Did you know that 60% to 70% of women and more than half of men throughout the world have sensitive skin? That’s right!
There’s also acne, which 85% of the global population suffers from. Another skin condition is psoriasis, which affects 125 million people worldwide. Many others suffer from eczema, dry skin, contact dermatitis, and keratosis pilaris.
All these skin conditions share a similar symptom: rough skin.
The good news is, there are plenty of ways (natural and medicated) to combat rough skin.
Ready to learn all these tricks on how to make your skin smoother? Then keep reading, as that’s exactly what you’ll learn in this post!
1. Skip the Harsh Chemicals and Antibacterials
The human skin is home to at least 1,000 species of bacteria, collectively known as the “skin flora”. Many of these are “good” bacteria, as they protect the skin by countering the effects of bad bacteria. They also help balance the pH levels of the skin, which then helps prevent dryness and roughness.
Unfortunately, environmental factors, like pollutants, interfere with this bacterial ecosystem. Antibacterial soaps and harsh skin cleansers also remove these good bacteria. All these contribute to dry and stressed skin, which in turn, becomes prone to roughness.
That said, the first step on how to get a smoother face (and skin, in general) is to ditch these strong products. This is even more important if you have sensitive skin.
Instead, go for cleansing agents with a pH of 5.5. According to skin experts, this pH level may even help prevent and treat skin diseases.
2. Take Probiotics
Speaking of skin flora, probiotics may also help the good bacteria on your skin thrive. You want that good bacteria to stay alive, as too much of the bad bugs can cause inflammation. Skin inflammation, in turn, can result in bumpy and rough skin.
Researchers also found that probiotics inhibit a pathogen called P. acnes. This is one of the main species of germs that trigger the development of acne.
The good news is, it’s easy to find probiotics — they’re in yogurt, kefir, pickles, and kimchi. Miso, kombucha, and sauerkraut also contain good amounts of these good bacteria. Try including as much of these into your diet for smoother, healthier skin.
3. Supplement With Collagen
Collagen is a naturally-occurring protein that makes the skin elastic and strong. It also contributes to the skin’s overall hydration.
Unfortunately, the skin loses about 1% of its collagen content each year. Smoking, sugar consumption, and UV exposure will also cause the skin to lose more of this protein.
The more collagen you lose, the dryer and less elastic your skin will get. This can then result in rough skin riddled with wrinkles and fine lines.
Luckily, researchers have found that collagen supplements help relieve skin dryness. These supplements also appear to help minimize (and prevent) the appearance of wrinkles.
4. Choose Your Cosmetics With Care
The next time you’re out shopping for makeup, read the label carefully! You want to make sure that the ingredients are suitable for your skin type.
Take this Jane Iredale product review, for instance. The reviews say that non-comedogenic products are best for those with sensitive skin.
Aside from being non-comedogenic, you should also stick to products without parabens. Research has shown that these “preservatives” can interfere with hormone functions. This, in turn, can cause toxicity and in some cases, even an increased risk of breast cancer.
5. Use Non-Comedogenic Facial Cleansers in Moderation
Everything in your skincare and beauty toolkit should be non-comedogenic. This term refers to specially-formulated products that don’t cause clogging of the pores.
However, a trick on how to make your face smoother with these cleansers is to limit washing to twice a day. As non-clogging as these products are, washing your face too many times can strip the skin of its oil.
This can then cause dryness, which can result in skin flaking. Those flakes, combined with pollutants, can clog up your pores.
6. Gentle Exfoliation is Key
Exfoliation is the physical or chemical removal of dead skin cells. You want to remove these dead cells, as they can make your skin dull and even clog up your pores. Removing these layers of dead cells also allows the new skin to surface.
You should limit your exfoliating activities to two to three times a week though. If you do it more than that, you run the risk of stripping off valuable skin oil. This can then trigger the skin to overproduce sebum, which can raise your risks for acne.
7. Keep Your Stress Levels in Check
Researchers found that the more stressed a person is, the more severe their acne symptoms are. Meaning, if you stress out over your breakouts, you might end up with even more zits.
Even if you’re not dealing with acne but just dry skin, you still want to keep your stress levels under control. Too much stress, after all, can affect the entire body, and not only your skin. It can interfere with your heart, lungs, hormones, brain, and many other major organs.
That said, take the time to de-stress, such as getting more exercise. Meditation and yoga may also help if you need to calm your mind. Even a weekend getaway may already help you bring down your rising stress levels.
8. Hydrate
Keep yourself well-hydrated by following or going beyond the daily recommended water intake. If sweat a lot (such as if you’re active), get more water into your system. This will help you achieve not only smooth face skin but overall healthier skin.
Follow These Tips on How to Make Your Skin Smoother Now
There you have it, the top strategies on how to make your skin smoother and looking younger. Depending on how sensitive your skin is, you can use a mix of both natural and lab-made products. If you’re unsure about skin allergies, it’s best to pay your dermatologist a visit first. Ready for more skincare and health how-tos like this? Then be sure to check out (and bookmark!) this site’s Guide section!