To look your very best you need to take good care of yourself (as well as use great skincare products of course!)
Healthy, glowing skin (like a healthy life) is about balance and self-care.
Supplement your skincare routine with these 6 Self-Care Tips to give you clear, smooth, younger-looking skin … and a healthy glow of calm confidence!
A healthy lifestyle can improve your skin in weeks
So much in life is outside our control.
But there are things you can do on a daily basis that let you control the impression that you make.
And these daily self-care habits will transform how your skin looks and feels, reducing signs of aging and stress …. And at minimal cost!
Keep scrolling for the 6 best things you can do to take really good care of yourself.
As well as improving how you feel, lots of self-care makes a huge difference to how good you look too!
Self-Care Tip #1: FACIAL MASSAGE
There’s a good reason why skin looks so healthy and vibrant after a professional facial at a spa. But you can get the same effect at home.
Massaging your face (especially on the acupuncture pressure points) will boost circulation, which takes oxygen and healthy nutrients to your skin’s surface.
It also works out your facial muscles, relaxing tension and stress and giving an anti aging effect…. and it feels really good too!
DIY facial massage:
Five for five… you can do these five easy massages in under five minutes.
First of all, make sure that your hands are clean.
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Using your knuckles, stroke your chin horizontally, applying light pressure. Then move on and do the same with your forehead.
This helps to relax and energize your forehead and chin muscles.
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Press your knuckles gently into the area just underneath your cheekbones, and massage using a circular motion.
This pressure point massage boosts circulation and works the muscles in the cheek area which can be prone to sagging.
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Using your thumbs (and with a moderate amount of pressure) press down for five seconds on the corners of your eyebrows closest to your nose. Make sure to keep your thumbs placed gently over the brow bone area only. Don’t press too hard, and make sure not to jab your thumbs into the orbital area.
This will relieve tension around your eyes and rejuvenate your eye area by increasing circulation.
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Using your four fingers and starting from your chin, use both hands to massage along your jawline upward and outward toward your temples. Only go one way, upward and outward. When you reach your temples press gently and massage using small circular motions at this pressure point.
Do this repeatedly for 30 seconds.
This helps to work out your jawline muscles, release any tension and boost circulation in the cheek area. It also focuses on the acupressure points of your outer eye area boosting circulation and relaxing this area too.
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Gently tap along your brow bone and under your eye with your ring finger to reduce the accumulation of fluid. You can also use this technique when applying eye cream or our Hydrating Daily Moisturizer to your eye area.
This helps to remedy eyes that are feeling tired and puffy and is particularly important if you’re staring at a screen all day.
Self-Care Tip #2: DRINK PLENTY OF WATER
There’s some controversy over who decided you need to drink 2 litres of water a day. But whatever the exact amount is ...
Trust us, you probably need to drink more of it.
Why your skin needs it:
Drinking plenty of water will keep your skin properly hydrated. This means it will stay looking smooth and supple, with less lines and wrinkles.
On the other hand, if your body is dehydrated this shows up badly on your face. With your skin becoming dry, flaky and tired-looking.
The good news is that upping your water intake will noticeably improve the look of your skin very quickly.
And one of the best ways to start your day ...
A warm glass of lemon water in the morning: Add a splash of lemon juice to a glass of warm water and drink this first thing. It replaces moisture lost during the night and ensures that you start your day well-hydrated.
Lemon contains the skin-enhancing antioxidant Vitamin C . It also increases immunity, detoxifies your body and aids digestion.
After that it’s just a question of spacing your water intake throughout the rest of the day so that your body can effectively absorb each glass.
Beware coffee and alcohol: try to drink these in moderation. Both of them can dehydrate your skin, undoing all your good work!
Even if you've been sleeping badly, just one or two nights of high-quality sleep and your skin will immediately look a lot better.
Self-Care Tip #3: GET A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP
You know how bad you feel when you're not sleeping well – but the most immediate effects are seen in the way you look. Bags under your eyes, dark circles and dull, dry skin all point to a restless night!
Why is sleep is so good for your skin?
While you’re sleeping your skin has a chance to repair and regenerate.
There’s an increase in blood flow, improved collagen growth and faster cell regeneration. In fact, skin cells divide thirty times higher at night compared to during the day. And getting enough sleep so that this process can take place efficiently is vital.
How much sleep do you need?
There will always be people that can function with very little sleep. But as Ryan Holiday points out in Stillness Is The Key, the greats are “smart and self-aware enough to know that everyone functions better when well-rested.”
Experts generally agree on seven to nine hours per night, but you know best how much you need.
