Talking all about how to improve the health of your skin today. Most of us aren’t wearing too much makeup right now, due to the quarantine, so it’s a better time than ever to work on the appearance of your skin.

Over the last year or so, as I’ve been having more and more conversations with people about their skin, I’ve realized many of us make the same mistakes with skincare. That’s why, today, I wanted to share some of the best practices I’ve picked up along the way to improve the health of your skin. And hint hint: It’s not all just about what you put on your skin. In fact, half the battle is what you put in your body and the rest of your lifestyle, so we’ll go through all that today.

How to improve the health of your skin 

Drink a ton of water throughout the day, and stay extra hydrated.

This is a no brainer. If you want good skin, you MUST drink a ton of water. While every body needs a different amount of water a day, I like to shoot for a stretch goal of drinking almost your bodyweight in ounces. So if you weigh 150 pounds, you try to drink 150 ounces of water a day. It’s a lot.

Our bodies and systems are mostly made up of water, and in order to keep everything running smoothly, you’ve got to focus on hydration. It truly affects the appearance and health of your skin directly, so you will immediately notice a difference with this step.

Be gentle with your skin. Try not to rub it too harshly with your hands, towels or wipes. 

Do you know how many people seem to rely on makeup wipes as their only version of cleansing? I didn’t realize that fact until I started chatting with so many women about their routine. That’s not ideal, folks. Makeup wipes should be for travel or on-the-go situations when you have no access to a sink, water and cleanser. Wiping your face too harshly with towels, wipes or your hands can cause inflammation and irritation, and it’s not the best way to care for your skin. Be gentle.

I like to blot my face lightly with a cotton towel after rinsing. And I haven’t used makeup wipes in forever, but I do think they have value for when you’re in a pinch — otherwise, use a sink and water, friends.

Limit your direct sun exposure, and wear mineral sunscreen on a daily basis.

Here’s the deal: A little bit of direct natural sunlight on your skin is a good thing, because Vitamin D from the sun helps support your mood and your immunity. However, you also want to protect your skin from prolonged exposure. If you’re out on a walk or run or hanging outside, wear a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen on your face, ears, neck, chest and any other part of your body that is exposed.

Mineral sunscreen is a much safer option than conventional chemical sunscreen. Most chemical sunscreens on the shelves of stores have harsh toxins that are so toxic they can even eat away at the rocks in coral reefs — so just imagine when they do when they seep into your bloodstream.

I like this mineral sunscreen mist and this dew skin daily tinted moisturizer with SPF for my sun protection.

Eat a lot of fruits and veggies for beneficial antioxidants.

Do you hear the word antioxidant and know that it’s beneficial but not really know what it means? I was in the same boat for a long time too. Basically, antioxidants — which are found in berries, sweet potatoes, kale, spinach, green tea, nuts, beans and fish to name a few — protect your cells from oxidation and damage, which occurs naturally. You want to eat antioxidant-rich foods to support the appearance of your skin (and improve your health).

The good news is that most antioxidant-rich fruits and veggies are also full of water, so they support your overall hydration too. A win win. Eat a lot of colorful fruits and veggies at most meals and you’ll probably check this one off easily.

Wash your pillowcases and sheets often, and consider a silk or satin pillowcase.

If you sleep with dirty hair a lot (guilty), then you are transferring that onto your pillowcase. Then you rub your face around on your pillowcase at night, which is a good way to break out or get inflamed. I recommend washing your pillowcases a few times a week. And if you can, swap out for a silk or satin (organic, if possible) pillowcase. These fabrics are kinder to your skin, and they won’t soak up as much of your skincare products as cotton.

This is the pillowcase I use.

Also, it’s true that sleeping on your back is the best for your face, but we all know that is easier said than done. Side sleeper over here, with more wrinkles on one side than the other to prove it.

Strive for quality sleep each night to restore your skin.

Speaking of sleep, it seems like sleep ends up on every single list of “how to improve” anything in your life, and that’s for a good reason. Your cells turn over, your body repairs itself and your skin gets renewed as you sleep at night. It’s best to go to sleep and wake up around the same time each day to be consistent. Sleep helps your skin, hands down.

And if you’ve ever had a sleepless night, you’ve seen the additional fine lines, redness and patchiness on your face that happens of just one night of that. So get your ZZZs, folks.

Take a daily collagen supplement to support your skin.

I’ve been taking a daily collagen supplement for years. When you take collagen regularly, you have a chance of improving the elasticity of your skin and reducing wrinkles too. Even though the body produces collagen on its own, you start to produce less and less as you get older — and it never hurts to get a little boost.

I add a scoop of this collagen creamer to my morning tea, and I also add a scoop of this collagen to my afternoon matcha latte.

Not all collagen is created equal, so look for high-quality bovine or marine collagen for all your skin needs. You may even notice a benefit in your gut health, joint health, hair and nails too.

