1. Stop Using Commercial Skin Products
This is going to sound a bit nuts but bear with me: your skin products may be ruining your skin. Your soaps, moisturizers, creams, makeup… it’s all made of chemicals that can make your skin become more sensitive over time. The reason is that your skin naturally produces all the oil that it needs to stay healthy and clean, and nothing can beat your body’s own natural solutions. What the chemicals in these products do is mess with the oil production of your skin and strip it away. Your body will react in either one of two ways: it will not be able to produce enough oil and your skin will become dry, or it will try to overcompensate by producing too much and then it will become oily. Throwing out the balance of your skin leads to various problems such as clogged pores, increased pimples, body odor, rashes, dryness and heightened sensitivity.
What kind of soap should you use?
Look for soaps that have the smallest amount of ingredients and are made up of natural resources rather than chemicals, or you can simply use the natural products themselves in place of soap. It may seem a little strange at first but if you think about it, people used these things before they could buy soap at the supermarket so it’s perfectly natural. Here are some things you can use in place of soap:
- Coconut oil
- Olive oil
- Essential oils
- Almond oil
- Epsom salts
- Honey
- Lemon
It may feel weird to rub oil or food on yourself but don’t worry, these things are perfectly safe and will not interfere with your skin’s natural oil – plus you’ll smell delicious! They will make your skin softer and can improve the appearance of scars and stretch marks and can even reduce sensitivity.
2. Drink More Water
Hydration is very important for preventing pimples and puffiness. I’m not going to tell you to drink “8 cups” or “2 liters” a day because it’s not that simple. Everyone is different and everyone needs a different amount of water depending on their size, the weather and what they are doing.
How much water do you need?
If you’re not sure how much water to drink, there is a simple way to figure it out. Avoid soft drinks and instead begin carrying around a water bottle with you and sipping from it every now and then. Your body knows how much water it needs so once you get used to it, you’ll catch on to how much is right for you. Feel free to drink things like tea or juice as part of your daily water consumption, just avoid having too much sugar.
3. Have Colder Showers
Hot showers might feel good on your muscles but remember that before we had showers people would wash in natural water resources so skin is not conditioned to withstand hot water in such a way and it too can strip away your skin’s natural oil. Cold showers can be very good for skin and hair but if that doesn’t sound very appealing to you, warm is fine.
Follow this guide and stick to natural products and your skin will be less prone to pimples, rashes and itching. If you too have sensitive skin, what do you do to protect it? Do you know of any other natural products or methods that are good for sensitive skin?
Sources:
Bonner, Sean. “Sbdc » I’ve given up Using Soap & Shampoo Forever.” Sbdc » I’ve given up Using Soap & Shampoo Forever. Sean Bonner, n.d. Web. 14 Dec. 2013.
Katie. “The Slippery Slope of Soap.” Wellness Mama. Wellness Mama, n.d. Web. 14 Dec. 2013.
Bellenir, Karen. “Fact or Fiction? You Must Drink 8 Glasses of Water Daily: Scientific American.” Fact or Fiction? You Must Drink 8 Glasses of Water Daily: Scientific American. Scientific American, 4 June 2009. Web. 14 Dec. 2013.
Dale, Heather. “Benefits of Having a Hot or Cold Shower.” RSS. Pop Sugar, 22 Aug. 2013. Web. 14 Dec. 2013.
Image Courtesy:
“Long Woman Legs” by Puhhha, Fotolia <http://au.fotolia.com/id/57702122>
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