Four Simple Steps to Nicer Skin

The most important part of any beauty routine is skin care. It doesn't matter how much makeup you use or what type of foundation you buy if your skin is a mess. Obviously some people have been more blessed in the skin department than others. Trust me though, even those girls with seemingly flawless skin have something they struggle with.

I have personally never struggled with acne. Not even during puberty or as a teenager. I never, and i mean never, wore make up when i was a teenager. When I did get a pimple, the whole entire world might as well have been ending. I remember my first pimple very clearly (no pun intended)...

I was about nine or ten. I know that seems young for zits, but I was cursed. My mum was at work and her roommate was watching television in the living area. I was in my bedroom, probably making believe that I was Lydia Deetz or putting all five-million of my Pixietails in my hair or something, when I noticed a little red bump on my shoulder. Hmmm... curious. So I sauntered on into the living room screaming, "Anne! Anne!!!!! There is something on my shoulder!" She took one look at it and calmly brushed it off saying, "Oh, jeez. It's only a pimple."

A PIMPLE? A MOTHER BLEEPING PIMPLE!???!????

I stormed back to my room, threw myself on the bed, and screamed and cried hysterically for hours. So what if I was a melodramatic child? Shut up.

And that is how it continues to go today. My skin stays clear for three weeks out of the month, and then when my visitor arrives, she brings a friend. An intrusive, uninvited friend who makes herself at home right on my face.

I know. Boohoo. Poor Melissa and her clear skin. But oh, my dear readers, there is a trade off. Let's start off with the fact that I am highly photosensitive. Seriously. When I was a little girl I couldn't even play in the sun for more than ten minutes without hopping on the express train to puke-ville. I currently have permanent sun damage on my left arm and part of my chest, all because I thought, "Meh... I'm going to be in the car and I only need to make it to the Boston toll. I can just put on sun block when I get there." Boy, was I wrong. So while my darling father walks around with his Seneca blood, and my dear mum looks like a bronzed, Italian goddess, I am left looking like Wednesday Addams. When I was in elementary school, people even called me Wednesday. It probably would have hurt my feelings if I wasn't such a weird kid.

So apart from making paper look tan, the older I get the worse my rosacea gets. A lot of people comment on my rosy cheeks. They all think it's just precious. "Oh, look at you. You are strawberries and cream! How Pretty! Oh, you look just like Snow White!" You know what?  I don't feel like Snow White. I feel like Raggedy effing Ann. I might as well pull out a tube of Russian Red and draw two giant circles on my face.

So you see, there is always something. And if you are blessed with effortlessly flawless skin, well, for starters your are probably in elementary school, and if you are not... well, it will catch up with you. I don't care if your face feels like a fluffy bunny sleeping on a baby's behind. Take. Care. Of. Your. Skin! This is not something you need expensive lotions and potions for. 

Here are four super easy, super cheap (or free) things you can do every day to promote clear and healthy skin...

UNO: Drink water.
I'm not talking about sipping the same bottle of water all day either. I am talking the recommended eight + glasses a day. I don't care if you have to get up five-hundred times to go pee. I pee all dang day. Just ask my co-workers! But drinking this water will help hydrate your skin and your body. It also helps flush toxins from your body, which is awesome for your skin and good for you in general. I drink two glasses immediately upon waking as part of my Ayurvedic routine, but that's another story.

DUE: Wash Your Face Before Bed
Ladies... Gents... Do not go to bed with your make-up on. Wash your face even if you don't use cosmetics. Do you know what kind of grimy crap creeps its way onto your beautiful mug during the day? Toxins, dirt and germs. Oh my! Going to bed with your foundation on can clog your pores, and it won't be pretty. Leaving your mascara on can cause your lashes to break. Not to mention your pillow case will look like Dr. Rockso spent the night. C-c-c-clean your face!

TRE: Wear Sunscreen and Moisturizer with SPF
I know you want to look like Snooki, but if you keep frequenting the beach and the tanning beds, you're going to look fifty by the time you're thirty. Not only will you have to walk around looking like Leather Face, you will also increase your chances of permanent sun damage and melanoma. Protecting your face from the sun will cut down on break outs and keep you looking younger longer. I even use sunblock in December.

QUATTRO: Get Your Z's
If I practiced what I preached, I wouldn't be up writing this right now. When you are tired, dark circles form under your eyes. When you are really tired, say like you are lucky to average four hours a night and you have been living this way for like, oh, fifteen years, you get dark circles, bags and wrinkles. I speak from personal experience when I say no amount of ice packs or eye creams will help you once you have reached the point of no return. When you are well rested, it shows.

Now, quit reading this and go take a nap.

xoxo Melissa