Having smooth skin may seem like one of the hardest things to achieve, especially if you have been trying for a long time. And if you are prone to acne, you know what a chore this can be. But it may not be so hard to know how to make your skin look smooth; you may have just been going about it the wrong way.
For example, if you have regular outbreaks of acne, and you wash your face with a cloth, you may have inadvertently been aggravating it.
What kind of cloth do you use? How often do you wash your face? Do you go with hot or cold water? What skincare products do you use? And what type of skin do you have?
And there is the all-important skincare routine you use. There are some that are the best to follow. But just like there is no one type of skin, one type of routine may not fit everyone.
If you don’t have one already, this article will teach you its importance and what it takes. You can personalize it or follow an effective but general routine.
These are some of the questions that can lead you in the right direction to get your skin looking great.
Table of Contents
What Makes for Smooth Skin?
The following are some of the factors that contribute to smooth skin:
- Skin type
- Skincare routine
- Using makeup
Let us look at each factor in full.
Skin Type
How does your skin type affect the smoothness of your skin?
Your skin type affects the smoothness of your skin in different ways. You need to know what type of skin you have and you need to know how to care for it. You also need to know what skincare products work best for it.
Skin types range from dry to oily. You could have very dry, dry, normal, sensitive or oily skin. You could also have combination skin, which could be a combination of oily and dry skin, dry and sensitive, oily and sensitive and so on.
For some, it is difficult to know where your skin type truly lies and this makes finding the perfect products hard.
Having a good knowledge of this will inform you on the cleanser or face wash, toner (optional) and moisturizer to go for. Always look at the label of the product you want to buy, to ascertain if it is fit for your skin.
Skincare Routine
What are the basic steps for an effective skincare routine?
The basic steps for an effective skincare routine are cleansing, moisturizing, toning and exfoliating.
Toning is optional, especially if you have dry skin. And exfoliating can be done 2-3 times every week. But you must moisturize and cleanse, especially if you use makeup a lot.
Many people don’t know this but a good skincare routine is an important part of making your skin look smooth.
This helps to get your skin acquainted to the products and a certain type of pampering at different times of the day.
Make sure you maintain a regular skincare routine that works for your skin type.
It is part of the process that feeds good nutrients to your skin and encourages collagen production, which keeps your skin plump and young-looking.
What to Do…
It is important you wash your face two times a day, to remove the dirt accumulated during the day. You do this once in the early morning and once at night before going to bed.
Always choose the right cleanser or scrub for your face. Seeing as the facial skin is delicate, it is important to keep the facial treatment mild and easy.
Then, exfoliate. This will ensure that there are no residues of dead skin cells to keep your products from being effective.
Moisturizing is an important part of the whole deal, especially for dry skin. If you are truly looking for smoother skin, then moisture plays a major role in giving you this. It keeps the skin plump, creates a protective barrier to keep pollutants out and traps moisture within the skin for longer periods.
Moreover, it is known to sit well under makeup, be it washable makeup, waterproof makeup or mineral makeup.
Additionally, protect your skin from sun rays as much as possible. The effect of UVA and UVB rays to your skin is fatal if not checked. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a value of not less than 30 any time you have to step out under the sun or have a prolonged stay under it.
Using Makeup
How does makeup contribute to having smooth skin?
Makeup contributes to having smooth skin through its ability to mask blemishes and uneven skin tone. When you are in a hurry to hide any skin issue, using makeup is one of the first and best ways to do this.
Using the right concealers, primers, foundations and bronzers will give your skin a glass-like smoothness that seems to evade many. You will have that look as long the right products are used and the makeup is properly done.
But there are some downsides to this method. It takes a lot of time daily to achieve this. And the effect is not permanent. It will go off at the end of the day.
Plus, you will have to spend so much money on makeup products. If you are going to use them so much every day, you are going to run out quickly and have to replace frequently.
Additionally, you will have to touch up several times during the day so the smoothness doesn’t wear off halfway through.
Check out these interesting skincare product reviews/articles:
Clean and Clear® Acne Triple Clear Exfoliating Facial Scrub – Detailed Review
AcneFree Acne Cleanser – In-depth Review
Clean & Clear Blackhead Eraser Facial Scrub – Extensive Review
Bioré Charcoal Acne Scrub – Honest Review
Humane Acne Treatment Face and Body Wash – Honest Review
Neutrogena Naturals Purifying Daily Facial Cleanser – Detailed Review
The Natural Route
Apart from using the best skincare products, you could opt to go the natural way. For some people, using natural ingredients have proved most effective and you could be among them.
Here is a list of the natural steps to take for smooth skin:
- Water
- Aloe vera
- Milk, honey and sugar scrub
Drink about 4 litres of water daily, at least. This helps hydrate the skin from within, even though it has not been scientifically proven. However, you find that when you drink water regularly, you look and feel generally better.
Use aloe vera to moisturize and combat excess oil. It is particularly effective for oily and acne-prone skin to keep the production of oil checked.
You could also try a mixture of milk, honey and sugar as a face treatment. These ingredients are powerful anti-inflammatory agents and antioxidants. Some of the best skincare treatments contain two or all of them.
It doesn’t all have to be chemicals and synthetic materials, even though these are easier to handle. Naturally-derived methods work, too. Besides, you side with nature when you go this route.
Video: See How It Is Done
This video gives honest-to-goodness tips on how to get and maintain clear skin…
How Can I Get Smooth Skin Overnight?
There are few simple things you can do if your skin has a sudden blemish attack or you need it to look smooth for the next day:
- Wash your face and shower
- Use a mild cleanser
- Moisturize
- No touching of face
- Sleep well
Wash Your Face and Shower
Never skip washing your face or showering every night with warm water, not hot. Hot water strips the skin of protective natural oils and dries it out. Warm water gets the grime out without drying out your skin.
