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14 Fabulous Skincare Tips

Written by WD Staff, Skin Care Specialists on December 11, 2014 22 Comments

14 best skincare tips

Make having better skin your New Year’s resolution. Here are 14 fabulous tips that will help you take your skincare to the next level in 2015:

1. Sunscreen – The Perfect Amount

Proper sun protection is the single most important way to slow the effects of aging. Here’s a simple tip to determine the right amount of sunscreen to apply on your face: fill the hollow part of your palm. That amount will be around ½ teaspoon, enough to properly coat your face, ears, and neck. Try Elta MD Clear SPF 46, a favorite among dermatologists as your daily UVA/UVB sun protection.

2. Healthy Breakfast = Healthy Skin

Foods rich in essential omega-3 fatty acids can help to stop blotchiness, inflammation, and the development of wrinkles. Try to eat almonds or walnuts every morning. A cup of green tea or two is always a great way to start your skin off right in the morning.

3. Cut Your Stress

High stress levels spike the production of hormones that spur acne and psoriasis breakouts. Taking a daily 10 minute “timeout” can do wonders for your skin. Even better: apply a facial mask, such as SkinCeutical’s Clarifying Clay Masque during your ‘me time’ to nourish your skin while you de-stress.

4. Avoid Impact

Did you know repeated high impact activities can weaken the skins collagen leading to sagging skin? Try alternating running for a session on the stationary bike or elliptical machine.

5. Cross Training for Skincare

Take a look at your current skincare routine. You may be missing out if you are not combining treatments that work better together. Growth Factors like Skinmedica TNS Advanced Serum and Retinoids are great to use together at night. Likewise, Antioxidants and Sunscreen make a great duo for your morning routine. Other Specialty products (including moisturizers, skin brighteners) can also be tossed into areas of your skincare routine for added benefits. Remember the rule of GRASS and you are covered.

6. Grab Frozen Peas

Applying a bag of frozen peas to your eyes can sooth any form of irritation while helping to reduce swelling and dark circles. Peas work best as they conform to the natural shape of the eyes. For an extra boost to fight those unwanted dark circles and puffiness, try Revision Teamine Eye Cream along with a good concealer.

7. Yoga for the Skin

In addition to reducing stress, common yoga poses like Downward Facing Dog and Child’s Pose improve blood circulation. The extra boost in oxygen gives the skin a lovely glow while reducing inflammation.

8. Don’t Skip a Day

Have you ever turned in for bed only to realize you forgot to do your evening skin care routine? Try keeping your night skincare products near your bedside. You can easily do many treatments while in bed! Trust me, It’ll give your skin a fighting chance!

9. Cut Sodium

High sodium intake can lead to facial puffiness. One of the biggest unnoticed contributors of daily sodium is diet soft drinks, which usually contain between 25 to 50 milligrams of sodium per 12 ounce serving. Cut the soda and switch to water instead. Find water boring, add some flavor such as fresh lemon or cucumber slices.  Both are rich in antioxidants and Vitamin C, but also act as diuretics to get those nasty toxins out of the body to help give you that nice glow to your skin.

10. Limit the Sweets

The body’s natural process of breaking down sugar also damages the skin’s collagen. Limiting high-glycemic carbs can do wonders for your skin (and waistline).

11. Relaxing Workouts

Did you know facial strains during exercise, specifically tensing of the neck and jaw, can pull the skin, leading to sagging? Next time you hit the gym work on keeping your face and neck calm during your workout.

12. Stay Away from Your Heater

Being in close proximity to a space heater or fireplace can induce redness, breakdown collagen and further increase dryness during the Fall/Winter months. When you need heat this winter try to stay 5-10 feet away from the source. Looking for that perfect moisturizer during this time of year? Try SkinMedica Ultra Sheer Moisturizer.

13. Use a Cup

Regularly sucking from a straw or drinking from a water bottle creates lines and wrinkles around the mouth. Especially in your 30’s as our collagen starts to break down and can’t erase those lines as easily.  Instead drink from a glass or use a cup with a spout that will allow you to squirt water into your mouth. Always remember to put your skincare products on your upper lip to help fight those fine lines and wrinkles.

14. Beauty Sleep

We all know getting a full night sleep helps the entire body. But did you know that your pillow could be aging your skin? If you sleep with face against a pillow wrinkles in the fabric can lead to sleep lines. Try sleeping on your back or use a smooth silk pillowcase (like the Save My Face pillow). Getting those wrinkles on your décolletage, but always tend to end up sleeping on your side?  Try the bosom buddy pillow as part of your “don’t skip a day” nightly skin routine.

Have any tips to share? Leave us a comment if you have any additions to our list!


WD Staff

A united group of skin care specialists from Westlake Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery, Austin's leader in Dermatology and Plastic Surgery. Articles posted under WD staff are authored through combined contributions from our entire team, including Plastic Surgeons, Dermatologists, Aestheticians, Physician Assistants, Aesthetic Nurses, and Patient Coordinators.


22 Responses to “14 Fabulous Skincare Tips”

  1. Avatar Terrie says:

    Hi there thanks for sharing these fabulous 14 skin care tips. I used to drink 8-10 glass of water a day and this is my formula for healthy skin care. I’m excited to add these tips in my routine too.

  2. Avatar Mark says:

    All four of my grandparents have had skin cancer and so I have been really worried about getting it myself. I appreciate this advice about protecting my skin, I had no idea that eating a good breakfast can affect my skin, that is interesting.