Monitor your diet, and take note of how your skin reacts to certain foods.

The truth is, oftentimes dairy, sugar, alcohol, heavily processed foods or even gluten can cause a little reaction in your skin and mean you wake up with some patchy redness or breakouts. This isn’t the case for everyone, but for a lot of people. Now that doesn’t mean you have to avoid these things entirely, but it does mean you should know what causes issues with your skin.

For me, I know that a lot of sugar will give me some redness on my cheeks and nose. Do I eat sugar? Yes. But do I limit it too? Yes. It’s good to be aware of what can be going on with your skin, so if issues get out of hand, you can address them internally with your diet as a first pass of improvement. Remember, the lifestyle and nutrition part plays a big role in your skin, so this is an area to work on.

Stick to a safe skincare routine, with an active product like a serum.

At this point, we all know to use a nightly moisturizer and daily moisturizer (and hopefully, you also know to look at the labels of your products and make sure they each say paraben, phthalate and sulfate free at a minimum). But did you know that in addition to moisturizing, you also should use an active product? That’s where serum comes into play. Serums are highly concentrated products that are supposed to go deep and work on the condition of the skin, all for different reasons.

I’m in love with the Countertime tetrapeptide radiance serum, because it goes deep to help smooth out fine lines and work on improving the condition of my skin.

But, a lot of people love the Countermatch intense moisture serum, which works well for combination skin to help with major hydration.

You can use a serum at night and during the day after washing your face and before moisturizing. Serums are the little powerhouses, so get yourself a serum, and choose one that’s nontoxic, while you’re at it. I recommend Beautycounter serums, of course, because they include safe ingredients, and they come in environmentally friendly bottles too.

Don’t touch or pick at your face.

I mean, if we didn’t know not to touch our faces before, we know that now.  Your hands touch things with bacteria, and putting your hands on your face transfers that bacteria. It’s gross, but it’s true. Try to limit touching your face throughout the day. And wash your hands often too.

Exercise regularly to get blood flowing to the skin.

When you exercise, you actually increase blood-flow throughout your body, meaning more nutrients are sent to your skin. This is a good thing. A balanced exercise routine is ideal for improving your skin. Not too much, not too little — and that amount of exercise will look different on everyone.

Do a post-workout rinse off, if you aren’t able to shower right away.

This is one I’m trying to get better about, but it’s important to rinse your face after your sweat session. If you can’t shower right away, even just a water-only rinse will do. But try not to let your sweat dry to your skin too often — it can get ugly if you do — clogging your pores and causing breakouts.

And if possible, it’s ideal to wash your makeup off before your workout, so you’re sweating through clean skin. Once again, easier said than done, but it’s something to strive for.

Get your hormones in check.

My skin improved SO much after I regulated my hormones and recovered from hypothalamic amenorrhea.

It’s common for women to have some slight skin issues during a certain time of the month, and of course, when your hormone levels change drastically during pregnancy or postpartum you can see some skin changes as well. Those are all pretty normal and natural, so the best thing you can do is check off all the other boxes of skincare to improve your chances of maintaining good skin through trying life changes.

Use an antioxidant protection if you live in an urban or polluted environment.

Did you know that pollution and dust in the air can mess with your skin? It can! There are certain products that are designed to protect your face throughout the day from all the environmental stressors you come into contact with.

I love this Countertime antioxidant soft day cream and wear it most days when I’m out and about. It’s a little barrier to give your skin a fighting chance against what you come into contact with out there, so it’s definitely something worth investing in for your day-time skincare needs.

Also, try to apply this — as well as the rest of your skincare — to your neck and chest, because those areas also need some love.

And we’ll stop there!

Get some personalized Beautycounter recommendations

You know I love my Beautycounter skincare and makeup, and I think you will too. All of the products work well together, they aren’t harsh, and they are sustainably made.

If you want to try out Beautycounter, then please fill out this skincare survey, and I’ll get back to you with some personalized recommendations on what may work for your skin type. 

You can also sign up for my Beautycounter email list to learn a little bit more about the brand. 

Right now, brand new Beautycounter clients get 20 percent off their first order. To get that deal, head here and enter your email address.

You’ll get a 20 percent off code emailed to you that you can put in when placing your first order. Please let me know how I can help you and your skin.

Thanks for reading about how to improve the health of your skin today, my friends! Be good, stay hydrated and be gentle with your face.

P.S. Today, Beautycounter launched a new All Bright Vitamin C Serum, which not only protects your skin, but also improves brightness and reduces skin discoloration — it’s amazing! Find out more about that new product here.

Other posts you may like

• All about skin and my review of the Beautycounter Countertime skincare line
• How to create a better sleep environment
• This is my mostly clean beauty makeup routine
• Five things you should be doing in your 30s for your life and health

Questions of the day

How was your weekend?

What’s your biggest skin concern?

What’s your biggest skincare tip?

How often do you wash your sheets? 🙂