How To Get Rid Of Textured Skin
A smoothly textured skin with even tone and hydrated radiance - isn’t it all that we ask for? Until puberty, such things really set in effortlessly but once puberty hits us, it all gets complicated - with acne, marks, scars, and a lot of skin issues. But worst of all? Yes, that’s textured skin.
Having textured skin means bearing all the acne bumps, dry and flaky skin patches, and incurring the uneven skin feel - with a fine dose of frustration fused up with hopelessness. You try obsessive exercising, apply a pool of skincare products and medicines, constantly keep yourself against the sunlight and anyone touching your face, and - just everything.
But you don’t get rid of them.
The army of small acne bumps on your forehead and dry, flaky patches on your cheeks and chin keep you away from having the radiant and oh-so-smooth skin texture that you so badly want.
But there is always a way out. And in this article, we are going to figure out that one real way to get rid of your textured skin and help you achieve that smooth and ever-glowing skin.
Understanding How It Starts - The Causes Of Textured Skin
The uneven texture of skin often starts with two d’s - dirt and dryness. If you got your skin textured, chances are that you probably went low with water intake, moisturizing your face, and resiliently procrastinated on keeping your skin clean, washed and hydrated.
A bad hygiene routine coupled with low hydration is a leading factor that gets your textured skin condition worse than ever. So it is necessary to reverse the bad skincare routine.
The basic concept of dried skin is skin that has excessively lost moisture content in a way that it feels tough to be elastic anymore and begins to stack up dirt cells instead of shedding them. As a result, the stacked dirt cells cause skin patches with flakes, giving that bumpy skin look and feel. Whereas oily skin that has caught dirt results in acne bumps filling up the forehead and other parts of the skin.
Textured skin can also result from high porosity and less elasticity in the skin. Other common causes of textured skin are acne, acne scars, milia, dehydration and dryness, wrinkles, etc.
Treating The Textured Skin
It all comes down to building a good skincare routine. Here are 7 ways of pampering your skin that can help you combat dryness and the unfavorable textures on your skin.
1.Washing Face:
A good skincare routine suggests washing your face twice a day (i.e. before and after bed). But if you go out and come in contact with any form of pollution or you sweat - it is always a good idea to splash water on your face or use a mild facewash to refresh your skin. Use a gentle and clean towel to pat your face dry or just air dry your skin.
Never sleep wearing make-up on our face or with any beauty product layered on our body because those are the worst skincare habits that we can think of. If you are too tired, use face cleansing tissue.
Sleeping with products layered on our skin not only clog our skin pores and suffocates them but also get our long worn make-up mixed with dead skin cells, oil, and dirt which sticks to our face for 7-9 hours (which is enough in time to cause acne, pimples, and unpleasant skin textures).
Keeping the skin clean is the first step in eliminating skin textures.
2.Moisturizing Skin:
With every wash comes another necessary step; moisturize. Moisturizing skin after washing it every time, regardless of how oily your skin is or how sweaty the summer is.
There are different kinds of moisturizers for every skin type. It is important to pick one that fits your skin type instead of skipping on the moisturizers. Treating dry and flaky skin through moisturizers, face masks, facial oils, and serums is always a practical idea.
Types of Moisturizers:
There are 3 types of skin moisturizers. Each one of them has specific characteristics that may suit or may not suit certain skin types. That is why picking the right moisturizer for your skin is as important as applying it after every wash.
- Gels: These are Humectant dominant moisturizers that have lightweight consistency and a texture of gel. Such moisturizers are good for all skin types but they are especially practical for oily skin types.
A Gel-based moisturizer binds water to the skin and draws hydration deep to the skin cells - treating the dehydrated condition of one’s skin and improving its texture.
When picking a gel-based moisturizer, one should look for ingredients such as Hyaluronic Acid, Glycerin, Honey, Aloe Vera, etc.
- Lotions: These are Emollient dominant moisturizers that are great for normal, dry, and combination skin types. Lotions or lightweight creamy moisturizers are space fillers whose lipids and oils heal cracks and pores on the skin. They gradually even out the skin texture and repair the skin's barrier.
When picking a lotion-based moisturizer, one should look for ingredients such as Lanolin, Shea Butter, Squalane, Grape Seed Oils, Ceramides, Rosehip, Silicone (Dimethicone, Cyclomethicone), etc.
- Balms: These are occlusive dominant moisturizers that are designed to seal moisture content in the skin, with their thick consistency. Such moisturizers are practical for mature, dry, and dehydrated skin types.
When picking balms as moisturizers, one should look for ingredients such as Beeswax, Olive Oil, Shea Butter, Mineral Oil, and Lanolin.
3. Fixing The Water Intake:
This is probably one of the most important steps for healing textured skin and improving its overall condition. However, we often end up drinking about 3 glasses per day while being tossed up in our everyday schedule. But the rule that we need to drink at least 8 glasses every 24 hours, remains fixed.
One can use digital reminders to ensure that they are fixing their daily water intake, even if slowly. If you find yourself drinking 3 glasses of water every day, gradually update your water intake to 5 glasses then 7 and then, 8.