  3. Avatar Esther says:

    I love these tips, I already follow some of them, and others are new to me! Luckily, I already eat a great breakfast full of omega-3’s due to the amount of farm fresh eggs in my diet. However, I will try to cut out more sodium from my diet so that I can achieve that optimal glow!

  4. Avatar Gaston P. says:

    I would have never considered that facial strain from exercise could lead to problems with loose skin. I’ve never even paid much attention to what my face was doing during exercise, but I certainly will now. I imagine keeping one’s face relaxed while exercising is easier said than done, especially during certain, strenuous exercises.

  5. Avatar Kim says:

    I have improved my diet and I do yoga regularly without skipping a single day as mentioned in your article. Actually I found this article accidentally but it was quite useful and inspirational.

  6. Avatar Brandon says:

    For some reason, my skin has been breaking out a lot lately. I have no idea what is going on, because I have never had too bad of acne. I have a lot of stuff on my plate right now, so going off of this, maybe it is because of all the stress that I have. I will definitely do what I can to relax a little bit, and see how well that affects my skin.

  7. Avatar South Florida Derm says:

    Great Tips! I pleased with this advice about protecting my skin and I have already applied some of them. I am a regular reader of your blog and Thanks for your inspired ideas.

  8. Avatar Caleb says:

    My wife is always looking for new products to try on her skin. Some have worked great, while others haven’t done a thing. Maybe I should tell her to put on more sunscreen, just like you mentioned.

  9. Avatar Aaron says:

    Thanks for your tips about skin care. We had our second snow for this winter happen today, and winter is especially hard on my skin. It just gets so dry and itchy. My hands will even crack and bleed if I don’t use a good moisturizer my dermatologist recommended every day. I might have to watch how close I get to my heater to help avoid dryness, like you recommended. Thanks for the tips.

  10. Avatar Lawrence says:

    I have been having some skin issues lately, and I have no idea what to do about it. I’ve just been really itchy, and have been breaking out more. This being the case, I really appreciate you sharing these 14 awesome new skin care tips I can try out. I really do think watching my sodium intake is going to help a ton. Thanks for sharing this.

  11. Avatar Alex says:

    You make a great point about how using sunscreen can help your skin stay young and avoid skin cancer. I have a history of skin cancer in my family, so I need to be careful about my sun exposure and see my dermatologist on a regular basis. However, I train for triathlons, and can spend a lot of time in the sun running, swimming, and cycling. One thing that I’ve been told that can help reduce your sun exposure is to wear a hat to protect your face. Thanks for your other tips as well.

  12. Avatar Luke says:

    There looks like a lot of good products that a dermatologist can give you to help your skin. Stuff like peptides, regenerators, or simple stuff like sunscreen, and vitamin c. I should go and see what can be done for my skin to keep it protected.

  13. Avatar Domino says:

    I like what you guys are up too. Such smart work and reporting! Keep up the excellent works guys I have incorporated you guys to my blogroll. I think it’ll improve the value of my website 🙂

  14. Avatar Chinye says:

    Hello Amber
    Wow! This is an impressive and helpful article.
    I have a been looking for articles like yours and I also saw (and liked) a helpful post on https://www.ceeceesblog.com/beauty/get-glowing-skin.
    Thanks for the post, you’re awesome 🙂

  15. Avatar Kaitlyn says:

    Thanks for sharing these excellent skincare tips! Consuming the right foods is important; healthy skin starts within!

  16. Avatar Baxter says:

    I’ve never heard that a healthy breakfast can help lead to healthy skin, that’s a good dermatology tip! In one of my dermatology appointments my doctor said that I shouldn’t shower in very hot water because it dries my skin out, particularly in the winter. I also have never heard that yoga is good for your dermatological health!

  17. Avatar Yilliang says:

    Thank you for the information on how to have beautiful skin! My wife and I really think that tip number 14 is really important — the one about beauty sleep. Just as sleep is important for your mind, it is extremely important for your look as well. Nobody like bags under your eyes! Thanks for the information!

  18. Avatar Burt says:

    Thanks for the skincare tips! I have not been happy with my skin lately, I want to do everything I can to make sure my skin is healthy and looks great. Thanks for mentioning that eating a good breakfast will help your skin stay healthy. I will make sure I start doing that.

  19. Avatar Marcus says:

    Thank you so much for talking about how taking a little break during your day can help your skin stay healthier and avoid stress. I am looking for a good way to help my wife get the best skin she can have and someone recommended to help her relax. As I see it, taking the time to find a good spa can help anyone relax and help their skin heal and stay healthy during their day.

  20. Avatar LNWeaver says:

    I never heard of stress spiking acne. I guess the fight-or-flight response can make your hormones wonky. That’s because the stress response was designed for life or death situations, not heavy workloads and test taking.

  21. Avatar Sally says:

    Excellent and very useful tips. Thanks for such an informative blog. I appreciate your efforts and would like to read more blogs like this. Keep it up.

  22. Avatar Michael says:

    Thank you so much for all of the skin care tips and advice! One thing that really applied to me was about eating a healthy breakfast and how eating foods that are rich in omega-3’s can really help your skin. Recently, I have been super busy in the mornings and usually grab something really quick from the store and so maybe I will consider spending more time in the mornings making my food. Thanks again!

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