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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Endicott chapter.

With the seasons changing, your skin can become pretty sensitive to the rapid change of weather from either colder to warmer or vice versa, with the risk of causing you to break out, develop dryer skin, oilier skin, or just throw your skin totally off balance. This can be extremely frustrating because, of course, nobody wants zits on their face! With spring approaching us, this is the perfect time to kind of stray away from your daily skin care routine products, and experiment with some great products that are out there that maybe some of us didn’t know about. Here are some tips for taking good care of your skin, making you feel refreshed and healthy!

Step 1: Always at the end of the day, take your makeup off. This is so very essential and obvious. Trust me, I am guilty of going to bed with a full face of makeup on and I always regret it in the morning. I wake up feeling gross and always break out all over my face when I do this. Your makeup will clog your pores and sink deep into your skin overnight, which causes these breakouts and acne. So, a tip is to keep makeup remover wipes by your bed, so if you are lazy (like me) and don’t want to get out of bed to take it off, you have wipes right next to you, so you don’t have an excuse. My favorite wipes are the “Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes.” They are sensitive to the skin, but get the job done.

Step 2: Wash your face with a cleanser at least 2 times a day; in the morning and at night. Keeping a daily routine to wash your face is important to do, because your skin will thank you for it in the long run. Using cold water is best for the face. One of my favorites are face washes with scrubbers in them. They will work to get inside your pores and clean that dirt and grime out of your face. The scrubbers will also make your face feel super soft, which is a plus! When you are done washing your face, pat your face dry, do not rub. There is no better feeling than your face feeling all clean and refreshed at the end of a long day.

Step 3: Use a toner. I did not use a toner for the longest time, and now, I can’t even imagine not using one in my daily skin routine! A toner will remove oil and traces of dirt and grime, and are most helpful and necessary for people who want extra cleansing after wearing makeup or other heavy skin products. Toners come in two ways. You can either purchase them as toner pads, which are just circular pads that are soaked with acne medication, to help exfoliate and clean the skin. Or, you can purchase a bottle filled with toner, and use a cotton ball or cotton round to tone your face that way. Either way, toner is extremely effective and really does help the skin stay clean and clear significantly. (Look for “Clearasil Ultra Rapid Action Pads” in the drugstore. Clinique also has really great toners.)

Step 4: Moisturize your face. Whether you have dry or oily skin, moisturizer is a must. I have oily skin, so I used to get skeptical about using face lotion which can make it look and feel greasy, but trust me, I can’t go without moisturizer. The drugstore has a ton of really great face moisturizers, so figure out your skin type, and go out and get yourself one!

Step 5: After a workout, keep facial wipes in your bag. Whenever I go to the gym, go for a run, or after a yoga class, my face is always so sweaty, feeling dirty and oily. I keep face wipes in my bag to take away that nasty feeling of dirt and oil on my face, which is good for the skin, so that way it won’t be sitting and soaking into my face, casing the chance for breakouts.

Other tips:

  • Try to keep your hands away from your face. By touching your face constantly, oil and bacteria rubs off your hands onto your face, which is not good for your skin.

  • Handle your skin gently. Do not scrub your face harshly when washing it, as this can cause redness and breakouts. Instead, keep a light hand and use cold water.

  • Protect your skin with sunscreen. Check to see if your moisturizer has SPF. This is very important.

  • If you wear glasses, clean them regularly to keep oil from clogging your pores around your eyes and nose.

  • If you wear a foundation, make sure you do not pile it on your face. This can irritate the skin, causing it to breakout.

  • Drink plenty of water, and eat foods that will help to hydrate your skin.

  • DO NOT pop your pimples if you have them, as this can just cause more to appear on your face.

  • Go a day without wearing any makeup. This will help the skin breathe tremendously and it is so beneficial to do once in awhile.

  • If you do have acne or breakouts, do not be embarrassed. Remember that everyone gets pimples and it is totally normal. Let your skin breathe once in awhile, you will feel so much better in the long run.  

 

Just a girl who loves bread, exercise and traveling.