link between sugar consumption and someone’s risk of developing acne. 

Quitting sugar is certainly no walk in the park, but it’s possible. If you replace sugary drinks and snacks with nourishing whole foods, then your cravings will go down — and your skin will glow more than ever. 

9. Stop Smoking 

Smoking is literally one of the worst things for your skin. It can directly degrade collagen and elastin, leading to loose and wrinkly skin. 

Smoking also reduces circulation, which can rob you of that coveted youthful glow. Plus, if you experience any wounds — such as those from an acne breakout — they can take much faster to heal. 

Of course, quitting smoking is easier said than done. If you’re ready to make the change, reach out to your primary care provider, a psychotherapist, or a smoking cessation counselor for help. 

10. Improve Your Gut Health 

Many skin issues stem from the gut. If there’s an imbalance between good and bad bacteria, the result may be increased breakouts, sensitivity, and irritation. 

Fortunately, it’s possible to restore gut health with a probiotic and prebiotic-rich diet. This includes fermented foods such as yogurt, kefir, kimchi, and sauerkraut. In addition, colorful produce, like beets, berries, and squash, can keep the gut happy and healthy. 

11. Keep Stress at Bay 

Stress is a major factor in skin health. When you’re stressed out, your cortisol levels shoot up, which can drive up inflammation and impede your skin’s natural healing ability. Stress is also associated with many skin woes, such as increased breakouts, accelerated aging, and worsened skin sensitivity. 

In our modern society, stress isn’t always avoidable. However, there are many things you can do to decrease your response to it. For instance, one study found that doing yoga and meditation can reduce subjective stress levels and reverse cellular aging. 

So, if you already engage in an anti-stress practice, keep at it! If not, find something you enjoy and make it part of your daily beauty routine. 

Healthy Skin With Nourishing Biologicals 

Of course, skincare isn’t only confined to the products you use. Your diet, sleep habits, and stress management play an important role in your skin’s health and beauty. 

However, we can’t understate the importance of using the right ingredients. For your best skin, it’s important to use nourishing botanical ingredients, which is what Nourishing Biologicals is based on. With our Miracular Collection, you’ll keep your skin looking its best. 

 

Sources: 

A single-blinded, randomized, controlled clinical trial evaluating the effect of face washing on acne vulgaris | NCBI

Effect of the sun on visible clinical signs of aging in Caucasian skin | PMC

Dietary water affects human skin hydration and biomechanics | PMC

Significance of diet in treated and untreated acne vulgaris | PMC

Impact of Yoga and Meditation on Cellular Aging in Apparently Healthy Individuals: A Prospective, Open-Label Single-Arm Exploratory Study | NCBI

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