5 Surprising Habits for the Best Skin Ever

5 Surprising Habits for the Best Skin Ever

Yeah, yeah, yeah — wear sunscreen, drink water, don't smoke. We all know the commandments to follow to ensure a great complexion. There are some lesser known but equally effective tips, however, to clear up acne, minimize the appearance of wrinkles, and make sure you have generally radiant skin. 

Don't assume you'll need to invest serious cash or follow some boring rules to have the best skin ever — you just need to find out how yogurt, sunglasses, and massage can save your skin.

"Some of the most effective ways to slow the aging process and turn back the clock are surprisingly simple and come down to lifestyle changes."

Click on to see how you can address some of your biggest skin concerns.

Feed Your Skin Bacteria

If you've seen one of Jamie Lee Curtis' yogurt commercials, you know that eating live active yogurt cultures can improve digestion, but researchers are now studying how these live cultures may be able to clear up acne and minimize the appearance of wrinkles when applied topically.

"We've seen good bacteria make skin plumper and softer by increasing ceramide production, which helps skin hold on to moisture,"  we recommends a homemade yogurt mask. Mix any plain yogurt that contains live active cultures with one teaspoon of honey. Apply a thick layer to clean skin and wait 20 minutes before rinsing off.

Stop With the Soap

Imagine your skin is the exterior of a house. Every time it rains, the water erodes the glossy outer coat of paint until it becomes dull. "Water wears away the lipid layer, which keeps skin moist and young looking." 

Take it easy on your exterior and cut back on the soap-and-water cleansing. Remove your makeup with a moisturizing towelette. And when you do wash with water, moisturize while your skin is still damp to rebuild its protective layer.

Get Shady Every Day

The skin around your eyes is the thinnest and most delicate anywhere on the body, which means it shows sagging and wrinkles the fastest, too. Yes, you need to apply sun protection, but you should add an extra shield from damaging UV rays (and to make life easy for sensitive eyes): Wear a pair of chic, oversized sunglasses.

"Most any pair you can buy now is UV protective, Aim for a pair that's large enough to cover the area under the eyes and up to the brows and you won't need to worry about sun damage."

Brew Your Caffeine Buzz

Dartmouth Medical School researchers found that people who drank two cups or more of black or green tea daily were 30 percent less likely to develop squamous cell carcinomas, a type of skin cancer, than those who didn't.

In other studies, skin treated with green tea before UV exposure suffered less DNA damage and was more resistant to sunburn that an antioxidant product that contains green tea provides an SPF of 8, which acts as a boost to your favorite sunscreen.

Rub Your Skin the Right Way

Just as 60 minutes with Sven can loosen the knots in your shoulders, a face massage can help relax the wrinkles on your face swears by the acupressure facial techniques passed down to her by her mother.

"Every night, I press on my temples, brows, and the sides of my nose for several minutes as I'm lying in bed, "It's very relaxing, and it must work.