By Tori 
A lot was said in the last post about Skincare without products but here we are with more. This is to show how skincare encompasses a lot more than just products. Products help in treatments, cleansing, keeping the skin hydrated, and more but how you take care of your skin outside of products accounts for a lot if not more. Let us continue the list of things you can do for your skin without products:
- Use a clean towel: after you cleanse your skin, you can completely undo all your cleansing efforts if you use a dirty towel and possibly give yourself skin issues. Your face is clean, so your towel should also be clean. Please change your towel often because this towel is coming into contact with your cleansed face a lot. A towel after a few uses holds a lot of gunk, dirt, and stuff you do not want on your skin, so change it often and keep it clean.
- Eat healthy food and drink water: There is no way you can have healthy skin on a diet of soda and fried chicken. Some people I know, literally break out immediately after a junk meal. Eating healthy does a lot for your body, skin benefits aside. You want to be clean in and out. I know most of us like our chicken, soda, candy, and other guilty pleasures but we can’t ignore what it does to our body if we take them too frequently. Have a fruit, eat that vegetable and drink lots of water. We have all heard drinking water is good for your skin and whether that’s true or not; not drinking water is definitely bad for your skin. The point is, that whatever you consume has an impact on your skin either immediately or in the long run. The best thing to do is be on the safe side and consume healthy foods.
- Activating products: In the first Skincare without products post, we said that sometimes, it’s not about the products you use but the way you use the products that make a difference. One of my skincare secrets is activating products which is something I do all the time and I think it works. By activating products, I simply mean rubbing the products between your palms before applying them to your face. Think about it, that cleanser, or moisturizer is a chemical that has just been sitting for a while so when you want to use it next, I think warming it up by activating it makes sense. Some people disagree with this saying it’s a waste and I kind of agree when it comes to some products. No need to rub serums and eye creams on your palms but for moisturizers and cleansers, I think it makes a difference.
- Be consistent: Yes you have the products and are following all the appropriate techniques but why was the last time you did your skincare routine two nights ago? Being consistent is the best thing you can do for your skin. It transformed my skin and helped me settle on products that allowed me to work on my skin over time. Being inconsistent is not good because it’s a waste of products since you don’t give a product enough time to work on your skin or you leave your skin bare for far too long. Do your skincare at least twice a day for optimum results. In the evening refresh your skin from the day and in the morning start the day with fresh skin.
- Let products sink into your skin: this is when applying multiple products to your skin. It is a mistake made by many and made easily. It is when you apply your products one after the other immediately not letting them sink into or dry on your skin, hindering them from working as they should. The solution is simple: give some time between products. I recommend a minute or two, especially for serums or treatments. Remember, the goal is to layer the products on your skin not mix them.
To conclude, all I’m learning from these posts is that skincare is a lifestyle. Everything we do, and how we live all contribute to our skin health. A lot of the ‘normal’ things we do affect our skin without us knowing which means we have to unlearn them and learn new habits on how to care for our skin. All this seems complex and overwhelming even for me but that’s okay. We learn, we know, and take one step at a time.
-Tori