Essential Oxygen

How to Help Your Teen Learn About Hygiene and Skincare

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Guest Post By: Brigitte Evans

As an adult, you probably have good hygiene and skincare habits, but it’s not easy to transfer these positive habits to your teenage child. Teens require a different type of beauty routines than adults because their skin and bodies are still undergoing many changes. So, how can you help your teen learn about good hygiene and skincare? This article might help.

Clean hands are half the battle

One of the best ways to maintain good hygiene is to wash your hands often and thoroughly. This will ensure that your body will stay protected from dirt and germs. Make sure to encourage your teen to give their hands a good scrub before touching their face or fixing their makeup. Another thing that needs daily cleaning is phones. This is something many people neglect, but since their phone regularly touches their face and mouth, it needs to be clean.

Shower regularly

There are no written rules about showering and every teen can tailor their showering schedule to their needs. However, if your child has oily skin or hair, they should take a shower every day. On the other hand, if they struggle with dry skin, bathing every other day is preferred. Showers that are too frequent will strip their skin of natural oils and make their condition even worse.

Conduct good dental hygiene

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Proper dental hygiene not only makes teeth look white and healthy but also prevents all sorts of ailments. Regular brushing removes various types of bacteria that cause bad breath, gum infections and cavities. Flossing is another must, since it penetrates deep between the teeth and removes trapped bacteria. If those bacteria stay in the mouth, they can get into the bloodstream and cause all sorts of health issues, even heart disease. Your teen might not think about cardiovascular health right now, but they will be grateful for this advice when they grow older.

Acne battle plan

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More than 85% of all teens have acne, the most common skin problem at that age. They are marked by painful pimples, whiteheads and blackheads and sometimes even hard and deep lumps on the face, back, chest and shoulders. Luckily, you can find acne treatment for a teenager that will help them keep the condition minimal, prevent permanent acne marks and leave their skin glowing and healthy. There’s everything from toners to oil control lotions, so your child will definitely find something that works for their skin!

Careful cleansing benefits

If your child battles with oily skin, their best path towards clean skin is a daily gel or foaming cleanser. They can cleanse once or even twice a day if their skin gets very oily and dirty. If your teen wears makeup, it’s best to remove the makeup first and then cleanse. Another trick that can encourage good skincare is washing the face before PE class or sports practice. If that’s not an option, provide them with facial tissues for skin blotting. On the other hand, teens with dry skin will benefit from a milky cleanser and moisturizer.

Stay clear of beauty myths

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Another great advice to give to your teen is not to trust everything they heard from their friends or read online. Some of these odd remedies for acne control (like putting toothpaste on the blemishes) can even make the condition worse. Since there are tons of great acne products today, there’s really no need for these myths.

Encourage proper skin protection

Careful skin protection is important for many reasons. It will ensure your teen’s skin is healthy and soft and their breakouts less visible. Encourage them to use sunblock when hitting the beach and look into cosmetics and makeup with an SPF. If they insist on getting an artificial tan, self-tanners are a much better and healthier option than tanning beds. They cause all sorts of issues from early wrinkles to skin cancer.

The importance of makeup removing

Even if their BFFs sleep with makeup on and have no skin problems, it’s always good to remove makeup before bed. In case they are too tired to conduct a full face cleaning routine, encourage them to at least grab a cleansing wipe to take off makeup, oil and dirt. Teens who regularly sleep with makeup have a much greater risk of breakouts and perioral or periocular dermatitis (a bumpy skin rash).

Once your teen takes up these healthy hygiene and beauty routines, they will have some great habits for the future. Plus, they will definitely feel better and more comfortable in their own skin.

What Natural Skincare Ingredients Are the Most Effective?

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Guest Post By: Brigitte Evans

healthy skin

With so many new products on the market, sometimes we just don’t know where to turn. They all promise results, they all sound great, but which one of them can actually deliver? Luckily, the straightforward natural ingredients seem to be the most promising ones, which is really no surprise to anyone who knows even a little bit about old-fashioned botanical extracts. Are you eager to find out which of these nature’s gifts can benefit your skin the most? Well, we’re here to teach you. Check out some of the best ingredients to look for in your next skincare purchase!

Salicylic acid

Anyone who was ever plagued by blemishes has probably heard of salicylic acid. Found in willow bark, this oil soluble extract can penetrate deeply into your skin and rid it of excess sebum. It unclogs your pores and soothes away irritations, so if you’re looking for a clear, fresh complexion this is what you want to find on the label.

Tea tree oil

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Another great soldier in the never-ending war on acne, tea tree is the one thing most people swear by when it comes to dealing with breakouts. It’s a face oil that, surprisingly enough, won’t make your skin oily at all. It’s quite potent and can be drying if applied in excess, so it’s recommended that you dilute it a bit before use, especially if your skin isn’t used to it. You can do this by mixing it in with a little jojoba oil, and then dabbing tiny amounts of that on areas of your skin where you’re experiencing a breakout.

Rosehip oil

Rosehip oil is practically Mother Nature’s gift for any sort of skin pigmentation. It’s packed with fatty acids and vitamins C and E, and it’s actually one of the more effective oils when it comes to treating wrinkles. When it comes to skincare, it’s recommended over coconut and olive oil because it’s less likely to clog your pores, and you only need a few drops of it every night to make your skin soft.

Coconut and olive oil

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Now, we mentioned these might clog your pores, but we wish to clear it up a bit. When it comes to skincare, this general rule applies: each person is different. Your friend might get a break out from using a certain ingredient, while your own skin responds to it beautifully. Coconut and olive oil are incredibly nourishing and are still pretty great to be used on your body, hair, and nails, but they might work to moisturize your face as well. That’s why trial and error and simple patch tests are the best way to figure out whether an ingredient is good for you or not.

coconut oil

Hyaluronic acid

Hands down one of the best ingredients for pretty much any skin type. It can be found in your own skin and connective tissues, so it’s highly unlikely you’d ever get an allergic reaction to it or find it irritating. It’s supremely good at hydration, and if you find a good natural anti ageing skincare with hyaluronic acid to apply in the evening, your complexion will be plump, soft, and radiant. Look for light, gentle formulas because they’ll be able to penetrate your skin better, and don’t worry about using it even if your skin is oily – it’s non-comedogenic.

Green tea

You already know that drinking it is really good for your health, but did you know that green tea extract is really great in skincare as well? One of the fitness and beauty gurus’ favorite superfoods, it’s full of antioxidants that reduce inflammation and strengthen skin barrier, and it’s a welcome addition to anyone’s routine.

Acai berries

Another superfood on our list! This anti-aging powerhouse is full of nutrients, vitamins, and fatty acids that are great at keeping wrinkles away. Find a good eye cream with acai berries to smooth your complexion and you’ll be surprised at the results.

clay face mask

Clay

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If you need a deep, thorough cleanse, clay is the ingredient to turn to. One applied, it can pull out dirt and sebum from your pores and get rid of all the nasty stuff, leaving your skin clean, fresh, and ready to soak up other products. Bentonite clay is the most commonly used one if beauty products, but you can also benefit from rhassoul clay, kaolin clay, and French green clay.

It’s not a bad idea to do a skin detox at least occasionally. With the use of natural ingredients, you won’t have to use a ton of heavy products, and you can let these extracts simply rejuvenate you without weighing down your skin.