If I’m completely honest, I’ve always looked forward to my 30’s. I know that might seem odd to some, but growing up I can remember my mom telling me how much she loved that time in her life. She felt more established, sure of who she was, and was finally making enough money to support herself. She also met my dad and they adopted me. So, overall, her 30’s were great! And so far, even though I just turned 30 this year… I’d have to agree!

I love looking at pictures of her during that time because in every image she absolutely glows with joy and natural beauty…the same joy and natural beauty that she still glows with today. So today, I wanted to share some of her tips and tricks for keeping your skin clear and shining for years to come. None of them are that earth-shattering, but maybe hopefully they’ll be a good reminder for you.

Spend time in the sun

The sunlight is amazing because it allows our body to produce vitamin D which is vital for our bones and our hair. Natural sunlight is also great for our skin because when we are out in the sun, our skin becomes warm and our pores open up. This allows any debris and dirt on the skin to be washed away which will lead us to a clear complexion. However, in saying all that, it’s also SO important to wear sunscreen. My mom wears a base layer of sunscreen every day, as well as chapstick that includes sunscreen in it. I use to not care too much about sunscreen growing up because I’m naturally very tan, but as I get older I’m starting to realize the importance of it. Too much sunlight, especially without sunscreen can lead to skin cancer and wrinkly dry skin. So, just like everything in life, it’s a balance. My advice is to look for a great moisturizer and chapstick with SPF and go out and enjoy some time in the sun!

Try Treatments

There are some amazing skin care treatments out there to try. I am just now getting into trying out facials, but my mom and friends have tried several. Overall, if you’ve never tried one, most people have recommended trying microdermabrasion facials – which causes dead skin cells to peel off and reveal the beautiful skin underneath. Stimulating blood flow into the face and getting rid of dead skin cells can be the most effective way to clear our pores and you can actually see and feel a difference in your skin immediately. I’ve never really been into trying out skin treatments, but my mom talked me into it just recently, and I absolutely loved it!

Use Patches

There are a lot of different remedies out there for acne, but I hardly ever tried them. Instead, I did it the old fashion way…digging my nails into my skin to get rid of blackheads and pimples. Of course, this did nothing but completely damage my skin for many years. So, if you’re like me, maybe you don’t have bad acne, but you definitely have areas that break often. If so, I’ve found that a noninvasive way to clear the skin of spots is to use acne patches on the skin. These patches pull out the impurities of the skin without damaging it and this can help us to gain a clear complexion in no time. It is effective and simple and it will help keep you from scaring your skin like I was doing for so many years.

Clean Up

It is SO important for you to cleanse your face thoroughly every single day. In my opinion, it can make the biggest impact on your skin as a whole. When we clean our skin we are able to get rid of any excess makeup, dead skin and other debris and this will allow the pores to breathe. It will also allow us to wipe away any bacteria which may be trying to access the cells of our skin and this will prevent acne. I know some nights when we’re tired and getting ready for bed it’s tempting to just use a quick face wipe and be done with it…but if we’re really wanting clear skin, then putting a little extra work in or skin is worth it. I promise your future self will thank you!

Drink Water

Water is the most important substance we consume every day. It keeps us healthy and it allows our body to function efficiently. Furthermore, water is absolutely a necessity for our skin because it not only keeps our skin hydrated, but it also flushes away impurities bacteria inside our skin cells as well. The more water we drink the plumper our skin cells will be, and the clearer our skin will be in the long term. There are obviously so many other benefits to drinking water, but I’ve never seen such a difference in my skin as when I started making my water consumption a priority.

So, like I said, none of these items are completely earth-shattering, but I hope they served as a great reminder. Clear, healthy, glowing skin takes time. If you’ve just started putting some of these tips and tricks into practice but still struggling with acne, try to be patient. It took me a while before I finally started getting my skin under control. And I also just want to add, most of the bumps on our skin only stand out to us. For a long time I obsessed over little blackheads and barely raised bumps when really, I was the only one who noticed or cared. Try to remember to stand back and see the whole picture in an objective manner. Remember how you never focus that hard on anyone else’s face but yours.

I’ll conclude with this final piece of advice: When starting a skincare routine, remember the real reason why we take care of our skin. Our reasoning should never be focused solely on just wanting to look pretty to others, but because we want to do the absolute best we can to take care of this amazing body God gave us…which includes our skin. With that perspective in mind, it will help you feel more confident no matter what your skin looks like, and it will help you stay committed to making your skincare routine a daily habit.

Know that I’m praying for you today and always, friends. And if no one’s told you today…You are beautiful.

Love in Christ,

Helen Elizabeth