Great skin comes from a few different factors. Good genes are ideal, a healthy lifestyle is always a plus, and some results-driven products can usually turn most conditions around. However, there are a few things that I do daily that can really take your skin from great to GRAND almost immediately. I like to call these my skin hacks, mostly because they are free and simple. Today I'm going to walk you through the few that I do pretty much every day and make the biggest difference in my skin's success. 

Wearing your hair in a high pony - This may not apply to all people since not everyone has long enough hair to wear up but hear me out. Have you ever worn a topknot or high pony and immediately felt like you had a facelift? It’s such a great way to defy gravity when the natural process of aging starts to pull you down. The fullness of my face fluctuates all the time and when I’m at my thinnest I also look the most droopy in my face. This is because the fat pads in our face will smooth us out so we look plump and wrinkle-free. Our bone structure also naturally degrades over time so even if our weight stays consistent, the bones holding our fat pads up will start to pull down as well. I make sure to pull it up and out so that my hair doesn’t stick to my face but also to help keep me lifted. It’s subtle but over time does make a huge difference.

Turn the nightlight on your phone or screens -  I advocate for folks to try their best to avoid excess screen time because it can mess with the circadian rhythms within our cells. In reality, this can be tough given the fact that some of us are reliant on our phones for work, family, or other potential emergencies. If you keep the light low and on night time (there is a timer available in your settings), this can at least save you from unintentional cell damage. I set mine from 6 am to 4 am so it is basically on all the time. 

Watch out for text neck - I actually have a little stuffed bear that my husband gave me that I stick under my neck when I’m working on the computer or looking at my phone. 10 years ago people my age didn’t have half the neck wrinkles that they do now but our posture is slowly getting ruined by our inability to stay away from the little computers we walk around with called our smartphones. Without my little bear, my neck would not only hurt but my wrinkles would be significantly worse. PRO TIP: make sure to treat your neck with lots of nutrient-rich serums too, the younger you start the better. And I don’t mean harsh actives since the neck is a more delicate skin, just vitamin rich and essential fatty acid rich.

Keep your hands clean - This is so obvious but Y'all may not notice how many of you touch your face right after you are eating, typing on your computer, or worse, having touched a public railing or doorknob. I literally don’t touch a public door if I can. I’ll push with my side body or wrap up a paper towel used to dry my hands off to open a knob in a public restroom. Our hands have so much bacteria on them already that it’s absolutely gross to think about transferring that to your precious face! So make sure to wash your hands thoroughly before you start your routine and use a separate towel to dry your hands than you do to dry your face. Your face deserves it’s own fresh towel so stick to a muslin cloth, hemp cloth, or not irritating terry cloth washcloths.

Brush your teeth before you wash your face - I’ve been doing my routine in a certain sequence for so long that I often forget to remind people to do the same. In the morning, I scrape my tongue, brush my teeth, wash my hands, wash my face and follow up with the rest of my skincare, then put my contacts in (if I’m not wearing my glasses). In the evening, I brush my teeth, wash my hands, take out my contacts, wash my hands again, then finish with my routine. It’s been my habit since I was 10 or so which means it’s ingrained in my mind however with the many cases of perioral dermatitis or even minor rashes around the mouth that I have seen it can be as simple as switching up the sequence of your routine that saves your skin.

Last but not least, Your face doesn’t have to touch your pillow. There are ways to support the neck if you are a side or stomach sleeper in which your skin doesn’t have to be smashed against your old pillow and dirty pillowcase. Start with angling yourself towards a corner of your pillow and find support in other areas of the body in order to keep your spine aligned. This may take some practice but this allows your skin to fully go through it’s natural nightly rhythm of detoxification. If you are not allowing your skin the opportunity to breathe and release the results could suffocate the cells causing clogging and major skin build up.

I hope this helps because these habits are just part of my natural routine now. I barely think about them until someone brings up that they don’t do the same. Keep it simple and know that little shifts can go a long way, especially in the long run. Comment below with your own skin hacks and let me know if you have any questions. Have a great week and until next time, take care. - xo - Hayley

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