Welcome to today’s post about the essential habits for lasting beauty. This post is meant to be empowering, uplifting and actionable. No bad body vibes or diet culture here!
Before we dive into these habits, I want to remind you that beauty isn’t just about what you see in the mirror. It’s so much more than that – your inner glow and the confidence you radiate impact the way others view you.
Enhancing your physical appearance is great, but your physical and emotional well-being are what’s truly important.
Quick Access
Prioritize Sleep
Beauty sleep is really my friends. You need to make sure you get at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night to help your body regenerate. Getting a good night’s sleep helps to rejuvenate your body overnight.
Sleep is a foundation for your overall health, not just your beauty. I think we’ve all experienced not getting enough sleep… Not only do you not feel great, you don’t look much better.
If that isn’t enough of a reason, when you consistently get too little sleep, studies show that the function of your skin barrier is diminished and sign of aging become more pronounced.
Clean Sheets
One often overlooked aspect of maintaining lasting beauty, sleeping on clean sheets can play a significant role in the health of your skin.
You lay your head and face on pillows every night, so it collects whatever is on your skin and hair. That includes oils, sweat, dirt and dust. The truth is that each night as you sleep, your skin is naturally producing oils and shedding dead skin cells.
Regularly washing your sheets and pillowcases will help decrease skin irritation and minimize the risk of clogging any of your pores.
Daily Sun Protection
Sunscreen is a non-negotiable step in any skincare routine.
You want to make sure to use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 to protect your skin from harmful UV rays.
Using an appropriate amount of SPF can also help to prevent premature aging, sunspots and other skin damage.
Hydrate
This is one of the simplest, but most impactful, habits for lasting beauty. Staying hydrated directly affects your skin, hair and body. Drinking plenty of water throughout the day helps flush out toxins and can help promote a clear complexion.
Hydrating your body by drinking enough water is truly essential to both your beauty and your general health. I understand not really liking water, but you’ve got to figure out ways to drink water even when you don’t like it.
Stay hydrated to help keep skin plump and glowing. Hydrated skin looks more supple and radiant than dehydrated skin. When you drink enough water, it also helps deliver nutrients to your hair follicles, promoting growth and preventing dryness.
Dental Care
Good oral hygiene is an essential habit for lasting beauty and a shining smile. Brush your teeth for two minutes at least twice a day. You also want to be sure to floss at least once a day. The best time to floss is at night before your nighttime brushing.
Prevent painful complications by seeing your dentist regularly to make sure there’s nothing going on that you aren’t aware of. Unfortunately, we don’t usually realize there is a problem until it becomes painful. If there is any way that you can afford it, don’t wait that long.
Smile More
A real smile is always your best accessory. It instantly lights up your face. A genuine smile of course, not a forced or fake one.
Smiling regularly can actually help keep your facial muscles tones, contributing to a more youthful look.
Good Posture
Not only does sitting or standing up straight make you look more confident, it also improves your circulation and digestion.
Good posture instantly enhances your appearance as well as reduces your chances of experiencing neck and back pain.
Stand tall, shoulders back, chin up. Even if you don’t feel it, you’ll instantly appear more confident.
Sitting with good posture isn’t just beneficial for beauty reasons either. Poor posture has been shown to impact mood, fatigue and even cause headaches.
Eat Healthy
Your health comes from within. Consuming a healthy well-rounded diet will provide essential vitamins and nutrients to your well-being.
Besides that, consuming nutrient-dense and antioxidant-rich foods help promote a clear complexion, strong hair and healthy nails. It’s truly the cornerstone of habits for lasting beauty.
Make sure to fill your plate with nutrient rich foods like fruits, vegetables and lean proteins.
Hand Cream
Your hands can be an unexpected sign of aging so it’s important to give them some TLC. Studies have shown that your hands often give away more of your age than your face.
Your hands go through a lot every day and need to be shown extra care.
Using hand creams will help you maintain a soft and smooth texture.
Creams should also hydrate and sooth or rough textured patches of dry skin. Hydration is one of the keys to keeping your hands looking youthful.
Nail Care
Well-maintained cuticles and nails add to the beauty of your hands.
Moisturizing and nourishing your nail bed and cuticles can help promote healthy nail growth by preventing breakage.
Well maintained nails help you look more put together and polished than dirty, peeling nails.
Painting is optional, but nail art and different nail polish colors can provide an opportunity for a little creative expression.
Facial Massage
Gently massaging your face with your hands can stimulate blood flow, reduce puffiness and relax your facial muscles.
Taking the time to gently massage in your skincare products will also enhance their absorption into your skin.
