While it is no secret – your skin is the single largest organ in your body – sometimes it can be extremely difficult to keep it looking and feeling its absolute best! Whether you are seeking skin care advice for skin disorders, protection, or cosmetic purposes, the following tips and tricks are an excellent starting point.

You can use honey to help keep your skin soft and supple. You can apply honey to your face as a mask or put it in your bath water for a whole body moisturizer. If you are using it as a mask simply put a small amount on your face, let it dry for 15 minutes, and then wash it off. In order to use it in the bath, simply put 1/4 to 1/2 cup in the water as your running it, so it dissolves. 

For clear skin, do more laundry — specifically, wash your bed linens. The oils and dirt from your skin are transferred to your pillow case while you sleep, so regularly washing your bed linens, especially your pillow case, prevents you from putting dirt and oil back on your skin every time you go to bed. Wash your pillow case every other day and your bed sheets at least once a week.

Egg whites are effective in reducing the redness of acne scarring. Separate the white from the yolk, and whip it until it stiffens up slightly. Liberally apply all over your face, and allow it to harden. This should take about 15 minutes. After washing it off, you will notice that it has eased the redness. Not only that, egg whites help to tighten up your pores, giving your skin a much smoother look.

Sunburn is bad for the skin and is just as bad for your lips. If your lips get really chapped use an old toothbrush to gently scrape the old skin away. It will smooth your lips and leave them looking smooth again much faster than letting them heal on their own or just using chapstick.

To keep your skin looking its best, avoid consuming excessive alcoholic beverages. People who consume more than one alcoholic drink per day are significantly more prone to dull, lifeless-looking skin, noticeably larger pores, and even increased oil production. Alcohol intake can also affect quality of sleep, which can cause dark under-eye circles and uneven skin tone.

Hair removal often comes with an unwanted result: ingrown hairs. After you wax or shave, exfoliate the area with a loofa or an over-the-counter scrub each time you take a shower. Make sure to scrub the skin for at least thirty seconds. Moisturize with aloe vera gel afterward. This will prevent ingrown hairs from forming.

When you take a shower, you should use a brush to clean your body off. These brushes allow you to peel away the grey layer of dead skin on the outside of your body, keeping your body looking great and healthy. Use a brush to keep your skin healthy.

Use a dry, soft, natural bristly brush, to give yourself a dry brush exfoliation treatment. Gently brush it across your entire face to eliminate dead skin before a shower. It decreases puffiness and increases blood circulation. Do this each morning and you will see tremendous results in the look of your skin.

Make sure to eat healthy foods to keep your skin looking healthy, too. When it comes to your skin, you really are what you eat. Be sure to eat lots of lean proteins, whole grains, vegetables and fruits, to nourish your skin so that it will stay vibrant and younger looking.

Regular soap might be doing you more harm than good if your skin tends to be very dry. Most soaps are very drying, so use a moisturizing wash for your body. The main ingredient in bubble bath is also very drying on your skin, so avoid it if possible. Instead of using bubble bath, use an oatmeal bath treatment to sooth your skin. Using a moisturizing lotion before you dress can also help.

Remember to use a moisturizer each day. Moisturizers lock moisture into the skin, which is very beneficial, especially during the cold winter seasons, in which skin can be damaged by the dry air and cold temperatures. Common lotions that you can find in local drug stores act as great moisturizers.

Use witch hazel to soothe inflamed or itchy skin. Look for witch hazel that is NOT distilled and contains five to ten percent witch hazel leaf extract. Unfortunately the distilled version which is widely distributed has very little healing property. Find a health food store to purchase your witch hazel.

To keep the skin on your neck as healthy as the skin on your face, use the same cleansing, toning and moisturizing products on your neck, that you do on your face. Your neck can actually age more quickly than your face, so don’t stop your daily skin care routine at your chin.

If you apply makeup often, make sure that you wash your brushes at least once a week. Oil and dead skin can get caught in these brushes, as you do not want this to be transferred to your skin on a daily basis. Take this into consideration to maximize the health of your skin.

Wear sunscreen religiously and stay out of sun as much as possible if you are suffering from a breakout. The UV rays of the sun will increase redness and inflammation in your skin. If you are using acne medication, your skin can also become more sensitive to the light of the sun.

Now that you are more familiar with some of the tips and tricks used to protect, maintain, and improve the texture, tone, and appearance of your skin, apply this information to your daily skin care regimen. Take good care of your skin! Someone has to look out for your largest organ! Your time and effort, doing so, will be well spent!