7 Small Tweaks to Make to Your Skin that Make the Biggest Difference

Get a tan.

When your skin has color and a bit of bronze to it, you look healthier. But, the real secret as to why tanned skin can make a difference is because it can cover up scars, breakouts and just make your skin look that much better. While we don’t encourage laying out in the sun to get that bronzed glow, self-tanner or a spray tan can create the same effect without any of the risk. 

Use primer with your makeup.

If your skin isn’t prepped just right, your makeup won’t look its best. Applying a primer, like Hourglass Ambient Light Correcting Primer ($44) or Mehron Skin Prep Pro ($14), first, and letting it soak in for five to 10 minutes before putting on your makeup. evens everything out. “Using a primer creates a smooth surface and flawless-looking skin,” says Stephanie Ferreira, marketing and creative director for Mehron. “It not only helps create the perfect canvas for makeup application, but also helps makeup last longer. Whether you want to mattify, blur wrinkles, minimize the appearance of pores or even out skin tone, primers can work wonders.”

Wear sunscreen every single day without fail.

Rule number one for good skin: SPF. It’s the best way to protect the integrity of your skin, limit the appearance of lines and wrinkles and hinder discoloration. Whether you use it as a standalone product—we’re really liking 3LAB WW Day SPF 40 ($385) and Coola Classic Face Sport SPF 50 White Tea Moisturizer ($32)—or a moisturizer that contains SPF (it should have at least a SPF of 30), the benefits of using sunscreen daily definitely outweigh the risks of not wearing it. This is the only way to really protect your skin from the sun, and all that comes along with it, for good. 

Take your vitamins.

Vitamins are crucial for good skin because they provide your body with everything it needs for proper and healthy skin function. “It’s now understood that you can effect just as much change in the skin by feeding it from the inside, as well as the outside,” says Jane Iredale, founder and president of Iredale Mineral Cosmetics. “Change on the skin is more effective and longer-lasting when it reflects overall health. Fortunately, there are now nutritional supplements that target the skin by feeding it the nutrients it needs.” While multivitamins are good, so are vitamins that are formulated to improve the skin, like Jane Iredale Skin Accumax ($115), which targets acne and makes the skin better from the inside out. 

Change the way you use your serum.

Serums are an important step in skin care, but tweaking the way you apply them can make all the difference. Celebrity aesthetician Renee Rouleau says to first put on a serum with vitamins C and E and then your SPF. “Vitamin E along with vitamin C can provide four times the protection of sunblock alone when worn underneath.”

Load up on vitamin B right when you get your period.

We’ve all dealt with the hormone-related breakouts that come along with your period. But this little tweak may make that a thing of the past. Founder of Epionce skin care, Carl Thornfeldt, says to take vitamin B6 oral supplements (of 100 mgs) from the moment you feel your period starting until it ends. “This helps minimize the severity and amount of breakout lesions.”

Roll your skin

At-home microneedling, which can be done with a roller that has small needles on the end of it, can really up the ante in terms of how your skin looks. Microneedling expert Mashell Tabe says, “Use a cosmetic roller because it creates miniature channels in the skin, which allows for better penetration of products.”