Originally posted on Shannon’s Blog.

Beautifully flawless and glowy skin is always high on a lot of our agendas but despite washing our faces daily and implementing a vigorous skincare routine, sometimes it doesn’t seem to be doing the trick.

It appears that some simple life changes could actually be the answer to brighter skin rather than overpriced serums, moisturizers and who knows what else.

Having done my research, I have found the best 7 easy lifestyle changes that you could make to visibly improve your skin.

1. Drink More Water

For many of us drinking anywhere near the daily recommended amount of water is a big challenge – some might even call it a chore.

So whilst this may be a bit of challenge, especially as you need to take more bathroom breaks at work, drinking more water is the oldest trick in the book for improving your skin. Hydrating from the inside out, it will also help to reduce skin toxins and improve blood flow giving your dullish skin some life back.

2. Take Your Makeup Off

Yes, even when you come home after a big Friday night out at 4 am, taking your makeup off to the best of your ability is significantly important. And no, this means more than using a face wipe.

Okay, I admit cleansing etc. intoxicated can be left for one time, but every other night of the week, investing some time in cleaning out your pores will be very beneficial.

3. Clean Your Phone Screen

If you take a sec to think about how much contact you have with your phone every day and then think about how often you clean your phone, and you may get a little grossed out. I would say that it is worthwhile investing in some anti-bact wipes or something along a similar line to keep your phone screen as clean as can be.

4. Lay Off The Cheese

Dairy is a big part of many people’s diets but unfortunately for you, consuming a lot of your favourite cheeses and adding *more* cream to your dessert is not helping your skin one bit.

No, I am not saying cutting that you should cut out all dairy products but to reduce your intake and swap to some dairy-free alternatives could do the trick. As a vegetarian, soya milk and other swaps have proven to have a massive effect on my complexion and I would highly recommend just giving it a try.

5. Exercise

Not only does exercise make you happier and more energised, it also makes you sweat like a crazy person. Whilst being a red hot sweaty mess might not be your favourite idea, when you learn that sweating allows the pores to release toxins, it might make it seem worth it right?

Exercise is also proven to lower stress and increase collagen production, which both reduces breakouts and slows skin aging, which I think we can all get on board with.

6. Regularly Change Your Pillowcases

I think it’s a given that we all change our bedsheets regularly, but changing your pillowcases even more regularly will have a great effect on your skin’s appearance. Pillowcases tend to collect and hon onto a lot of bacteria from sweat, makeup and hair, therefore investing time in creating the best sleeping environment for your face will go a long way.

For extra skin points, investing in a silk pillowcase would do wonders, as they are proven to help skin retain moisture so the skin doesn’t overproduce oils and block the pores. Cool huh.

7. Fit In More Sleep

Now that you have exercised and sorted out your pillowcases, you should be ready for a great night’s sleep. On average, the 8 hours’ worth of sleep that is recommended is not achieved by many, but if you know that your skin will get the benefits, it might give you a bigger incentive to hit the sack earlier.

If I go science on you for a sec, I’ll explain: by sleeping for the correct amount of time encourages cortisol levels to decrease, preventing inflammation and less puffiness. Therefore, getting your beauty sleep is legit, science says so.

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Words Shannon Mountford.