Looking to improve your complexion and achieve the skin texture of your dreams but don’t know where to start? We’re telling you how to improve skin texture and achieve a healthy glow ahead.
Everyone wants gorgeous, glowy, perfect skin. And while you’ve probably got your skincare routine on lock- busting blemishes and fighting wrinkles- what about your skin texture? Flaky, uneven patches or oversized pores are signs that your skin texture is under attack and can be a frustrating daily occurrence. But with a few tweaks to your skincare routine, you can improve your skin texture. Follow these five simple steps for clearer, more radiant skin — without any lasers or expensive dermatologist treatments.
Skin texture refers to the skin's surface condition and is a measure of how smooth the skin feels. Even skin texture is smooth and well-hydrated with firm collagen and elastin support and soft to the touch. Uneven skin texture is coarse, rough, dull, often sun-damaged and equally as easy to notice.
Things like genetics, acne scars, enlarged pores, and the wrong skincare routine can all lead to uneven skin texture. Additionally, after the age of 30, skin cell turnover starts to slow down. This means that your body does not naturally shed cells as efficiently from the surface of the skin and as these cells accumulate, the skin does not reflect light as well, which contributes to the loss of radiance and uneven texture. But good news! It’s possible to improve your skin’s texture. Read ahead for 5 science-based ways to improve skin texture.
Regular cleansing and exfoliating is the easiest way to remove dead skin cells from the surface of your skin. Washing your face with acleansing cream helps to remove all traces of pore-clogging dirt, grease and makeup, and exfoliating blasts away dead skin cell build-up and promotes cell renewal.
Chemical exfoliation with alpha-hydroxy acids - like glycolic and lactic acid - helps to remove dead skin cells and loosen the top layer of skin. This increases skin thickness and firmness, improving the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and improving skin texture and softness.
Physical exfoliation uses abrasives to buff away dead skin cells and reveal the smoother, brighter skin underneath. Physical exfoliation not only directly improves skin texture, but it also indirectly smoothes skin by allowing any topical treatments used to penetrate the skin more effectively. Regular use of anexfoliating cleanser increases the rate of skin cell turnover to reveal a brighter, smoother skin texture.
If your skin is not getting a sufficient amount of water, thelack of hydrationwill present itself by turning your skin dry, tight and flaky. Moisturizers work to keep the skin from becoming too dry or producing too much oil. Balanced skin means a balanced skin texture. Moisturized skin also tends to lessen the appearance of dullness, which is a common symptom of uneven skin texture.
Follow your cleanse and exfoliation with ahydrating serum with hyaluronic acid. After cleansing and exfoliating, your skin is more receptive to serum treatments meant to reach deep under the surface. Follow up with a smoothinganti-aging face moisturizer, to seal in water by creating a barrier against impurities and make-up. It’s also important to drink plenty of water to keep your body hydrated so your skin functions optimally, too. Dehydration hinders that process, leading to a sallow, unhealthy complexion. The amount of water you should drink varies by your activity level and size. If you exercise intensely and sweat a lot, you’ll need to drink more water to compensate.
Sunscreen is one of the most important skincare products in your routine when it comes to your skin’s texture. A daily sunscreen habit is a key strategy for keeping your skin's health and texture in check. Sun exposure is the number one culprit of uneven skin tone and enlarged pores.
UV light causes free radical damage to the body’s natural collagen stores, which essentially serve as the skin's support network. If collagen becomes compromised, it can't provide an adequate framework for the skin, enhancing the look of pores or other textural issues. One study from the Dermatologic Surgery shows that sunscreen can not only protect your skin but alsoreverse the signs of aging. The study showed improvements in the many signs of aging caused by the sun, like skin texture, overall tone, and fine lines.
With just a daily application of a photo-stable, broad-spectrum moisturizer with SPF30, participants saw improvements of 52 percent in sunspots, 40 percent in skin texture, and 41 percent in skin clarity after a year of use.
Infusing your skin with antioxidants to combat cell and environmental damage is another easy way to maintain a smooth, glowy complexion. Antioxidants are molecules that exist naturally in the skin to protect it from free radical damage. As well as indirectly improving skin texture by preventing free radical damage, a number of antioxidants have demonstrated the ability to directly improve skin texture and reduce the size of pores, including vitamins C and E, niacinamide, and retinoids.
Vitamin C helps improve skin texture by repairing and defending the skin from environmental damage while reducing pigmentation, scar tissue and age spots. In addition, the use of skincare products like retinoids help stimulate collagen to thicken the deeper layers of the skin while simultaneously thinning the outer skin layer. This gives the skin strength as well as a dewy glow. Studies show that retinoidscan improve skin textureand smoothness and reduce pore size in as little as 28 days.
Chemical peels use a chemical solution to improve and smooth skin texture by removing its damaged outer layers. You can get a potent chemical peel at a dermatologist's office, but there are dozens of at-home facial chemical peels. The combination of alpha-hydroxy acids like glycolic, lactic, and malic acid, beta hydroxy acids like salicylic acid, and gentle exfoliants like fruit enzymes dissolve the glue that holds your dead skin cells together, revealing younger-looking skin and smoother skin texture in as little as ten minutes.
There are even options with skin-soothing ingredients for sensitive and reactive skin. It may sound scary, but chemical peels help remove sun-damaged skin, stimulate regrowth and even out skin texture and pigment while promoting collagen production.
Perfect skin is the holy grail of beauty. But an uneven skin texture can derail your gorgeous, glowy skincare dreams in an instant. Unlike blemishes or dark spots, which can be easily camouflaged with a quick dab of concealer, uneven skin texture is a lot harder to mask and can be even trickier to treat. But it’s possible to improve skin texture with a few simple steps and key skincare products.
for Skin Regimen by Jaclyn LaBadia
