Soothing irritated skin can be as simple as using natural products, staying hydrated, and making minor lifestyle adjustments.

Check out these five natural skin care tips that can help get your skin back on track.

No matter the time of year, there’s always a point in each season when my skin decides to cause me issues. While these skin issues can vary, I find the most common issues to be:

  • dryness
  • acne
  • redness

As for the why, sometimes it’s down to a sudden change in weather, while other times the change is a result of stress from a looming work deadline or just getting off a long-haul flight.

Regardless of the reason though, I always try to apply the most natural and holistic remedies possible to help soothe my irritated skin.

If you find yourself in a similar situation and want to know how I get my skin back to looking stellar, you can find my tried and tested top five tips, below.

My first go-to is making sure I’m drinking enough water. I find it helps with just about anything and everything when my skin is acting up, though this is especially the case when the issue is specifically dryness or acne.

Water helps to hydrate the skin and helps to prevent dehydration lines that can crop up on the face, which look a bit like wrinkles.

While it varies from person to person, I try to get at least 3 liters of water daily, though even more if my skin is looking a little rough.

For me, I tend to avoid foods that can cause me inflammation, such as gluten, dairy, and sugar on a regular basis. I find that these can cause acne as well as a host of other skin issues.

When I keep to a primarily plant-based diet, my skin glows.

That said, when my skin is acting up, I go to my favorite “beauty foods” which are the foods I know make my skin feel and look its best.

My favorites are:

  • Papaya.
    I love this fruit because it’s packed with vitamin A, which can potentially
    help reduce your risk of developing acne and vitamin E, which can help you to
    maintain your skins appearance and overall health. It’s
    also rich in vitamin C, which can help to promote collagen production.
  • Kale.
    This green leafy veg contains vitamin C and lutein, a carotenoid and
    antioxidant that can potentially help with dryness.
  • Avocado.
    I opt for this delicious fruit for its good fats, which
    can make your skin feel more supple.

Find your own beauty foods by taking note of what you’re eating when your skin is looking its best.

Getting a sufficient amount of Zzz’s is a must, especially if my skin is not looking its best — roughly seven to nine hours a night.

Whether it’s brightness or acne, getting a good night’s sleep has the potential to help with these concerns. Remember: A sleep-deprived body is a stressed out body, and a stressed out body will release cortisol. This can result in everything from fine lines to acne.

What’s more, your skin generates new collagen while you sleep, which can help to prevent premature aging. So before you give the bone broth trend a whirl, you should try to improve your sleep habits first.

I love a good sweat, especially if acne or pimples are the main issue. While it may seem counterintuitive to sweat — either through exercise or even an infrared sauna — your pores open up and release the buildup inside of them. This can help to prevent breakouts.

Much like getting enough sleep, working out also has the added skin benefit of lowering stress, which can result in less cortisol production.

When my skin is acting up with signs of dryness or acne, I love using honey-based products, or even just straight honey as a remedy.

This ingredient is great because it’s not only antibacterial and antimicrobial, but also humectant — moisturizing — as well!

Often I’ll make a honey-based mask at home that I’ll leave on for 30 minutes before washing it off.

The bottom line

Everything is connected, so if your skin is acting up, it’s trying to tell you something.

For this reason I like to take a more holistic approach to helping my skin heal. So next time your skin is having a rough time, consider adding one or two of these ideas to your daily routine.

Kate Murphy is an entrepreneur, yoga teacher, and natural beauty huntress. A Canadian now who now lives in Oslo, Norway, Kate spends her days — and some evenings — running a chess company with the World Champion of chess. On the weekends she’s sourcing out the latest and greatest in the wellness and natural beauty space. She blogs at Living Pretty, Naturally, a natural beauty and wellness blog that features natural skin care and beauty product reviews, beauty-enhancing recipes, eco-beauty lifestyle tricks, and natural health information. She’s also on Instagram.