Medically reviewed by Minimalist Health Specialist - Written by Sritama Dutta (Medical Science) on 08th Dec 2020
Smooth Skin is Everyone’s Dream. Here’s How You Can Make this a Reality!
What do we mean by skin texture?
When we talk about skin texture, we refer to the condition of the surface of our skin. In simple words, skin texture is the way you feel when you touch your skin. Ideally, the skin is smooth, soft, and plump, but its surface can become rough over time due to various external and internal conditions.
This article will discuss how our skin can become rough and what can be done to get back your skin’s smooth texture. We shall also find out which ingredients can help you in the transformation. So, keep scrolling and get amazed!
What Causes Skin to Become Rough?
Our skin can get rough due to different factors. Daily exposure to sun, dirt, and pollution of the skin leads to the deposition of impurities on the skin, which builds up over time. The dead skin cells that our skin sheds regularly can also accumulate along with the skin’s natural oil. Due to these reasons, our skin can become rough eventually.
Though our skin can naturally renew itself, this process can slow down with advancing age. Also, our skin loses its natural moisture content as we age. Thus, apart from fine lines, wrinkles, and age spots, the skin also becomes dry and rough with age.
But, aging is not the only reason our skin becomes dry. Other factors can play some role too. Certain skin conditions like atopic dermatitis and or psoriasis can also accentuate dry skin by accelerating dead cells’ deposition and impurities. Even our bathing habits can make our skin rough. Using a harsh soap, showering with hot water can strip your skin of its natural moisture.
Can You Transform Textured, Rough Skin to Smooth Skin?
We know, having rough skin can be challenging to manage, but it is not impossible. With little care, you can transform your rough, textured skin to a softer, plumper, and smoother version. Let’s find out what you can do to take care of your wild, dry skin.
1. Antioxidants can help
Our diet not only keeps our system healthy but also has a significant impact on our skin too. What you should include in your daily diet are some antioxidant-rich foods. They have a protective effect on your skin. Foods such as leafy vegetables, yellow and orange-colored fruits, and veggies, and fatty fishes such as salmon are excellent sources of antioxidants.
These antioxidants will help neutralize the free radicals in the skin, which will reduce the risk of developing a lot of diseases. Adding probiotics to the diet has proved that it can help prevent skin conditions like eczema and acne. Antioxidants and probiotics can also protect your skin from the harmful effects of UV rays on the skin.
2. Sweat the Toxins Out
Exercising regularly will not only help you to stay fit and keep in shape but can also help in smoothening your skin. Surprised? The more you sweat while working out/exercising, the more frequently the toxin from your skin will drain out of the skin pores and cleanse the dermal layers. Removal of the skin’s toxins will improve the skin’s cellular composition and make it smoother and younger-looking.
3. Hydrate: It’s a Solution to a Lot of Things
For getting smooth, youthful skin, hydrating your body inside-out is a crucial thing. Drinking lots of water will help in clearing the toxins out of your body. You have to moisturize your skin too. Drinking water and moisturizing your skin with a good quality moisturizer will help you reduce the skin's roughness and make it firm and resilient.
4. Exfoliate: That’s the Thing You Were Looking For
Apart from improving your lifestyle, exfoliation is another go-to solution to get smooth, plump, youthful skin. Regular exfoliation, either with chemical or physical exfoliators, will help clear the dead, challenging, and dried-up superficial layer of the skin and revealed the smoother, younger skin beneath.
5. A Sound Sleep is Necessary Too
Our skin needs proper rest to repair the damages caused by the various external assaults. Thus, you need some sound sleep to help your skin fix itself. Getting enough sleep will increase blood flow in your skin layers and also boost collagen production. This will, in turn, help in repairing the damage of UV rays exposure, reduce signs of aging, and also make the skin smoother and softer.
Worried About Rough Skin? These Ingredients Can Help You Out!
1. Exfoliants: Your Go-To Friend
The first remedy that should come to your mind while looking for a solution to your rough skin is Exfoliants. Scrubbing can help you to slough away the dead skins and debris that builds upon the skin over time. Walnut scrubs, sea salt scrubs, and even sugar can help you in this process.
All you need to do is apply the scrub and rub it in your skin in a circular motion with mild pressure. This will not only exfoliate your skin but also help in unclogging the congested pores. However, this is not something that you can do daily. Dermatologists say that you can safely scrub your face with physical exfoliators once a week to get smooth skin without causing any harm to your delicate skin.
2. Antioxidants Again
Antioxidants can also do wonders to your skin when you apply it topically. So, besides including some antioxidant-rich foods on your plate, bring some antioxidants to your skincare regime too. The most common and affordable antioxidant option is Vitamin C and E. even green tea extract can have excellent antioxidant properties. They will help you reduce the signs of aging in the skin and make your skin healthier and look younger.