Use a Mild Cleanser
Use a mild cleanser suitable for your type of skin. Avoid any cleanser that could strip your skin of oils and nutrients. And choose one that is suitable for both face and body.
Moisturize
And always use a moisturizer, even if your skin is oily. It helps with smoothening the skin and keeping it hydrated. Plus it will help with making your skin dewy and supple overnight.
No Touching of Face
Make sure you keep your hands away from your face once you are done with your routine.
Sleep Well
Get a good night’s sleep, free of interruptions. Little else works like a good sleep. Apart from giving you a glow, it helps reduce the appearance of under-eye dark circles.
Additionally, it is important you don’t use too many products so you don’t make matters worse.
How Can I Make My Face Clear and Smooth?
To make your face clear and smooth, do the following:
- Follow a good skincare routine
- Don’t touch your face
- Exfoliate
- Use hypoallergenic products
Follow a Good Skincare Routine
It is important you get used to a good skincare routine, especially one that works for you. If you don’t have one already, create it and stick to it doggedly.
Don’t Touch Your Face
Avoid touching your face constantly, so that you don’t feed it with bacteria and worsen things.
Exfoliate
Exfoliate often to prevent dead skin cells from caking and blocking your pores. Exfoliation also helps to discourage rough skin from appearing.
Use Hypoallergenic Products
If you are prone to acne, use hypoallergenic cleansers and face washes. And also incorporate salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide into your regular routine, whichever works for you. These are known to combat acne-causing bacteria and reduce inflammation. Your skin will be all the better.
Like most other things, time is important in achieving this. If you are looking for how to make your skin look smooth, you need to remember this.
How to Make Your Skin Look Smooth – Related Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Shrink Pores Permanently?
You cannot shrink pores permanently. You can only make shrink them temporarily or make them appear smaller. This is because the size of your pores is mostly decided by your genes. So while you may have large pores, some others have small skin pores naturally.
But you don’t want to shrink your pores permanently. Why? The reason is simple: skin pores allow sebum to come to the skin’s surface from its gland.
Sebum keeps your skin well-oiled so it does not completely dry out. Else, you will have a problem on your hands: overly dry skin. This is one of the reasons why people who have oily skin tend to have larger pores.
How Can I Shrink My Pores?
To shrink your pores, do the following:
- Cleanse daily
- Exfoliate regularly
- Use sunscreen
- Keep away from oil-based skincare products
- No makeup with shimmer
- Keep hands away from your face
Cleansing daily will free your pores from dirt and old oil. These contribute to clog your pores and give them an enlarged look.
Exfoliating regularly works the same as cleansing daily, except that you don’t exfoliate daily but 2-3 times every week. It clears away dead skin cells that make the skin tired and enlarge the pores.
Sun can make the pores bigger. So wearing sunscreen will protect the skin from the damages of the sun.
Oil-based skincare products will increase oil on your skin and consequently enlarge your pores by filling and stretching them. But oil-based cleansers are not bad because oil on the face dissolves well in oil, unlike oil on the skin.
Makeup with shimmer announces large pores; it makes them very obvious, instead of hidden.
Touching your face will cause germs to transfer on it. This will give you a breakout or some other skin condition.
What Are the 4 Types of Skin?
The 4 types of skin are:
- Dry
- Normal
- Combination
- Oily
It is important to note here that external factors like lifestyle and the environment can greatly affect skin type. What does this mean? Normal skin can become very dry if the environment encourages it, as an example.
Dry skin is skin that does not produce enough sebum to keep it well-balanced.
Normal skin is the balanced skin, having enough sebum to keep it lubricated but not too much to cause breakouts.
Combination skin is a mixture of different skin types.
Oily skin is skin that produces more sebum than it needs, causing too much oil to appear on the skin.
How Do I Get Rid of Tiny Bumps?
Here are some steps to follow to get rid of tiny bumps:
- Don’t touch or pick them. It does not help but infects them and spreads the breakout.
- Keep your face clean always. This will help with any infection-causing germs.
- Use cleansers or scrubs with anti-inflammatory properties. This will eliminate redness, itching and any other irritation.
- Use topical creams and ointments. You don’t need a prescription for that.
- Visit a dermatologist. This is the best step to take as a dermatologist is in the best position to recommend or prescribe medication.
What Should I Eat to Clear My Skin?
The following are some classes of food that help clear your skin:
- Legumes
- Whole grains
- Unprocessed vegetables
- Vitamins
Eat foods rich in Vitamin C, which is a powerful antioxidant. Antioxidants help with the inflammation on the skin. So antioxidants will come in handy. Vitamin E and A are also great for getting clear skin.
Seafood such as mackerel and salmon and fruits such as oranges and grapes will give you these vitamins.
Additionally, eat legumes, whole grains and unprocessed vegetables. Examples include peas, beans, brown rice, carrots, nuts and tomatoes.
Others include turkey, lettuce, lentils, carrots, pumpkin seeds and sweet potatoes.
How Can I Look Beautiful Naturally?
To look beautiful naturally:
- Follow a strict skincare routine. it must include the basics which are cleansing, exfoliating, moisturizing and toning. But toning is optional.
- Eat right. Avoid junk food and alcohol. Stick to fruits, legumes, vegetables and white meat.
- Keep your brows well-tended. Bushy brows tend to make you look unkempt, no matter what else you have going for you.
- Sleep well. Take the right sleeping position and sleep for 7 hours, at least. If you can, take siestas. Sleep does wonders for the skin.
- Exercise. This will help give you a toned body.
- Maintain a healthy lifestyle. Don’t smoke and keep your consumption of alcohol to the tiniest. These two things dry out the skin a lot.
