Soft skin comes as a great genetic gift to some of us, while others have to struggle really hard to get it. In any case, these 9 steps to make your skin soft should be followed by every girl.
1. One Word – Hydration
The basics of having smooth, soft skin comes down to one word – hydration. There is no better ally in battling against dry skin, and it is highly important for your overall health. Always stay hydrated.
Ok, lets’ not get carried away, you don’t really have to drink gallons of water every day, but you really should drink a minimum of 6 glasses. The amount varies according to things you eat, and other drinks you have. Coffee and alcohol, for example, require you to increase the amount of water, while freshly squeezed juices allow you to decrease it a bit.
The general rule is – try not to get thirsty. Drink water after everything you’ve eaten and increase the amount after exercising, and during warm summer months.
2. Healthy Diet
You may not want to believe this, but things you eat show on your skin. A healthy diet is one of the key ingredients towards having soft skin.
Try to eliminate all the bad stuff from your diet – such as fast food, fried food, sodas etc. but don’t exclude any ingredient completely. Your body needs meat, just as it needs vegetables, fruit, dairy products and cereals. Of course, you should limit the amount of red meat you eat, and increase the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables.
3. No Smoking and No Drinking
Smoking is basically one of the worst things you could do to your health, and your skin. Sure, there are some smokers, whose skin looks great, but trust me – those are a few lucky ones. Smoking makes your skin dry, and gives it an awful grayish color. No one wants that.
Alcohol, although not as harmful as smoking, still is bad for your skin. The main problem with alcohol is that it dehydrates you. Limit your drinks, and always double the amount of water you drink, after drinking alcohol.
4. No Stress
Ok, we can’t completely run away from stressful situations, but we can learn how to reduce stress. Believe it or not, stress is one of the worst enemies for beautiful, soft skin.
Stressful situations not only make you nervous, but they can also do some serious damage to your health. Your skin is probably what suffers the most. You may get stress induced redness and rashes and, as we all know, stress causes premature wrinkles. Do your best not to be stressed.
5. No Hot Showers
Hot showers and hot tubs make your skin dry. I know, it’s not something you want to hear, because every girl loves a hot bath, but unfortunately it is true.
This, of course, doesn’t mean that you can’t have a hot bath ever again, but try to reduce them to a minimum. Shower with warm water, or even better combine cold and warm intervals – this is good for your skin and your circulation as well.
6. Good Shower Products
Shower gels and creams can do a lot of good, but also a lot of bad to your skin. Unfortunately, there is no universal shower gel I can recommend (if you can, please do so), because it all depends on how your skin reacts to a certain product.
However, I would always recommend you to try natural and organic soaps, and shower gels. These products are made with organic ingredients, such as bee’s wax and goat milk, and are free of all the chemicals that could be bad for your skin. I’ve found organic soaps to be the only solution for my skin that gets extremely dry, during the cold, winter months. Try them, but be careful as you would be with any other product – your skin could react to anything.
7. Moisturizers
Every girl knows that body lotions and moisturizers are a key to making your skin soft, and smooth. Preferably try one of those that are labeled with “soft and silky” or anything similar.
Bear in mind that you can get a reaction to a body lotion, so always try it on a small part of your skin, and wait for 24 hours. Also, don’t go crazy with lotions, and give your skin a break every once in a while. That way, you’ll make it remember that it’s supposed to have its own defense mechanism, not always waiting for you to provide it artificially.
8. Avoid Salt Water
There is nothing like swimming in the ocean, is there? The crystal waters, the mighty waves and that feeling that you’re a part of something great. Unfortunately, this could be quite bad for your skin.
Salt water makes your skin dry, and itchy. If frequently exposed to salt, your skin could become permanently dry, and if it’s sensitive you can even develop some sort of chronic rash. Now, I’m not saying that you should never swim in the sea again, but make sure you shower with regular water right after.
9. Avoid Sun
Sun damages are the most serious, and the worst looking damages on your skin. I know that most of you probably love to sunbathe, but seriously – cut it down a bit.
While sunbathing outside can be acceptable in reasonable amounts, and always with sun protection, tanning booths are completely forbidden. I’m not even going to start about how these things are bad, I only have two words for you to think about – skin cancer.
Always protect your skin with sun screen. The SPF factor you’ll use depends on your natural skin tone. SPF 20 means that you can stay safely in the sun 20 times longer, than you can without sun screen. Lower the amount of time you spend in the sun, but don’t completely stay out of it. You still need it for production of melanin, the pigment responsible for your natural skin tone.
That’s all the advice I have for you on how to make your skin soft. If you have any thoughts on the subject, feel free to share them.