College is hard. There is no denying that what with trying to meet deadlines, turn in weekly reports and trying to look alive. Skincare manages to elude our list of important things. I mean the first week of school is usually great but then the weeks after get harder. Every day becomes a struggle. Assignments and readings begin to loom larger and larger eroding everything that would try to compete with.
For most girls, how we look is important. Our bodies need care and proper maintenance especially if it’s running on little to no sleep. I have had most of my girlfriends complain to me about how they need help with skin breakouts, flaky faces, and tired-looking eyes. They ask what make-up products they can use to cover up this spot or that pimple. I always tell them treating what’s underneath is more important. Call it vain if you like but young people like to good in fact we strive to look good. So except, you can afford to like Kylie Jenner or you were born with gorgeous skin like Jorja Smith. Giddy up and try these tips.
This post is about how to treat your skin right on a daily basis without compromising your work schedule and budget. I won’t be recommending any specific brand but I will discuss natural combos that work for different skins as much as I can. Skincare helps with your self-esteem and makes you not only look like a better person but also makes you feel like a million bucks. So before we get on with, I will issue a disclaimer. No skin care tip is tailored towards everybody. Finding what works for you is important.
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Step 1: Clean your face thoroughly
Of course, when you take showers it is expected you wash your face as well but this is not necessarily ideal. During the day, sweat, dirt, and oil accumulate on the face causing a lackluster shine and blocked pores. As you rush through classes it is hard to imagine ducking out just to clean your face. However, oil blotting paper works well if a shiny face is a problem. At the end of the day, cleansers are helpful to start and end the day with. There are three ways to ensure a clean face when you wake up in the morning and when you go to bed.
Start with using cotton face pads and clean with olive oil or coconut oil. I know if you have oily skin why use oil to clean the face. Acne.org states that “By using the right oils, you can cleanse your pores of dirt and bacteria naturally, gently and effectively, while replacing the dirty oil with beneficial ones extracted from natural botanicals, vegetables, and fruit that heal, protect and nourish your skin.” Therefore, irrespective of the type of skin you have whether oily, dry or sensitive your pores need healthy oils which can really clean out excess sebum and dirt from your face.
End with using a water-based cleanser. This is step two from K-beauty 10 step championed by the widely acclaimed Korean beauty website, SOKOGLAM. This two-step cleaning procedure is an ancient long Korean beauty secret to clean and healthy skin. By using a foam cleanser, this removes any residue or oil from your face while keeping it hydrated. It is important that your face is clean and well-hydrated.
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Step 2: Exfoliate regularly.
At least twice a week, use a sugar scrub or sea salt scrub. This helps to remove dead skin cells from the face to expose the fresh skin underneath. Use light oils like olive oil or grapeseed oil with sugar and a drop of lemon. Scrub the face in wide circles and take time to be as thorough as possible but not so harsh to cause scratches or redness.
After exfoliating, opening up the pores through steaming is ideal. Get a huge pan, fill with water, add a drop of lavender and tea tree oil. Proceed to boil until there is a lot of steam then place on a countertop. Be careful not to get burned. Place your head over the pan and let the steam work its way to your pores and open them. Do this for about 10-15minutes. This will shrink and tighten your pores and make your makeup routine a whole lot easier.
Sugar Scrub via Pixabay
Step 3: Use Masks
Sheet masks, natural home-made masks, clay masks. There are all kinds of masks on the market. As a college student, choose a product that is worth your time and money. Sheet masks offer a variety of options, are relatively cheaper and can be gotten from any local beauty store. During weekdays, they can be worn before you go to bed. They are easier to handle and all you need to do is peel off and you are good to go. Weekends, you bring the big guns in. Clay masks can be drying but they are good for really oily skin and clearing blackheads especially Bentonite clay.
A natural based mask that helps with skin brightening and glamming is my favorite turmeric mask. Albeit, it is a lot messy and stressful but the benefits are worth all the troubles. The ingredients are honey, oats, lemon, flour, a little baking soda, turmeric and a little organic yogurt/milk. Grind the oats until it is powdery then mix everything in. The flour ensures that the mixture is thick enough to stay on the face. A little of everything is enough.
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Step 4: Use the killer STANs combo
STANs which stands for Serum, Toner, Ampoule, Night creams and Sun protection. This self-made up acronym is certified and best believe I swear by it. Serums moisturize your skin and make it feel heavenly just before you apply any make-up product. Toners help to keep your skin moist while regulate your skin PH levels. This helps in the fall when the skin gets drier from the change of weather. Ampoule is a concentrated essence that targets a specific problem be it acne, skin pigmentation, dull skin among others. It also helps to lock in moisture and treat underlying problems even with prolonged makeup use.
Night creams especially eye creams help to prep the skin the night before ensuring that the skin is well nourished by daybreak. While there are also day creams I find the night creams to be more effective as they work well without sun interference. A day cream I advise is eye cream which helps to hydrate the eyebrow area and reduce under eye darkening. Sun protection is very necessary to get a glowing and fresh skin. SPF is everything, an ever-present amour against harmful sun rays that could destroy all your hard work and strip away your skin nutrients. Better still, purchase products that contain a certain degree of SPF.
As college students, we spend a lot of time in the sun and the outdoors exposed to harmful sun rays. While in the early morning, our doses of vitamin D do us well the late afternoons bring a lot of harmful UVB rays that cause premature aging. While this seems like a whole bothersome routine this combo helps more than it hurts.
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Step 5: Take care of yourself.
Drink water, exercise regularly, sleep well and eat well. Cut out unhealthy foods and eat wholesome foods including fruits, vegetables, white meat among others. Avoid fried and sugary foods. Drink smoothies, eat salads and stretch more often. If you take care of your body from the inside, then the outside results are sure to show. Stay hydrated at all times.
Remember, the key to taking care of yourself is having a well-planned schedule that helps you balance your personal and college life. Stay well.