If you’d like some strategies to help getting to sleep, check out:
- "Hey Athletes: Here’s the Best Sleep Hacks for Peak Athletic Performance"
- “Why Men Need Beauty Sleep Too: 14 ways to help you sleep better”
And the best thing ...
After only one or two nights of high-quality sleep your skin will immediately look a lot better.
Self-Care Tip #4: EAT HEALTHILY
Eating healthily and enriching your body with nutrients is essential for your general well-being. And it keeps your skin looking younger and healthier too.
As far as your skin is concerned, what you put inside your body has just as much impact as what you apply on the outside… maybe more.
What are the benefits to your skin of a healthy diet? :
Choosing to eat healthy foods will help to alleviate the dryness and irritation caused by shaving. It also encourages collagen production, as well as reducing the redness and excess oiliness associated with men’s skin.
Most importantly, including healthy foods in your diet helps to defend against the damage caused by pollution, UV light and free radicals. It’s this damage which causes skin to age.
What does a skin-healthy diet look like?
Your skin needs natural foods that are full of vitamins, minerals, Omega-3 fatty acids, protein, fibre and antioxidants. These are the building blocks of healthy, younger looking skin.
So your ideal diet should include:
- Fresh fruit and vegetables – packed with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals
- Healthy fats – like oily fish, avocado and olive oil – full of Omega-3’s
- Legumes, nuts and seeds – for their protein and fibre content
We’ve got a full A-Z list of the 27 best anti-aging foods for men here to get you started.
Foods to Avoid: try to limit these in your diet
- Sugar and refined carbohydrates – both have been linked to acne and premature skin aging
- Processed foods – these foods tend to contain high levels of additives which can result in acne.
Regular workouts have a great effect on your skin
Self-Care Tip #5: EXERCISE REGULARLY
You look better (and you feel better) after a good workout because exercise has a great effect on your skin.
How does exercise benefit your skin?
Firstly, working out elevates your heart rate which increases blood flow to your skin cells. This carries oxygen and vital nutrients to your skin. At the same time it takes away waste products, including free radicals, that can damage your skin.
Secondly, exercising regularly helps to reduce stress. Many inflammatory skin conditions – like acne, eczema and psoriasis - can be aggravated by stress. Reducing those stress levels with regular exercise helps keep them under control.
Try to have a full workout session at least three times a week. But also try to incorporate some form of exercise into your life every day, even if it’s only a short walk.
And remember to clean your skin after a workout with our Daily Face Wash so that dirt and sweat don't lead to bacterial build up.
More on that here – "CLEAN: the best way to keep your skin looking fresh and healthy" and here "8 Skincare Tips for Clear, Healthy Post-Workout Skin".
Self-Care Tip #6: REDUCE STRESS
It’s unrealistic to think that we can get rid of all of the stress of modern life. But developing coping mechanisms to help deal with it are really important for your physical and mental health - and for your skin.
How does stress affect your skin?
Tension in your face and general fatigue caused by too much stress are both going to make your skin look much older. Frown lines will start to develop, and they can become permanent if you’re not careful.
If you already have sensitive skin, it can become more prone to redness and irritation when you’re feeling anxious and overwhelmed.
For more advice on caring for sensitive skin check out our "Guide to Calming Your Sensitive Skin".
Introducing calm:
As author Josh Kaufman points out, ”... a few moments of quiet meditation every day can be the difference between feeling scared and overwhelmed and feeling in control of your destiny”.
Whether it’s meditation, yoga or mindfulness, try to find a method of introducing calm that works best for you. Sometimes just simply going for a walk to cool down can make all the difference to how you’re feeling.
The important thing is to take some time out of your day to focus on yourself.
And if you’re starting to feel that it’s a constant struggle to keep stress under control, think about asking for help. Life should not feel like this and talking to someone you trust, or a mental health professional, can give you immense support.
The compound benefits of self-care
The best thing about these skin care tips is that they’re all connected; each one benefits or improves another. Compounding the gains that you’re getting from each.
For example, less stress means you sleep better; more exercise leads to less stress and better sleep; eating healthily gives you more energy to exercise…. And so on.
You’ll have more energy, be able to ward of illnesses, and generally perform better at everything … as well as looking great!
The Takeaway
Try following these self-care tips every day for a few weeks… the results will be impressive!
- Give yourself a facial massage
- Drink plenty of water
- Get a good night’s sleep
- Eat healthily
- Exercise regularly
- Reduce stress and introduce calm
As well as improving how you feel they’ll make a huge difference to how good you look too!
SHOP THE ROUTINE.
All you need to stay looking handsome.
PRESTIGE SKINCARE FOR MEN.
MADE IN FRANCE.
