Tips for A Healthy and Radiant Skin

Having beautiful healthy skin shouldn't be considered a luxury. In fact, a lot of the things you can do to help your skin be healthy are not necessarily obtainable at any store. Here are some tips to help you achieve healthy and radiant skin.

• Protect skin from sun: Make sure to wear an SPF of at least 15 on a daily basis even if it is not sunny or it's a cold winter day. The damaging rays of the sun are invisible and will affect your skin on a cloudy day. Remember to reapply sunscreen every couple hours if you are going to be exposed to the sun for long periods of time.
• Do not smoke: Smoking can speed up the normal aging process of your skin, contributing to wrinkles. Also contributing factors are the continued exposure to the heat from the burning cigarette and the facial expressions you make when you smoke.
• Drink lots of water: The amount of water that your body needs is different for every person. The best way to know how much water you need to drink on a daily basis is to divide your weight by 2 and whatever that number is that's how many ounces of water your body needs. Also, try to limit you caffeine intake because it helps dehydrate the skin. But if you must have that coffee in the morning or or anything containing caffeine then make sure to compensate that with drinking more water. For every one ounce of caffeine you have to drink two ounces of water. 
• Manage stress: It would be ideal to be stress free but if not possible definitely try to avoid stressful situations as much as possible. If you are having a bad day take a few minutes out of your busy schedule and reflect on the positive events in your life. Try different things to manage your stress and soon you will find out what works for you best.
• Eat healthy: A wholesome diet is essential for healthy skin. It is important to get a balance amount of protein, carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables along with legumes on a daily basis. Even better if you eat organic.
• Follow a skin care regimen: Cleanse, tone and moisturize your skin (face and necki) twice a day and exfoliate once a week. When you remove your makeup at night always cleanse twice, the first is to remove excess makeup and the second you want to make sure your skin is actually clean. It is best to use a professional skin care line versus over the counter brands. MY favorite brand is Repechage, I have used this for a few years and have been very happy with it. It is a seaweed based line therefore if you have allergies to seaweed or seafood it might not be best for you. Always do your research when starting a new brand.
• Get some beauty sleep: Make sure to get at least 8 hours of sleep if not every night the majority of them. While we sleep, our skin is being renewed and restored. Some of the stress and harmful effects from daily living is being reversed. Due to lack of sleep, we are depriving our skin of the opportunities for cell renewal. This is why it is very important to cleanse, tone and moisturize before going to bed every night.
• Pamper yourself: Though it might not be an option for a lot of us to go to a spa on a regular basis it is okay to treat yourself every now and then. If you get a facial at least once a month it would be great for your skin not to mention that this will also help with your stress levels. I know spas can be pricey but if you shop around you will most definitely find some with reasonable prices. There are also esthetic schools where services are provided by students under the supervision of an instructor and therefore services are more affordable.

Remember this the best 'foundation' for a great makeup application is healthy skin.