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A person’s skin can tell you a lot about his/her health and wellness. Clear and radiant skin can reflect good health and hygiene practices and make you feel more confident and presentable. On the other hand, skin that is riddled with structural and cosmetic flaws may reveal more serious underlying health ailments and subconsciously weigh down on your self-confidence. Fortunately, you can keep your skin soft and glowing without the need for chemical skin care products or needless treatment procedures. Here are six natural ways to maintain a healthy skin:

Clean and Moisturize the Face

Cleaning your face regularly with lukewarm water is the easiest way to remove oils and dirt on the skin surface. Avoid washing your skin with hot or cold water as this can either burn or dry out the skin. Afterwards, moisturize the skin with a chemical-free product that seals in moisture and promotes healing overnight. You should also pick out a moisturizer with antioxidant properties, which help smooth out the skin and gently exfoliate it. This gives your skin a more youthful appearance that’s free of lines and wrinkles.

Eat the Right Food

Your skin’s health can also serve as a gateway into your dietary regimen. Eating processed foods that are high in sugar, saturated fats, and salt can lead to acne, loss of skin firmness and elasticity, and premature wrinkling. Eat foods that are high in protein, healthy oils and fats, and antioxidants. This includes blueberries, eggs, fatty fish, nuts, and dark leafy greens.

Avoid Skin-Damaging Habits

Stress, alcohol, smoking, and even secondhand smoke are some of the many culprits that contribute to skin imperfections. When you smoke or expose your skin to cigarette smoke, you are introducing an array of chemical toxins into your body. These free radicals can cause damage to your skin and lead to premature skin aging. Meanwhile, alcohol can dilate or shrink the skin’s pores, which puts you at greater risk of acne breakout. Regular alcohol consumption can also lead to accelerated skin aging and permanent scarring.

Use Collagen Facial Pads

Collagen is the most common protein structure in your body. It is an important component of connective tissues, which make up your skin, muscles, and ligaments. This naturally occurring nutrient helps strengthen your bones and gives form to your skin. Lack of collagen can introduce the opposite effects to your body. If your diet restricts you from intake of foods rich in collagen, you can use collagen facial pads. Rubbing these pads on your face every night before bedtime can help reduce under-eye circles and forehead wrinkles. The pads are made completely of organic components including collagen, hyaluronic acid, and plant extract.

Use Aloe Vera

Aloe vera has several healing properties that aid in cellular repair. In fact, it is a common ingredient in most topical products for burn treatment. This short-stemmed shrub can also work wonders on your skin’s health by clearing acne and stimulating new cell growth. Aloe-based acne products may be recommended by a dermatologist for people who experience itchiness and irritation when using traditional acne creams. You can buy an aloe leaf and cut it down into slices or cubes. Using only the soft or gel section of the plant, apply the aloe directly to the skin. You can also add fresh aloe gel to your food or create an aloe-based smoothie recipe.

Drink Plenty of Water

Water intake is another problem area that may be leading to blemishes on your skin. Although there is no absolute scientific data that links skin health with water intake, a 2015 study revealed that the two things were strongly connected. The general rule of thumb is to go for a minimum of eight 8-ounce cups of water daily. However, depending on your activity level and how much you sweat per day, you may need to increase your water intake to make up for the water lost during said activities.

Conclusion

The efficacy of these aforementioned tips depends on how consistently you can apply them to your daily life. These aren’t one-off steps that can make your skin glow overnight. Turn them into a skin care regimen and religiously follow them through. Not only can these habits bring you better looking skin, but it can also improve other aspects of your health and wellness, including your immune system, bone strength, and hair volume.