Want to reduce acne, prevent wrinkles, and add a glow to your face? Read this for a list of seven beauty items that can help you do all of those things!

If there’s one thing many of us lack, it’s a regular beauty routine.

About 54% of people don’t wash their faces at all. And of those who do the bare minimum, around a third use only water — no exfoliators, cleansers, or soaps!

But here’s the thing:

A beauty routine is about more than keeping your face fresh and clean. 

It can also add a glow, reduce acne and blemishes, and produce de-wrinkling effects. And you can even expand your daily routine to include hair care and skin care.

So, don’t just start and end your day with a pore-cleansing face wash.

Here’s a look at seven beauty items that you can’t — and shouldn’t — live without!

A healthy beauty routine begins with a clean face. 

A daily face lather can clear surface-level dirt and reduce that dreaded oily glisten for the blessed few with naturally blemish-free skin.

The rest of us need to go one step further:

Exfoliation.

Activated charcoal scrubs, to be more specific.

Unlike your usual face soap, charcoal digs deep into your pores to absorb toxins that make your face oily, pores look bigger, and acne a daily struggle.

On top of giving your face a smooth, post-cleanse feel, a weekly activated charcoal scrub can reduce the build-up of:

● Dead skin cells

● Bacteria

● Oils

● Acne

● Dirt

However, activated charcoal’s drying effect can make your skin flaky or itchy with regular use. So, use charcoal on your face no more than twice a week. 

Unless you go au naturel, your beauty toolkit is probably more of a makeup bag — waterproof mascara, concealer, foundation, and lip tint.

For a while, waterproof makeup seemed like the perfect innovation. But it soon became clear that the perk of not reapplying your makeup came with a caveat:

Stubborn makeup removal.

No amount of scrubbing or face washes seems to clear the makeup entirely. And what lingers behind winds up trapped in your pores, triggering future breakouts.

So begins the vicious makeup/acne cycle that you were trying to avoid.

The nightly use of makeup-removing towelettes can gently remove stubborn makeup to leave behind a blank canvas without greasy residue or dry skin.

Crow’s feet and laugh lines are a normal part of aging. But chances are, you won’t celebrate your first wrinkle with a jump for joy or endearing Facebook post.

If only you could turn back time to appreciate your youthful appearance while you still had it.

Well, rejuvenating creams may very well be the modern fountain of youth.

The secret is antioxidants.

Rejuvenating creams boast a long list of natural ingredients, including vitamins A and C, peptides, and tea extracts.

These all-natural formulas do everything from tightening the skin and getting rid of wrinkles to reversing dark spots and adding a noticeable glow.

Smooth in a layer of rejuvenating cream each night, and reclaim your youth!

A trip to the spa isn’t complete without a refreshing mud mask. But there’s not enough time in the day or money in your wallet to make a trip to the spa possible.

So, why not bring the mud masks home to you?

The question isn’t, “What do mud masks do?” but rather, “What don’t they do?” A weekly mud mask application — especially one infused with sea salt — can:

● Unclog your pores

● Get rid of oils and sebum (without drying it out)

● Moisturize your skin

● Add a smooth texture to your skin

● Increase skin glow

● Exfoliate (remove dead skin)

● Tighten your skin

Set aside a cozy Friday night, pour a glass of wine, hop into the bathtub, and relax with a mud mask for 15 minutes.

Hair is notoriously uncooperative when you’re crunched for time or have a special occasion on the calendar. 

Frizz, knots, and flatness always seem to appear at the worst times. But there’s no need to wear a hat or hide your locks out of shame or embarrassment.

An electronic volumizing hairbrush is an absolute necessity!

Volumizing brushes are the perfect combination of a soft-bristled brush and the classic hairdryer. 

These easy-to-use heat brushes make new hairstyles, like curls and waves, possible while also adding an undeniable shine and insatiable volume to your hair.

Some even work on wet hair, so you can speed through your morning routine.

Dry skin is a problem that plagues millions of Americans. But when dry, flaky skin becomes dehydrated skin, your once youthful appearance will slowly begin to fade.

In other words, scorching showers and stringent face washes could be doing more harm than good, causing:

● Flakiness

● A lackluster (dull) appearance

● Wrinkle formation

● An uneven complexion

● Dark, under-eye circles

Although moisturizers can keep your skin feeling smooth and touchable, hydrators will return the plumpness and shine by better absorbing the moisture.

Droopy, dark circles are among the most common complaints when people look at themselves in the mirror. No matter how much sleep you get, you always look tired.

What you need are under-eye patches.

Pop your under-eye patches in the freezer and then stick them beneath your eyes before bedtime. 

In just ten minutes, you can reduce the puffiness under your eyes and brighten those dark circles.

Now that you have all of these “must-have” beauty items, it’s time to create a regular routine. What will you do daily, weekly, or even occasionally?

Here are a few tasks to incorporate into your beauty routine:

● Every morning: Volumizing brush, activated charcoal face scrub

● Every night: Makeup remover, rejuvenating cream

● Once a week: Mud masks, skin hydrator 

● As needed: Under-eye patches

Be careful, though. Overusing any of these items can do more harm than good, drying out your hair and skin and triggering the opposite problem.

So, moderation and consistency are both essential!

 

Adam Marshall is a freelance writer specializing in all things apartment organization, real estate, and college advice. He currently works with Grove at Huntsville to help them with their online marketing.