7 Ways to Keep Your Skin Happy and Healthy (On a Budget)

As it is your largest and most exposed organ, your skin is super important and requires special attention. It is on display for the world to see and it says a lot about your health! I, personally, really like for my skin to be clear and healthy (who doesn't?), but I'm also...not rich. Here are just some basic, easy ways to achieve that. 

1. Use the Right Soap

This may seem obvious, but I'm going to say it anyway. Using the right soap that you cleanse your skin with on an extremely regular basis (hopefully) is important. If your soap dries your skin out or irritates it in any way, look at the ingredients to see if there is anything that may be

the culprit, then try to avoid it (for instance, my skin does not seem to like citrus oils very much, which are in a lot of soaps.)

This is especially important when looking at face soaps. The skin on your face is extra sensitive and...well, on your face. Different people have different skin types, so always take that into consideration. You want something that will clean your face without being too harsh, and that is slightly different for everybody.

For my face, I use Movis, by Lush, a whole-wheat based cleansing soap that cleans, moisturizes, and gently exfoliates skin. Also it smells AMAZING. It is priced by weight, and a little bit will go a long way, so you can get a pretty long lasting block of it for under $10.

For my body, I use a lot of different soaps, depending on what season it is (nine times out of ten they are by Lush.) But like I said, I avoid citrus oils. 

2. Don't Over-Wash Your Face

While the jury is still out on exactly how often you should wash your face, everyone can agree that over-washing it can irritate it and cause it to break out/dry out more than it would have if you had just left it alone. I would say that for most people, just once at night is enough. If your skin is particularly oily, then you may need to do so twice a day. I wouldn't really recommend cleaning it more than that, although it is important to rinse it with water after working out or sweating a lot.

It is easy to panic when your face breaks out, out of nowhere, and it can be tempting to go a little crazy with the washing, but you must refrain. If anything, this may mean that you need to rethink your choice in a soap/cleanser (especially if you have only had it for a few months or less.) Another possibility is that it could be caused by another factor, such has hormonal cycles or stress, in which case, leaving it alone, aside from cleaning it as you normally would, is the best thing for it.

3. Always Exfoliate

Exfoliating your entire body is essential to having great skin. Eliminating dead skin cells and unveiling the younger skin underneath makes a huge difference to the way that your skin looks and feels. Exfoliating regularly can do a lot of things; It:

     - Prevents/reduces acne

     - Softens and brightens skin

     - Prevents/reduces clogged pores

     - Encourages even skin tones

     - Helps moisturizers work better

     - Helps prevent ingrown hairs

And it is very easy and affordable to do. Using any kind of scrub (bought or homemade) or exfoliating soap, multiple times a week, is helpful.

Once again, consider how sensitive your skin is before choosing a product. Sugar scrubs are generally more gentle than salt scrubs, but still exfoliate really well. Another thing to do is to buy super cheap coffee grounds (Under $5) and to use that, while in the shower, a couple of times a week. Coffee not only exfoliates your skin, but it tightens and brightens it. 

Once again, don't overdo it. You're not trying to remove all of the skin from your body. 

4. Moisturize 

Once again, obvious, but tragically ignored. Especially if you are living in a dry climate (like California) you need to moisturize DAILY. It keeps your skin from getting ashy or flaky and prevents you from getting unwanted creases/wrinkles. This is important for both your skin and your body.

My new favorite product that I've been using is Neutrogena's Body Oil: Light Sesame Formula. It is just under $10 at any Target and it works better than most lotions I've ever used, without leaving your skin feeling sticky or slimy. You apply it while your body is still wet from the shower. It goes a super long way, so you only need a few drops here and there. Rub it in really well and then dry yourself off gently. It keeps skin happy all day. 

5. Keep Your Razor Sharp

If you shave, you need to make sure that your razor blade is never dull. If you have to apply pressure for it to work, it is too dull, and it needs to be replaced.

Men's razors are pretty much always better and don't usually cost much more than crappy women's razors. 

6. Treat Your Skin Occasionally 

It is always great to treat your skin on occasion with a great face mask/treatment. You shouldn't need to do this more than once a week or so. There are masks out there for just about any kind of skin, designed to achieve just about any purpose that you want; from deep cleansing, to rich moisturizing, to minimizing creases/wrinkles. 

Of course, I am in love with a lot of Lush masks (especially the Fresh ones) but there are cheaper options. Simple Biore treatments can be found at most drugstores, and those have always worked just fine for me. 

Just a tip though: if you shop at Lush regularly, you may be able to get a free fresh face mask. Once you've acquired five black pots with the reusable/bring it back label, rinse them out and bring them back to a store for your choice of a free fresh face mask!

7. Eat Well

This has way more to do with your skin than you may think it does. Too much of things like dairy or sugar can cause your skin to break out. Generally, just eating a relatively healthy and balanced diet, which I would always recommend anyway, will keep your skin glowing like it should. 

As always, thank you so much for reading! I'm not a beauty guru, and I certainly don't have perfect skin all of the time, but I wouldn't advise anything that I haven't seen positive results from! I always feel that a healthy body is a beautiful one, and skin is a big part of that.

#health #living #beauty