It’s important to be gentle with your skin and look up proper techniques to receive all of the benefits. I find video tutorials are often the best for this.
There are also tools you can buy to aid in your facial massage, but while they might enhance the experience, they aren’t necessary.
Serums and Creams
Serums and creams are generally concentrated formulas that deliver powerful ingredients deep into your skin.
It’s important for you to choose and experiment with quality products suitable for your skin. There are many options to target specific skin concerns.
Serums and creams can keep your skin properly hydrated, helping to maintain skin’s elasticity. Other serums and creams can help even out your skin tone and improve its texture.
Make sure you bring your serums and creams down onto your neck too.
Exfoliate
Gently exfoliating your skin on a regular basis removes dead cells to reveal fresh, glowing skin.
Delicate exfoliation can be beneficial for your face, while you can be a little more aggressive when exfoliating the skin on the rest of your body.
The recommended frequency for exfoliation is generally once or twice a week but you may want to experiment to find what’s just right for you.
Regular exfoliation can improve how well your skincare products absorb. You want to also be sure to replenish your skin’s moisture after you’ve exfoliated.
Remove Your Makeup
If you wear makeup, you never want to go to bed with it still on. I repeat, never go to bed with your makeup on. It’s like the number one rule of skincare.
Sleeping with your makeup still on can lead to breakouts and accelerate aging.
No matter how tired you are, be sure to cleanse your face thoroughly before you hit the pillow.
Brush Cleansing
If you apply makeup using any sort of tools, it’s important to clean them.
Cleaning your makeup brushes and other tools will not only help prolong their lifespans, but also prevent the build up of oils, dirt and bacteria – all things you don’t want to be applying to your skin.
It’s best to keep the application of your makeup fresh and your skin happy underneath.
Scalp Massages
Massaging your scalp increases blood flow and promotes healthy hair growth. It can also just feel really nice.
Scalp massages can help stimulate blood flow to your hair follicles, encouraging hair growth. Massaging your scalp can also help improve the overall health and appearance of your hair.
In some cases, massaging your scalp can even provide some relief from tension headaches.
Try massaging in some deep conditioner – deep conditioning your hair can help to significantly improve your overall hair health.
Hair Heat Care
You should avoid using heat tools excessively and opt for lower heat settings when you do.
But if you do still want to use heat tools always, always, use some sort of protectant before you do use any heat on your hair.
Heat-based styling tools can work magic, but they can also really damage your hair.
Stay Active
Regular exercise and movement promotes healthy blood circulation, helps tone and firm your muscles as well as boosts your energy levels.
Staying active and getting enough physical activity can also help to maintain a healthy weight and give your skin that healthy glow.
Exercise is known to be a stress reducer as well, which leads to the next essential habit..
Stress Less
Stress can cause skin to become inflamed and lead to breakouts and other health complications. Stress takes a serious toll on all aspects of your health.
That’s why it’s imperative you find healthy ways to manage it and take care of yourself.
Of course this is a lot easier said than done. A lot of things happen in our life that are beyond our control.
But we can control how we manage our stress and we can make an effort to slow down and relax when we can.
Consistent Routines
Another of the most essential habits for lasting beauty – consistency. Being consistent with your skincare, hair-care and diet is what will allow you to prevent problems before they even start.
Using a moisturizer to keep your skin hydrated will help reduce the appearance of wrinkles and regularly trimming your hair helps it grow stronger.
Find products that work for you and a skin routine that you can stick to.
If you want those truly lasting beauty results, you have to commit to a routine of consistent habits for lasting beauty.
Put it Out
I think we all know smoking causes premature aging (along with a bunch of other scary things)
Smoking harms your health in many ways including taking a heavy toll on your skin.
Quitting smoking or just never trying it is one of the best things you can do for lasting beauty.
Cultivate Inner Beauty
I saved the most important of the habits for lasting beauty for last. The truth is that beauty isn’t just skin deep. The person who you are inside transcends your physical appearance.
It’s only natural to want to look your best, but inner growth is more important than attractiveness.
We are human so we grow, change and age. External beauty may fade, but inner beauty can continue to deepen.
While your appearance may be the first thing someone notices, it’s your character that truly draws someone in.
There you have it, a treasure trove of 22 habits for lasting beauty! Which one of them was your favorite? Incorporate as many of these tips as you like into your daily routines and I’m sure you’ll start to see a difference.
Use these habits to help sprinkle a little more self-care into your life. If you have more beauty ideas for this list, let me know in a comment below!
Stay beautiful, inside and out.
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