Table of Contents
Tired of dedicating a huge portion of your morning routine to slathering your face in makeup? Thankfully, the past few years have shifted the focus from makeup to skincare, prioritizing skin health and wellness over covering up perceived flaws. Here are 11 things that you can do to look good without makeup:
Tips to Naturally Good-Looking
Exfoliate your face regularly
Nobody likes having dull, dry patches of skin on their face, and wearing makeup over peeling skin will only make it look worse. Instead of trying to cover up your dry patches, get rid of them altogether by using a face exfoliator one to three times a week. Regular use of an exfoliating skin polish will prevent dead skin from building up in the first place and keep your skin looking smooth and glowing without a lick of makeup.
Nourish, nourish, nourish
To further contribute to glowing skin, you will want to moisturize and nourish your face every single time that you rinse or wash it to help prevent water from escaping your skin barrier. Drier skin types tend to prefer thicker creams, while more oily skin types do better with lightweight nourishing cream. You might also want to work an anti-aging moisturizer in your routine since it’s never too early to start fighting the effects of aging. Hydrating face masks are also a great option if your skin is very dry and in need of some serious TLC.
Pay special attention to your eye area
The skin around your eyes is extremely delicate and often one of the first places to show signs of aging as a result. Be careful with applying strong ingredients such as retinol and vitamin C directly to the eye area. It’s better to either purchase products specifically made for your eyes or to dilute your facial products with some moisturizer to avoid overwhelming your delicate skin.
Treat your blemishes
Many people wear makeup to cover pimples and other blemishes, which is totally understandable. If you have a pimple coming to a head, try not to pop it. This can introduce bacteria to the area and lead to scarring. Instead, try drying it up with salicylic acid or sulfur-based spot treatment. If you’re prone to picking, covering your blemishes with a pimple patch will prevent you from doing so while also helping to dry up the blemish.
Target swelling and puffiness
We’ve all dealt with a puffy face at one time or another, whether it’s from drinking too much alcohol or sleeping poorly on a long-haul flight. Ice and cold compresses will reduce swelling fast. Just make sure to sanitize them before placing them directly on your skin. You can also get face and under-eye masks that are loaded with ingredients such as caffeine that will help to reduce the swelling and puffiness without the use of makeup.
Try using facial oil
Facial oils will give you a natural-looking glow without makeup — guaranteed. For best results, we recommend using facial oils at night since oils can break down the compounds in sunscreen and make them less effective. You’ll only need two to three drops to cover your entire face, or you can mix it into your moisturizer if you don’t want to apply the oil directly.
Take care of your lips
Dry, cracked lips aren’t just unsightly — they’re uncomfortable, too. Unfortunately, they’re all too common since many people neglect to include their lips in their skincare routine. At a minimum, you should be regularly applying a lip balm to prevent moisture loss, and be sure to use one with SPF protection during the daytime. You can also use a more powerful lip serum or treatment if your lips need some extra care.
Wear sunscreen
Sunscreen is probably the single best thing that you can do in terms of preventing skin aging, even if you don’t actually have a sunburn. Some sunscreens also offer makeup-like properties in terms of evening your skin tone or blurring your pores, without actually being makeup. There are many different kinds of sunscreen available, so experiment around until you find one that you love and then put it on every single morning (and don’t forget to reapply!).
Drink enough water
Hydrating your skin from the outside in won’t do much good if you’re dehydrated from the inside out. Drinking enough water is key for maintaining plump, healthy skin that bounces back quickly so make sure that you’re refilling that water bottle often! Most people need three to four liters of water a day, though you may need more if you sweat a lot. If plain water bores you, try infusing it with tasty fruits and vegetables to give it some flavor.
Eat a healthy diet
Your skin is the biggest organ in your body, so it often reflects what you eat. While research into the links between diet and skin conditions is ongoing, many people report that what they do (or don’t) eat has a big impact on their acne, eczema and more. Try to eat a diet that is rich in lean proteins, fruits and vegetables and healthy fats. Also, try to minimize your consumption of sugar, sodium and processed foods.
Get plenty of sleep
We’ll be honest with you: Cold compresses are a great quick fix, but the best solution for under-eye bags is to get more sleep — period. Sleep is also when your body heals itself, including your skin. So if you’re chronically sleep-deprived, you might notice that your eczema is worse or that your blemishes are slower to heal. Instead of getting up early to put on a full face of makeup, try catching some extra shut-eye and you might be surprised at the difference it makes.
At the End
Do you have more tried and true tips for looking and feeling your best without makeup? Let us know in the comments below!