The side effects of drinking less water can be tremendous. This includes Fatigue, Dull and Dehydrated skin, Dry Mouth, Lack of mindfulness, Headaches, Acne, and yes, Textured skin!
Water is crucial for attaining smooth and radiant skin with an even and pleasant tone so make sure you fix your water intake before it worsens your textured skin condition.
Using SPF:
SPF/Sunblocks are unarguably one of the best skin care products to reverse skin issues such as wrinkles, fine lines, uneven skin tones, and unpleasant textures. It is as great as it is crucial to use, especially when going out in the sun.
UV rays of the sun can damage the skin if exposed directly. Therefore slather SPF on your face and body to avoid burning your skin and getting unpleasant skin textures.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C has several benefits. It improves skin texture and rejuvenates it. A few benefits of using Vitamin C on the face are as follows:
Protects against sun
Lightens dark spots
Smoothen Wrinkles
Boosts Collagen
Promotes Healing
Diminishes Scars
Improves overall skin texture
Adds radiance and glow
It is best to apply Vitamin C after cleansing the face either with a proper cleanser or with a facewash.
Exfoliating Skin The Right Way:
Exfoliating skin is essential when it comes to a proper skincare routine. Especially when it comes to treating textured skin. The dead skin cells build up on the top layer of skin and normal washing is not enough to buff those dead skin cells away. Even though the skin naturally sheds the dead cells every 30 days, when treating textured or uneven skin, it is important to routinely exfoliate your skin.
Exfoliation also unclogs the pores of your skin and boosts blood circulation and lymphatic drainage. Keeping the skin clean and fresh. Exfoliation also helps moisturizers and other skincare products to go deeper into the skin aiding in making your skin more youthful and smooth.
If exfoliating is done incorrectly it can do more harm than good. So, it is crucial to exfoliate properly and safely. Different skin types react differently to exfoliation, so it is important to know what type of skin you have before proceeding to exfoliate.
Stinging or irritation after using products indicates that the skin is sensitive.
If your skin type is ‘normal’; there would be no reactions as in sensitive skin types.
Oily skin has more-than-normal sebum production, which results in a greasy and oily feeling.
Dry skin types have a flaky texture and are prone to irritation and itching.
Combination skin type has both oily and dry skin. Some areas have a more oily feel, like the t-zone of your face and some areas of the body have a dry skin type.
Choosing an exfoliating method after considering your skin type is the next step. The two methods; mechanical and chemical can be opted depending on your skin type. The mechanical exfoliating method includes the use of brushes or sponges while the chemical exfoliation method uses products that dissolve the dead skin cells.
Sensitive skin types only require a simple washcloth and a mild chemical exfoliator since strong mechanical exfoliation is unsuitable for this skin type.
Oily skin is naturally thicker and tough mechanical exfoliation with stronger chemical exfoliants go well with this skin type.
Skin with a dark complexion does not welcome strong chemical or mechanical exfoliation. Dark spots from acne breakouts or insect bites are more prominent on darker skin and aggressive exfoliation can worsen this.
Exfoliation should always begin mildly; mechanical or chemical, begin with a small amount and gently scrub or stroke, lightly and consistently for 30 seconds.
After exfoliation, washing the skin with lukewarm water soothes and relaxes the skin. A light moisturizing after that hydrates back the skin since exfoliation can often cause dryness.
Following a routine with all the right steps, and making it consistent is all it takes to achieve visible results. Hurrying should not be on your list when it comes to skincare and remedying textured skin.
Be patient and gentle.
Microneedling:
The last, and one of the most effective ways to dramatically improve skin texture and its tone is Microneedling. It is a minimally invasive skin rejuvenation procedure that restores youthfulness, radiance, skin firmness, and elasticity to the skin while minimizing the appearance of acne, acne scars, wrinkles, fine lines, lip lines, enlarged pores, and stretch marks by inducing collagen.
The results of microneedling are transformative. It allows the skin to regenerate itself and bring out a better tone and texture that is fresh, even, and radiant. The Skinpen used in this process causes controlled micro-injuries on the skin which stimulates the body’s natural wound-healing process and which is not at all hurtful. Furthermore, this process has a quick recovery process.
If you are someone struggling with discolorations, uneven skin texture with scars and acne, etc - then Microneedling may be the fittest solution for you.
However, it is strongly recommended that you consult a dermatologist before subscribing to any such treatment.
Conclusion
Skin is the largest organ of our body and it needs sufficient investment to stay healthy.
Other than using skincare products and going through treatments like microneedling, following is the heaviest-of-all, a mindful hack to ensure your skin’s health.
Mindful Eating:
Be mindful of what you eat. Eating the right fruits and vegetables and having a nutritious diet is the key to good skin. In the struggle of finding the right skincare products and deciding the perfect skincare regimen, we often forget about correcting our diet.
Vitamins like A, C, and E are natural detoxification agents that are present in berries and peppers. that help the body fix from within. Zinc, Copper, and Selenium are power minerals that can be gained from seeds, cereals, and vegetables.
Because at the end of the day, nothing can compete with a healthy diet.
Reference Links:
https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/skin-care-basics/care/face-washing-101
ttps://www.henryford.com/blog/2020/05/side-effects-of-not-drinking-water
https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/acne/skin-care/habits-stop