3. Alpha Hydroxy Acids
The AHAs are organic acids that are obtained from animals or plants. They have become quite popular in recent years and have crept their way to every women’s skincare kit. Alpha hydroxy acids such as glycolic acid, lactic acid, and citric acid act as a chemical exfoliator that sloughs off the superficial layers of the skin over time, promotes newer cell generation, and improves blood flow.
AHAs can also promote collagen synthesis, which makes the skin firm and increases its elasticity. With regular use, they reduce wrinkles and fine lines and make the skin smoother and plump. AHAs can make the skin brighter as the new skin gets revealed and help get rid of the acne and acne scars.
4. Niacinamide: You cannot have enough of it
If you are a skincare enthusiast, then niacinamide might be your answer to many skincare issues. Being a versatile ingredient, niacinamide helps retain moisture in your skin, give it proper nourishment, and boost collagen generation.
It has been proven that niacinamide with regular usage, can reduce fine lines and wrinkles, help calm inflammation, and help in faster wound healing. What else? Niacinamide can also help in treating several common skincare diseases like dermatitis and psoriasis. It can improve the overall texture of your skin and give you smooth skin.
5. Multipeptide Serums
Multipeptide serum is a newer addition to the skincare industry. They are excellent anti-aging agents. When used regularly, multi-peptide serums can visibly reduce fine lines and wrinkles by inhibiting muscle contraction. It helps in promoting new cell growth, which smoothens the skin texture and makes it appear younger.
The multi-peptide serum promotes the generation of proteins in the skin, helping in its natural repairing process. It can reverse the effects of photodamage and aids in cell revitalization and rejuvenation.
6. Retinoids
According to many skincare experts, retinoids or can have magical effects on the skin when it comes to rough skin. Retinoids are known for boosting cell turnover and improving the synthesis of skin proteins such as collagen and elastin. This, in turn, makes the skin more and more resilient and plump.
Apart from reducing aging signs, retinol can even help achieve even skin tone and treating mild hyperpigmentation and blemishes. Religious use might also help reduce the incidence of breakouts and acne, giving you a genuinely smooth skin surface.
7. Olive Oil
Olive oil is a potent moisturizer that can hydrate your skin by pulling in moisture. However, it is rich in vitamins like Vitamin A, D, E, and K and has antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Olive oil can deeply nourish your skin and help in reversing the effects of sun damage. It can also help in reducing bacteria proliferation on the skin, thus, improving acne. And needless to say, healthy, moisturized, well-nourished skin is smooth and youthful.
8. Rose Water
Rosewater is known as an excellent toner among skincare enthusiasts. It can revitalize the skin by hydrating the dermal layers and cleaning the enlarged pores by flushing out impurities. It also has an astringent action that is helpful in calming inflammation or skin irritation.
The most effective way to use rose water to get smooth skin is using it after steaming your skin. This will promote the process of clearing out the pores, moisturizing to the deeper layers, regenerate cell generation, and ultimately give your skin a refreshed, smooth appearance.
You Might Find Some Magical Remedies in your kitchen!
1. Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is a rich source of natural fatty acids known for its excellent moisturizing qualities. It also has antibacterial properties, which can effectively reduce acne-causing bacterial count. Regular use of coconut oil on dry, rough skin can soften and smooth the skin texture.
Coconut oil also promotes collagen production, which helps in maintaining the elasticity and firmness of the skin. It can reduce signs of aging on the skin and lighten dark patches. You can also add essential oils like lavender oil, tea tree oil, or chamomile to boost its properties and help your rough skin transform into healthy, smooth skin.
2. Milk
Milk has high amounts of lactic acid (an AHA), which acts as a mild cleanse for the skin. It has been seen that even raw milk can remove dead skin cells and stimulate the growth of new cells. All you have to do is apply raw milk on your skin, leave it there for a few minutes & wash it off.
Using milk as a face mask can also reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and give you smooth, younger-looking skin over time.
3. Turmeric
Turmeric is also an excellent exfoliator with antiseptic properties. Using it as a face mask or a mild scrub can help remove blackheads and dead skin cells from the skin's superficial layer. Regular use (at least twice a week) of turmeric is one of the best home remedies for precise, healthy, and smooth skin.
4. Honey
Honey is a natural exfoliant. Applying it on your skin will help you get rid of the rough, dry, dead skin cells that build up over time and reveal smooth skin underneath. Though sticky and messy, this natural sweetening agent can also help in moisturizing the skin. It also has antibacterial, antioxidant as well as anti-inflammatory properties. Honey can reduce acne and breakouts, promote skin revitalization, and give you smooth, youthful, flawless skin.
Final Note:
Smooth skin is everyone’s dream, and achieving that dream is not that difficult now. With this concise guide on taking care of dry, rough skin, we hope you would be able to find the ideal remedy that will suit you the best. Whether you choose active ingredients or natural home remedies, you can get smooth, clear skin with patience and some diligent caretaking.
