It is not easy to be a teen. Hormones change everything from our moods to the way our skin looks.
Acne, oily skin, clogged pores, these are issues we have all dealt with as teens. As we age, our skin changes, and how we care for our skin now will determine how it appears from age 14 to 40. Sounds daunting right? What you do now will affect how your skin looks and feels when you're an adult. So we are going to let you in on a secret, it not that hard. Here are 7 simple steps to help your skin look flawless now while protecting it for the future.1. Avoid Foundation
Foundation is often misused by people who actually do not need to use it at all. As we age, some adults tend to develop uneven skin tones which a foundation can smooth out to a nice even color. It can also be used to give a slight alteration to the natural tone of your skin. Most teens do not need such an extreme measure as their skin is usually even in tone, and has a natural glow that a foundation could hide.
However, if your using foundations as a way to hide skin blemishes like acne, you may not be aware that it can actually cause the issues to get worse. According to a New York doctor of Dermatology, even foundations that claim to be oil-free and hypoallergenic can clog pores which can cause an acne breakout. Tinted moisturizers or simple tinted concealers applied directly to the problem area is more beneficial to younger skin. Give it a try you might be surprised when your skin clears up.
2. Do Not Rub in Concealer – Pat It
Concealers are a great way to cover up any blemish. Acne, dark circles from when you study for an exam (and you will study since education is important!). However, it is important to pat rather than rub the concealer on. There are two main reasons for this.
A. Everyone needs to be careful around the thin layers of skin, such as around your eyes. When you start to rub thin areas of skin, you pull that skin and stretch it. This helps the concealer settle into fine lines, which keeps that skin stretched, and will cause premature aging lines (aka WRINKLES)!
B. When you rub the makeup on, it will spread unevenly giving the appearance that some areas need more concealer while other areas are covered. That will cause you to keep applying more concealer to the same areas which will give you a caked on, uneven appearance. So pat it on!
Extra tip: using your finger to apply the concealer is far more beneficial than a makeup brush or sponge. Your ring finger gives you just the right amount of pressure, not to hard, but not too light, for a nice and even application.
3. Don't Overdo It
Everyone has heard the saying “Less is More”. When it comes to makeup, this is true. Makeup should be used to enhance your natural beauty, to pull out the color of your eyes, to accentuate your cheekbones, to hide minor imperfections in the skin. Too much makeup can not only cause you to look overdone, it can cause serious skin issues by clogging pores, filling in lines which will cause them to be more noticeable, and hide that natural, youthful glow. Young, healthy skin only needs a concealer for blemished areas, light powder to reduce shine, mascara to bring out the color of your eyes, and a lightly tinted lip gloss or lip stain. Don't age yourself before your time with too much makeup!
4. Wash Your Face, EVERYDAY
Washing your face is extremely important. You need to clean out any and all of the day's dirt and makeup residue from your face to keep it healthy. Making sure your pores can breathe will help reduce breakouts. Wash your face before applying makeup, and at night before you head to bed. A facial scrub can help remove any dirt, oil and makeup that gets into the fine layers of the skin, as well as scrub away dead skin cells. Be careful about the scrubs you use. Avoid an apricot scrub as it is too harsh on your skin and can cause tiny tears. I love the Sanitas Lemon Scrub, is a perfect bi-weekly scrub and with both brighten and clean out your pores.
5. Moisturize
You can find a fantastic moisturizer that not only keeps your skin soft and radiant, but there are moisturizers that can also help you fight acne without drying your skin. A good moisturizer will also put a shield around your face to protect it from the weather, exposure to the sun, dirt, and grime. It helps hydrate the skin to keep it young and well nourished. When choosing a moisturizer, there are things to keep in mind. Hypoallergenic moisturizers protect sensitive skin from adverse reactions to ingredients in other moisturizers, such as those with a fragrance. Broad spectrum moisturizers protect our skin from harmful rays that can cause skin cancer and premature aging. I always use an oil-free moisturizer as it nourishes the skin, keeps it supple, but will not clog the pores which can cause acne outbreaks. Again I love Sanita's Oil-Free Moisturizer it is gentle enough for everyday use.
6. Treat Yourself To A Face Mask
When used once every few weeks, deep cleansing face masks can help unclog pores, remove dead skin cells, toxins, dirt, and leftover makeup that may have found a way into tiny crevices in your face. There are a myriad of masks to choose from, including fresh mixtures that are available at the LUSH store. Take a second and check them out.
7. Don't Forget The Sunblock
This might sound like your mother speaking. But she was right on this one. If you want to have beautiful skin, later on, you need to protect it now. Look for something that has both zinc oxide and titanium dioxide as the first 2 ingredients. For more info on what type of SPF to use read our blog "What SPF Do You Really Need".A few more tips just for you.
The eyes are the window to the soul, and how we handle the eye area can be all the difference. Finding the proper mascara, and using an eyelash curler can help your lashes frame your eyes in a way that will cause them to glow brighter and look larger. There are several types of eyelash curlers one can choose from a basic curler to an eyelash curler that self-heats. Yes, self-heats. Just as heat can help curl your hair, a wee amount of gentle heat can curl your lashes.
Everyone knows money can be tight for anyone, but especially for teens. There is little that can break our hearts more than when we drop our powder, eye shadow, or blush on the floor. Makeup isn't cheap, and DIY makeup fixers are a hot mess. It can change the pigment of the makeup or cause a bigger mess. That is why FIXY founder created a makeup repair kit that will help save money by fixing broken powders of shadows and blushes, without losing the quality or color you loved about your makeup. The FIXY Makeup Repair Kit allows us to fix your powered makeup to brand new so there is no need to throw away our favorite colors. With the makeup repair kit, one will be able to pull more life out of the makeup saving money in the long run.
