The back-to-school season is a time when things tend to become rather hectic. Your schedule gets packed with new courses, extracurriculars, social activities, part-time jobs, and lots of other things students have to juggle at once. Yet, even during the busiest days, you shouldn’t forget about self-care.
Take a few minutes in the morning and before bed to maintain your skincare routine. It doesn’t have to be complex or include a lot of steps. These five tips will show you how to keep your skin healthy and glowing during the busy back-to-school season.
- Fix Your Sleep Schedule
The state of your skin is directly linked to your sleep hygiene. Sleep is crucial for the regeneration of cells. Overnight, the skin eliminates toxins, replaces dead cells, and creates new ones much faster than during the day. Good-quality sleep makes your skin look bright and fresh.
A busy school schedule can make any student think that they don’t have time for anything but papers and readings, let alone eight-hour sleep or skincare. However, a lot depends on your ability to prioritize tasks and delegate. You can ask DoMyEssay writers for help with your homework and have plenty of time to spend on things you enjoy. Remember that no matter how busy your schedule is, self-care should always be a priority.
- Build a Skincare Routine
Skincare routine can and should be minimalistic. Its effectiveness lies in consistency rather than in the number of products you apply. Approaching your skincare from this angle makes it so much easier to maintain and fit into your schedule.
Start with the choice of products. Here are the must-have types of products and steps of day-to-day skincare:
- Cleanser. Choose a cream, milk, foam, or gel cleanser, depending on your skin type, to wash your face and remove dirt. This stage is especially important after workouts and before bed. Be sure not to over-cleanse your skin as this can make it too dry and dehydrated.
- Exfoliator. Use a soft exfoliator to remove dead cells. It helps to get rid of breakouts and allows your skin to absorb nutrients on the next steps of your skincare routine. Exfoliate twice a week, using mechanical (scrub, brush, etc.) or chemical (AHA, retinoids, etc.) exfoliation.
- Toner. Apply a toner to prevent moisture loss, tighten pores, and restore the pH level of your skin.
- Moisturizer. The skin loses moisture and gets affected by different environmental aggressors during the day. A good moisturizer forms a barrier between your skin and the outside world, protecting it and replenishing moisture.
3. Read the ingredients
Being mindful about the ingredients is important because you want to apply only those products that your skin needs in its current state. Using too many products or the ones that have aggressive ingredients can cause unwanted skin conditions like irritation or sensitivity. Take your time to research the ingredients before investing in any skincare product.
Students often live on a tight budget, but skincare products are definitely not the ones to save on. The quality matters most. However, not all quality products are expensive. There are plenty of affordable options, but you need to select carefully and pay attention to the ingredients.
- Apply Sunscreen
Although the effects of UV rays on the skin aren’t immediately noticeable, they pose serious concerns, including premature skin aging, sunburn, age spots, and even the risk of skin cancer. You should always use sunscreen to protect yourself from UV radiation. Note that it’s a critical step of your skincare routine regardless of the season. To save yourself some time and avoid adding any extra steps to your skincare routine, you can use a moisturizer or foundation with SPF.
However, exposure to sunlight is also a source of Vitamin D. The key here is to control the time you spend outside. When 10-15 minutes is beneficial, spending hours outside without any sunscreen can cause trouble.
- Eat Your Way to Glowing Skin
The skin is a complex organ, and its health depends on your lifestyle and eating habits in the first place. You need to make sure you have sufficient nutrient intake and stay properly hydrated.
Naturally, some products are better for your skin than others. Fruit and raw vegetables, like carrots, apricots, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, papayas, avocados, and mangos, are good sources of nutrients. Berries increase collagen production and are full of vitamin Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and antioxidants. In contrast, cheese, milk, refined sugar, and red meat aren’t as beneficial for your skin and can even worsen its state.
The busy schedule often makes students grab quick and not the healthiest meals. If it’s your case, consider taking supplements to make sure you get enough vitamins and minerals.
The Bottom Line
A five-minute skincare routine and slight adjustments in your sleep and eating habits can make a world of difference for your skin. If you keep skincare simple and quick, you can fit it into your schedule with little effort. All you need to do is to find what works for you, choose quality products, and keep your routine consistent. Enjoy the school year ahead of you, and don’t forget to take some extra time for self-care!
