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When we think about the organs of the body, things like the heart, liver, kidney and lungs are what typically comes to mind, since they’re inside our body.
And we can all agree that they’re pretty important when it comes to keeping us well and healthy.
But they’re not the only type of organs we have. There’s another type which is on the outside of our body, and surprisingly, is the biggest organ we humans have.
I’m talking about the skin. And just like any other organ, taking good care of our skin is important.
When we talk of skin care, some of the first things that come to mind are stuff like luxurious skin care products, creams, bath bombs and face scrubs, etc.
While I agree all these are pretty important, and can have a place in our skin care routine, I also believe that basic skin care, starts not just from externally applied products, but from our routine and daily lifestyle.
Our lifestyle habits can and do affect the quality of our skin, both short term and long term.
Therefore, in order to achieve a better and healthier skin, adopting good skin-supportive habits is important.
In this post, you’ll discover 5 of the best daily habits you can adopt for a clear, glowing and radiant skin. Let’s get right into it.
Habits For Clear Skin
1) Remember To Stay Hydrated
Water is indeed the stuff of life. It’s very essential not just for healthy living, but for living in general.
When talking about skin health, it is important to remember that our skin, just like every other organ or part of our body is made up of cells, which requires sufficient hydration in order to function properly.
With that in mind, getting enough water daily can help maintain a healthier body in general (skin included), and can help prevent issues like loose or dry or loose skin, which are usually symptoms of dehydrated skin.
This then brings up the next question. So how much water should I drink per day?
There really is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. Generally, expert recommendations come up at about 2.7 liters for women and 3.7 for men daily.
However, the ideal value for each person can vary due to factors like diet, activity levels, weather, temperature, underlying health conditions and so on.
As a general rule of thumb, if you’re feeling thirsty, you should probably drink up. We’re over 60% water for a reason.
2) Eat Healthy
As humans, food serves as our primary source of nutrition. These nutrients, whether macro or micro, are still pretty much important, and help run the body properly.
And just like any other part of our body, our skin is also affected by the type and quality of foods we eat. Some foods are great for us, and others, not so much.
For example, diets high in rich whole foods like colorful veggies, nuts, seeds, fatty fish, etc. have shown to be beneficial for the skin, as well as for overall health.
Similarly, diets that primarily consists of artificial sugars, processed carbs, trans fats and the likes, have been shown to negatively affect skin, as well as overall health.
Therefore, adopting a healthier diet, and limiting the intake of unhealthy foods can potentially contribute towards a healthier skin.
Also See: 10 Best Foods To Eat For A Healthy Skin
3) Don’t Forget Sunscreen
I like to think of the sun as our frenemy. On one hand, it makes everything about life on earth possible, and can also serve as a potential source in the production of vitamin D.
On the other hand, exposure to the sun’s UV rays, especially over long periods of time can lead to a number of issues, such as dry and wrinkled skin, sunburn and even skin cancer.
While we can’t do without the sun, we can ensure we properly protect ourselves from those dangerous UV rays, by applying sunscreen.
A good sunscreen shields you against the issues listed above. One thing to check for when choosing sunscreen is the SPF, also known as the sun protection factor.
Basically this stands for how much longer it would take for the sun’s UV rays to penetrate your skin, as opposed to on a regular basis, without any sunscreen.
For example, a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 means it’ll take 15 times longer to get something like a sunburn, than if you didn’t use a sunscreen in the first place.
Same thing goes for SPF factors like 30, 50 and so on. Generally, experts recommend choosing products with an SPF factor of at least 15 or 30.
And depending on the duration of your stay outside and nature of activity, it is usually recommended to reapply the cream every couple of hours for effective protection.
So all in all, applying sunscreen is a good way to protect your skin from the effects of overexposure to the sun’s harmful UV rays.
4) Get Moving
Regular exercise is one of those things we talk about over and over again, because of how important and useful they are in achieving and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
The benefits of physical activity can truly never be overemphasized, and it spans far beyond weight loss, muscle development and heart health.
As it turns out, regular physical activity can also have positive effects on your skin health too. One of the ways it does this, is by improving blood flow and circulation.
During your sweat sesh, your heart rate goes up and your body starts pumping blood more effectively and at a higher rate.
This improved blood flow helps deliver more oxygen and nutrients to the cells in your body (skin included) and also helps in better transporting waste or toxic substances away from the cells.
Both of these contribute to healthier cells overall, and can also help slow down and possibly reverse aging, which is good news.
Activities like running, cycling, dancing, walking, HIIT and so on, all count as excellent ways to reap the benefits listed above.
5) Manage Stress Levels
Stress is one of those things that seem impossible to avoid these days. With everything that is, and has been going on, we’re all prone to being stressed at one point or the other.
While stress is pretty much unavoidable in today’s day and age, it is pretty important that we try our best to reduce or manage it, since it can have negative effects on us.
One way stress affects us is through our hormones. The release of certain hormones when stressed can contribute to certain skin conditions like acne, and even worsen some previously existing ones as well, like eczema and psoriasis.
Plus, excessive stress can make us neglect or avoid doing things that would otherwise have been beneficial for our skin and health in general.
While stress is a pretty normal thing to experience, it is still important to monitor our stress levels, and take proper actions in order to keep them in check.
Yoga, exercise, deep breathing, and proper sleep are all effective ways to reduce or manage stress levels and also improve health in general.
So there you have it. These 5 simple daily habits, when added to your routine, can help improve your skin, and contribute to giving you that clear and radiant glow that you desire.
