As someone who got into to beauty later in the game. There were certain beauty habits I wasn’t aware of or knew what the golden rules were, as a woman of color my skin is different not only by color but also by wants or needs. It was tough navigating my way into this beauty world as I never grew up with beauty products being a priority in my day to day life.
Here I was this girl doing research, trying products, asking questions and getting recommendations. Often times there was a lot of trial and error as there were times I had to see how my skin react or found that what works for one didn’t work for me. There are many things that affect your skin overtime it can be weather change, environment and age.
As we age there are certain things our body go through, our metabolism slows down and this does affect our skin. I turned 30 and I feel no different than when I was 29, however there are certain things that had to change in order to not affect my skin. There are certain beauty habits you have to drop by age thirty in order to make you skin happy.
A habit cannot be tossed out the window; it must be coaxed down the stairs a step at a time.
Mark twain
Habits aren’t something you can get rid of overtime but is something you can cultivate overtime, which is why am writing this piece because I want young women to prepare themselves. A lot of things I learnt were overtime and was just a magic trick, nothing is worst than a quick fix, this was how I use to be if it didn’t work on the first try then I don’t want it.
Beauty Habit #1- Not getting enough sleep
When you are younger your body tend to be more alert and you have more energy. Which means that you find less time to sleep, I am more of night owl and takes naps in the daytime which is horrible for your sleep cycle especially if you have work the next day. One of the hardest things I can tell you is working nights and getting no sleep has done no favors for my body.
In my teens and early twenties this was no problem but as I got to this number I can say that, you are not doing yourself any favors by not sleeping. Sleep is so important for your body, this is how your body recharge and rejuvenate, if you spend less time sleeping it will affect you in the long run. Optimally it is good for you to get between 6-8 hours of sleep.
Beauty Habit #2- Not drinking enough water
Water is so important to life and this means your skin as well. When I mean water I don’t mean liquid, meaning some people substitute this word for juice or smoothie. That could be part of your meal but doesn’t replace the value of water, water has so many other benefits such as reducing constipation, reducing dehydration, fueling the body and aid with weight loss.
Those are just a few examples of what water can do for you. Water plays a huge part in the health of the skin, it helps it stay hydrated and help with reducing breakouts. Water alone doesn’t do the job but it is something that should be apart of your everyday life, try to aim for 1 gallon per day.
Beauty Habit #3- Adding collagen
Collagen makes up approximately 30 percent of the protein structure, it is needed for the structure and strength of the skin, muscle bones and connective tissues. Collagen is very important for the body, I remember a beautician in Sephora had given me a facial one time and emphasize how important collagen is.
Collagen can be obtain in many forms and a well balanced diet is enough to suffice. If not then you can purchase collagen supplements in the form of powders, liquid or capsule. As far as skincare goes there are many products that either offer collagen alone or in conjunction with other products to give you that boast.
Beauty Habit #4- Have an effective skincare routine
I didn’t develop my skincare routine until later than most, nothing wrong with that, at least I have one now. In order to see consistency you need to have a routine down pack, it would be a huge mistake to not have a consistent skincare routine. Doing this will benefit you overtime as it creates a consistent pattern and your body will get familiar with. When you have an effective skincare routine it sets the tone for the rest of your life as what you do now will affect you later.
Beauty Habit #5- Reduce Stress
Stress is one of those things that can age you. We all deal with stress differently, some people eat, don’t eat or shut others out. By no means are these good coping mechanic for dealing with stress and overtime this does affect you in the long run. Which can then be reflected on your skin stress does more harm than good and does age one significantly.
Being under stress causes you to skim on your daily skincare routine. Which is why it is important to have stress under control because it does affect your entire body but the skin is the only thing we can see.