How to stay motivated when you do not feel confident

We understand how frustrating it is having to worry about your skin all the time, the uncertainty of what triggers your acne and how to keep them at bay.

We also know the temptation to stockpile products and slather these miracle/magical promising products daily.

If you can relate to these worries then we have great news for you! What if we told you there are simple lifestyle changes that could make your journey less cumbersome and give you a chance at the clear acne free skin you so desire?

Today we will share with you 6 basic lifestyle changes you can make now, that will improve your skin health and help keep those annoying zits at bay.

The first of which is often a new and improved skin care routine that helps unclog your pores.

Cleansing properly: Our faces get the brunt of our daily hustle; from direct exposure to the sun, to environmental pollutants, dirts and grime, product build up, heavy makeup etc.

It is thus imperative that we properly cleanse our skin daily to clear our pores, make it less conducive for bacterial growth, provide a clean surface for our night time skincare routine to be applied and give our skin a chance to breathe and heal itself overnight. This cannot be overemphasized.

While cleansing, please don’t fall for the temptation of scrubbing hard on your zits, because you think this will help get rid of them. On the contrary, this intensifies the inflammation in your skin causing the acne to get worse.

Our advice, be gentle using your finger tips and going in circular motion. Trust us, this is a game changer!

Avoid comedogenic (heavy weight oil) products : Oils are great for the skin as they are packed with phytonutrients,antioxidants, essential fatty acids and vitamins which nourish, protect, repair, and improve elasticity and overall health of the skin. Acne prone skin can also benefit from the goodness of oils by opting only for non comedogenic oils and products. Comedogenic is a term used to determine on a scale of 0 – 5 the likelihood of a product clogging your pores. Oils or ingredients with a rating 0 – 2 ( not likely – moderately low risk) are generally safe for acne prone skin. A few examples include, Neem oil, Sunflower oil, Hemp Seed oil, Calendula oil, Argan oil, Shea butter*, Grapeseed oil, Sweet almond oil, Baobab oil, Tamanu oil, Sea Buckthorn oil, Ricebran, Rosehip*

Non comedogenic is a label you’ve probably seen quite a lot on skin care products. Sometimes it goes by the name of oil-free, non-acnegenic, or simply “won’t clog pores.” Take out time to check the full list of ingredients before use. Also take note to avoid anything that contains potential irritants like alcohol or fragrance. Lastly a patch test is always recommended.

*These oils trigger acne in some people.

 Sleeping well: Getting enough rest is a way to generally improve your quality of life. When you are asleep the body generates new skin cells which replace the dead ones with healthy ones. During this overnight process, you also build collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid—the molecules responsible for skin’s plumpness, translucency and elasticity.

Keeping your skin plump and firm helps prevent premature aging such as wrinkles and sagging. Furthermore, increased levels  of the sleep hormone (melatonin) acts like an antioxidant which fights age spots, fine lines and even skin cancer. Ample rest may be the closest thing to the fountain of youth—and one of the best benefits of sleep for skin.

Washing your towel: It is advised to have a separate towel for your face, preferably one that is softer than your regular towel. In the case that you do not have one, you are advised to wash your towel regularly. An unclean towel harbors dirt which gets transferred to your skin.

Washing your makeup brushes: This is very important especially if you find yourself using makeup regularly. Your makeup brush picks up oil, dirt, dead skin cells and anything else that is clinging onto your skin, and using a dirty brush all over your face is nothing but setting yourself up for a bout of acne. It is, therefore, ideal to wash your brushes on a weekly basis.

So there you have them, 6 simple steps that you can implement immediately. We will be back shortly with more tips on most suitable skincare products for acne prone skin and other skin concerns and skin types – the what, the how, the when and the what-nots.

In the meantime, Be Awesome, love yourself and love your neighbour! Always!

Love of love
Modara team.