5 simple tricks for pure and soothed skin

The skin, our largest organ, is exposed to permanent stress. Environmental pollution, UV rays, hormone fluctuations and poor nutrition are a real strain on it. The first step to healthy and pure skin is, in addition to a balanced diet and sufficient water, the use of low-irritation formulated cleansing and care products.

But we can do more: These 5 tricks, which are easy to apply in everyday life, can help.

1. skin analysis and determination of skin type

Many skin problems can be traced back to the use of cosmetic products that are not adapted to our skin type. Determining the correct skin type is not always easy. The skin type is divided into dry skin, normal skin, combination skin and oily skin. Impure skin and sensitive skin can occur in all skin types.
A simple trick for skin type identification: Wash your face and remove grease and make-up thoroughly, dry lightly and then wait two hours before applying skin care products. If the skin is tight and flaky, you will have dry skin. If it shines and feels oily, you suffer from oily skin. If you notice both shiny and scaly spots in different areas of the face, you have combination skin. None of that? You're lucky, you have normal skin. But unfortunately it is by no means enough to determine the correct skin type, the skin condition (irritated, dehydrated or inflamed) also plays an important role. And this can change due to external and internal stresses, such as humidity and temperature or hormone fluctuations and incorrect nutrition. Cosmetics that provide perfect care in winter, for example, can have exactly the opposite effect in summer.
Anyone who is unsure about skin type should consult a specialist. Dermatologists and cosmetic institutes have special devices and probes for skin diagnosis and can thus measure skin moisture and skin fat.

2. change towels and pillowcases often

Towels are the ideal breeding ground for fungi and bacteria. They come into contact with all parts of the body and the warm and humid climate in the bathroom promotes the formation of harmful germs. Through sweating and breathing, we lose about 250-400 ml of water in 8 hours of sleep. Sweat, sebum and dead skin cells are deposited on the bed linen and provide an ideal breeding ground for fungi and bacteria.
The best protection against the transmission of germs to the skin is to change towels and bed linen regularly. Washcloth after each use, towels every two days, bed linen after one week at the latest. Too much effort? A simple trick: textiles equipped with silver ions effectively prevent germ formation and can be used over a longer period of time.

3. clean make-up utensils

If you like to apply make-up often, you should clean all brushes and make-up sponges after one week at the latest. Skin oil combines on the utensils with make-up residues and ensures a germination within a short time. This can quickly lead to impurities and irritations as well as prolonged inflammations. For cleaning the brushes and sponges no special cleaner is necessary, a mild shampoo or soap does the same.

4. use shower gel after the conditioner

Not only the facial skin can be affected by annoying impurities and pimples. Many people also suffer from impurities in the décolleté and on the back. One reason for this can be conditioners, hair masks and the like. These care for our hair with oils and silicones and form a light protective film against harmful external influences. After washing out, this protective film also deposits on our skin. What is desired for the hair can lead to clogged pores and pimples on the skin. A simple trick: Only after rinsing the body with a mild shower gel soap to free the skin from conditioner residues. The same applies to leave-in and styling products. Avoid contact with the skin at all costs.

5. do not use fabric softener

Fabric softener makes our towels soft and fluffy and lets our clothes smell pleasantly. In order to achieve this effect, it must not be washed out. It deposits as a light film on the fibres of the textiles and is transferred to the skin with every contact. Skin impurities, irritations and allergies can result. If you don't want to do without fabric softeners, you should use products that are suitable for sensitive skin and follow the dosage recommendations exactly.
A simple trick for fluffy laundry: pour 60 ml of household vinegar into the washing machine after the main wash. Vinegar washes residues from laundry that otherwise make it stiff and has properties that dissolve minerals found in hard water.