Chicken soup for the skin

Everyone knows that having good skin is the base for everything that you put on top of it. This backdrop is more important than wearing any high-end makeup products. Most of it is obviously due to our genetic disposition, but there are certain things which really make a huge difference, most of which you've heard reiterated many times over from many different sources:

1) Sleep - What I've learned is not merely the hours of sleep, but the timing. My mom has drilled it into my head that our body detoxes from 11 pm - 1 am, and that's why you should be sleeping during that time to maximize the beauty benefits. (She studies the human body, skincare, beauty, etc.) I used to brush it off as my mom nagging me, but I've found that even if I sleep for six hours or less, if I sleep early, I wake up with clearer, softer skin with a glow. Plus my under-eye circles are definitely less severe.2) Keeping your head elevated - I think many people overlook the importance of a good pillow. When you sleep on a mushy pillow without enough support, it's much easier for your face to retain water and you will be more likely to wake up with puffy eyelids or a bloated face, neither of which makes you feel like looking in the mirror first thing in the morning. Get a semi-solid pillow (or several) that will keep your head up! Quick fix: I sometimes stack one or two thick towels under my pillow, but make sure you're getting enough support for your neck.

3) Drinking water - Enough said, I don't need to say much about it. When I had my clearest skin, I was drinking about 11-14 glasses of water a day (not because I like water, but it was the only way to stay warm :( ). However, I wouldn't say it makes as big of a difference as 1) and 2).

4) Moisturize - I had pretty bad acne during high school and still get a few pimples here and there now. Back then, I always thought I shouldn't use heavy moisturizers to clog up my pores and make things worse. However, my favorite moisturizer became Clinique's Dramatically Different Lotion. It soon became my HG at the time because my skin would clear up when I used it alone and healed my most flaky, stubborn spots. I can totally see why it was so popular. I've come to realize that I actually have more dry skin than combo (which I had previously thought), and that as long as I keep my skin thoroughly moisturized, it really helps keep pimples at bay. I haven't used Clinique for many years not because I don't like it, but because I'm a product slut - however, Eucerin's Aquaphor is great for eczema and pesky flakes and is popular among celebrities and makeup artists alike.

5) The Pill - I know it's always better to be natural and avoid eating medicines of any sort, but sometimes, you can follow every other beauty tip to a T and still have bad skin. It can be very discouraging, and there were days I wouldn't want to go out because of a bad breakout. Instead of going for Accutane, I tried Diane-35 - and WOW, honestly if I could say there was only one thing that has never failed to clear up my skin despite working 100-hour workweeks and being stressed out of my tree at school, this is it. I have recommended it to many of my gf's and I keep a stash of these for when things start to get out of control - effects show up after the first month and last for several months even after I stop. Talk to your physician before taking any form of medication.

Prices: Cdn $2x / pack from pharmacies (such as Shopper's Drug Mart or Save on Foods), HKD 100 / pack (I get mine from a pharmacy near HMV in Tsim Sha Tsui), ~HKD 50 from pharmacies in Thailand (I stock up whenever someone goes to Thailand - the Thai version is shown above)

Don't forget (I get lazy sometimes)...