6 Steps to Get Better Skin Without Spending A Dime

Since the start of Covid 19, I find that a lot of people are having bad skin and breakouts, not just due to the stress, but also the masks! Maskne (mask-acne) are horrible! I personally never had acnes as big and as aggressive as the Covid acne. Eeew. I was freaking out because no matter what I used, my skin was not getting better.

But with some simple routines, additional to consistent skin care, I managed to heal my skin. Here’s how…

1. Change Your Pillowcase Often

Imagine if you don’t change your clothes for a month. It’s not just disgusting, it’s very unhygienic, right? Well, that’s the same with our pillowcase. We spend about 7-9 hours every day lying there sometimes sweating, sometimes drooling! Imagine those stuff pressed on your skin every night! Like eww!!!

Try not to share your sleeping pillow with anyone without changing the cover. Even if it’s exclusively yours, change it once every week for better skin. Also, use a soft or silky pillowcase that will be easy on the skin and hair.

2. Drink Enough Water

We are made of 70% water and we need to keep drinking for our whole body system to function properly. We definitely need enough water for our skin to stay hydrated and remove unwanted toxins in our system. We’ve heard it many many times, but drinking enough water is not so easy for some people, hence many people have dry skin or oily skin due to dryness.

I was one of the people who didn’t like the taste of plain water because I am used to the taste of sweet drinks. But did you know that our taste buds can change and be trained? The easiest way to train yourself to LOVE drinking water is to get a bottle that’s easy to carry around and mark how many bottles you drink in a day in your planner. I personally have a 600ml bottle, and I train myself to drink 4 bottles of water each day. That’s 2400ml daily! You will be surprised at how fast the skin can improve with enough water intake.

3. Sleep & Wakeup Early

Beauty sleep is not a myth. Sleep can really make or break your skin. There is a huge difference if you sleep at 10 pm and when you sleep at 3 am. Sleeping earlier helps to recover the body faster, hence your skin will age less. Based on studies, the deepest and most regenerative sleep occurs between 10 pm to 2 am. After 2 am, your sleep becomes less effective, making you wake up feeling tired and having more wrinkles on your face.

If you have trouble sleeping, try to stop looking at gadgets at least an hour before bedtime, and also have the lights dimmed. You can also try getting more comfortable pillows such as Das Abdul Global (DAG) machine-washable pillows, drink this Bedtime Bliss tea, and diffuse some lavender blend essential oils.

4. Get Out and Get Some Sun

A lot of people talk about sun protection for skin cancer, but sunshine is actually very important to trigger good hormone release, thus helping with mood and depression. The better our hormones and mood, the better our skin. Sunlight is also a free source of Vitamin D, which is needed to grow strong bones.

We’ve heard that too much exposure to the sun can lead to skin cancer, but a moderate amount. about 5-15 minutes a day can actually prevent several types of cancer and ease skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, and vitiligo. So go for a short morning walk without that sunscreen 2-3 times a week.

According to this study, “When people are exposed to sunlight or very bright artificial light in the morning, their nocturnal melatonin (sleep hormone) production occurs sooner, and they enter into sleep more easily at night.” Go catch the morning sun tomorrow, take a selfie with that sun-kissed skin!

5. Exercise and Sweat

When your blood flow, your skin will glow! But wait – Too busy? No gym? Can’t go to the park? Don’t complicate it! Exercising is so easy, you can even do it in your bedroom. If you can’t go out, just YouTube some bodyweight exercises like this 10-minute workout. Another simple way is to turn up your favourite song and dance, dance away and enjoy! For longevity, it is recommended to walk first in the morning. Walking around your neighbourhood in the morning is a great way to start your day, getting both the sunlight and the exercise! Your skin will definitely get better and glow within a few days.

6. Shower & Cleanse Twice!

I get it, sometimes we don’t go out, we don’t dress up, we don’t feel like showering. Even during the night sleep we can sweat, what more when exercising and being productive, there’s no way you don’t get all greasy and smelly by the end of the day. Dirty and greasy hair can actually affect facial skin. Bacteria and sebum buildup will cause acne! Shower, cleanse and do your facial twice a day – once in the morning, and once before bedtime. Also try to exfoliate 2-3 times a week! Keeping yourself clean will keep your skin healthy.