Natural Skincare Tips for Healthy and Radiant Skin
Start with a mild cleanser, moisturiser, and sunscreen for your daily routine. Choose each product for your skin type. Adding several serums or masks can irritate your skin.
These tips focus on daily routines for adult skin. A dermatologist is a doctor who treats skin problems.
In this article
Read the label before choosing a product
A natural label cannot tell you how your skin will respond. Plant ingredients can still cause allergic reactions.
For dry or sensitive skin, choose products with a fragrance-free label. Some unscented products hide smells with ingredients that can still irritate skin.
Dry skin: Choose a cream or ointment for rough, flaky areas. Both add more moisture than a thin lotion.
Oily skin: Choose a light, oil-free moisturiser, even when your face looks shiny. Look for non-comedogenic, a label for products less likely to clog pores. Pores are tiny openings on the skin surface.
Combination skin: Your face may have both dry and oily areas. Use a richer cream on dry cheeks and a lighter moisturiser on oily areas.
Your morning and evening routine
Wash your face with lukewarm water and a mild cleanser. Spread it gently with your fingertips, then rinse and pat dry. Avoid harsh face washes and rough cloths that make your skin sting.
Morning: After washing, apply moisturiser while your skin remains slightly damp. Once your skin dries, apply sunscreen before going outdoors.
Evening: Remove makeup and gently wash your face before bed. Then smooth on your cream while your skin remains slightly damp. Wash your face up to twice daily, and after heavy sweating.
Long, hot showers can worsen dry skin. Use warm water and limit showers to 5–10 minutes. For dry hands, wear gloves when washing dishes. After each hand wash, rub cream onto your damp skin.
Sunscreen: what to choose and how to apply it
Choose a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher. SPF describes how well sunscreen protects your skin from sunburn. Broad-spectrum sunscreen protects against UVA and UVB, the sun rays that damage skin.
- Amount: For your face, the American Academy of Dermatology recommends at least 1 teaspoon. Use more to cover your neck, ears, and other exposed skin.
- Timing: Apply sunscreen about 15 minutes before going outside, including on cloudy days.
- Reapplication: Reapply every 2 hours outdoors, and straight after swimming or sweating.
Mineral sunscreens use zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, or both as active ingredients. Tinted sunscreen with iron oxide also protects against visible light from the sun. That light can worsen dark spots in people with darker skin.
Seek shade and cover your skin with clothing and a wide-brimmed hat. Avoid replacing sunscreen with coconut oil or homemade mixtures. Homemade sunscreen lacks tests to confirm how well it protects your skin.
Test new products before using them widely
Add one new product at a time. If your skin reacts, fewer changes make the cause easier to find. Avoid ingredients that have caused a skin reaction before.
- 1Choose the area: Use a coin-sized area inside your arm or at your elbow crease. Apply the same thickness you would use normally.
- 2Repeat the test: Test each new product on the same patch twice daily for 7–10 days. For cleansers, follow the label instructions about when to rinse.
- 3Watch your skin: Wash off the product if itching, redness, or swelling develops. Stop using it and seek medical advice for a severe reaction.
After testing without a reaction, use the product as directed. Stop using it if your skin reacts later. For repeat reactions, a skin doctor can arrange tests to find the cause.
Where natural ingredients may help
Colloidal oatmeal for dry, itchy skin
Colloidal oatmeal contains finely ground oats made for use on skin. It can hold moisture in the skin and soothe dry, itchy patches. Look for it in a cream with a fragrance-free label. Avoid oat products if you have an oat allergy.
Coconut oil for dry body patches
Coconut oil can clog pores and worsen acne. Avoid it on acne-prone areas of your face, chest, shoulders, or back.
A small amount may help dry elbows or legs retain moisture. Apply it to those dry areas after a shower.
Aloe vera for added moisture
Aloe can add moisture as an ingredient in skin products. Aloe alone has limited evidence as an acne treatment. Some people develop burning, itching, or rashes after applying aloe gel.
Avoid harsh scrubs and irritating home remedies
Exfoliation removes dead cells from the skin surface. You can leave it out of your routine. Rough scrubs can irritate dry, sensitive, or acne-prone skin.
Avoid exfoliating over open cuts, sunburn, or sore skin. Some acne products cause peeling, and exfoliating can make your skin more sore. Ask your skin doctor before adding scrubs or peels during acne treatment.
Leave lemon and lime juice out of face masks. Juice on skin can react with sunlight, causing redness, blisters, and dark marks. If juice splashes onto your hands while cooking, wash promptly with soap and water.
Avoid applying pure essential oils directly to your skin. Those strong plant extracts can cause soreness or allergic reactions. Tea tree oil has limited evidence for treating acne. Never swallow tea tree oil, even in small amounts.
Prevent germs from entering creams and gels
Wash your hands before dipping fingers into a cream jar. Follow the storage instructions and close containers after each use.
Avoid adding water to thin a cream or make it last longer. Added water can bring in germs and weaken the preservatives. Preservatives are ingredients that limit the growth of harmful germs.
Everyday habits that support skin health
Eat varied meals with vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and protein. Include familiar protein foods, such as lentils, beans, eggs, or fish. Most healthy adults should aim to get nutrients from food. A doctor may suggest supplements if you lack certain nutrients.
Drink water throughout the day, with meals and after exercise. Drinking more water alone may have little effect on dry skin.
Stress can worsen acne and make your skin more sensitive. Sleep, exercise, and hobbies you enjoy can help you manage stress. On a busy parenting day, try a short walk or ask for help.
If you smoke, ask your doctor about support to quit. Smoking can cause wrinkles and make skin age sooner.
When to contact a skin doctor
Get emergency help for trouble breathing or swallowing after a skin reaction. Seek emergency help if your eyes or lips swell with a rash.
Contact a doctor for a painful rash, blisters, or a rash that spreads quickly. A rash with fever also needs a doctor. Seek medical advice for a rash around the eyes, lips, mouth, or genitals.
Book an appointment if dry skin persists despite gentle washing and regular moisturiser. Also seek advice for ongoing acne or repeated product reactions. A skin doctor can find the cause and suggest treatment.
