Z. Johnson
Having a great and beautiful skin is every woman’s lifetime dream. Men have also become more conscious about skin care for better appearance and appeal. Let´s accept it: Our face is the “cover letter” of our body. It’s the first thing we see and how we present ourselves out there. Most of us have sometimes felt complexed about our face not looking “the best”. We also claim to know expect. This has made a lot of us go crazy looking for skin care solutions. Some of these might be purchasing pricy products, or doing magical recipes to make our lives easier.
Also, we look for ways to relieve the stress on appearance. In the past, that was my own personal frustration as well, even as a teenager. I am exposing this topic , because I feel its is still a very common concern, more than a trend. It has to do with self esteem.
Start by accepting your real skin type
The struggle was real
Back in my teenage days, I had developed acne and that was devastating for me. It was the time when I was looking for approval, acceptance, and became more conscious than ever about my physical appearance. Due to the severe breakouts I had, teammates and school friends started to make fun of me. I was also given nicknames.
My parents were actually seeking constantly for different dermatologists who could offer some solution to my skin problem. I got to the point of feeling anxious, overwhelmed and shy. Eventually, I understood that this was just a condition called “juvenile acne”, which appears when you are in your development stage of puberty. It caused me several harsh chemical treatments, different doctors, and stress. The good things was when I finally got over that stage, I realized a lot of facts.
Through acceptance, also came purpose
Through that experience, I was later able to find one of my purposes in life today, which is to help others to improve their physical wellbeing. Today, when I see a teenager that is going through the same situation as I did, I can understand and relate to a deeper level than just knowledge of proper skin care or treatment. This goes to an emotional level of knowing that acne and other skin problems can really cause self esteem issues.
It took me some time to accept the fact that even though I no longer have acne, my skin would always be oily. I just had to understand that my skin type is different than others and that with proper care, it would still be beautiful. There are many different skin types, mainly oily, dry, normal, combination, and sensitive. Each one is unique and there are ways to take proper care of such. The most important thing to consider foremost is to accept your skin the way as it is.
Loving our skin while going with the trends
The modern skin beauty industry and advertising has made us believe for some time that we can make changes to our skin type structure. New trends have created a search for a more “refined” skin tone, causing people to look for alternatives to change complexion. Two clear cases are the skin bleaching and the popular artificial skin tanning. I am not pointing out any particular fact here about these two techniques, but I just want to show these as common examples.
There are no magical treatments nor products that will change the “genetics” of your skin. What you will find is alternatives and cosmetics designed to improve the appearance and the balance of water/oil in your skin. I will detail this aspect later on.
Skin care starts from within
As I explained in my previous article, proper skin care starts with how you eat, how much you are hydrated, and how well you sleep. These are major key factors contributing on skin appearance and health. Imagine for a second that your skin is like a sponge. It absorbs everything that we intake, so think about having a lifestyle that includes nothing else than mainly processed foods, a lot of fats and sugar treats. Add to that not drinking water, suffering from stress and not getting enough sleep. That is how your body starts accumulating more toxins, therefore, reflecting a poor skin look.
Are you interested in defying skin aging? These are the major things you should start considering before making huge investments in skin care products.
It has also been proven that stress, hormonal and anxiety levels may strike an imbalance of skin moisture. I think most women can relate with me on this one, as we all go through sometimes in which our body releases substances that increase the skin “glands activity” inside, making it produce more oil, and as a consequence occasional breakouts. Depending on the case, this can be controlled.
Look for guidance on how to care for your skin type
I always give this primary advice. You need to look for what works best for you. You may want to start by measuring your lifestyle, checking your skincare habits, and the products you use. Are you the type of person that goes totally natural, fresh with no makeup? Are you the one that can´t dare imagine going one block away from your house without some foundation or lip gloss? Is your skin always oily? Is it dry? Do you use sunscreen on a regular basis? Do you have a nighttime routine? These are just a few of the things you must take into consideration before making any specific regimen or routine.
There are a lots of methods to determine what type of skin you have, my advice is to seek expert advice, or now and then you can start out by visiting an aesthetician for a facial treatment. It is important to know what is your lifestyle regarding your skin before thinking about purchasing any special or pricy products. this is crucial, to avoid making any mistakes of getting unnecessary or inadequate cosmetics. You want to do what fits you!
A final thought!
Just be you! Believe in your authenticity, develop a self love culture by pampering yourself, embracing who you are and most importantly, never compare to any one else! Remember that what works for your sister may not do for you. My advice is to stop worrying and feeling frustrated about doing tons of things. Eventually, you´ll be able to feel comfortable with a skin care routine that fits you. The best thing you can do is always improve your healthy lifestyle. I will continue adding some more tips and advice regarding skincare, which hopefully will be helpful for you.
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