By ALENA HANSON

Contributing Writer

As young adults, skincare is vital. 

It’s important for skin to be taken care of in one’s 20’s rather than later in life when it’s already too late. 

It’s no secret that college is stressful, but stress is not a reason to neglect the care of one’s skin. 

Though puberty is the most common time in people’s lives to expect breakouts, it can happen at any time. 

Acne, however, is not the only issue to consider when it comes to skincare. 

Other issues such as discoloration, drying out of the skin and, of course, sun damage are also risks to keep in mind.

Here are a few tips on how to manage skincare:

1. Drink lots of water. Water will detox the body and make sure skin is hydrated. 

2. Ladies, do not go to sleep with makeup on. Yes, it was beautiful yesterday. 

But, overnight those cells that need to be renewed are unable to do so if makeup is left on. It is important to let the skin breathe.  

3. One should wash his or her face at night and in the morning. It is tempting to just hop up, put on clothes and head to class. Start and end the day with a fresh face. 

4. Do not smoke. This topic is nothing new, but smoking will age the skin faster. 

Skin yellowing and thinning are not something any college student should be worrying about, so put down the cigarettes. 

5. Wear sunscreen and moisturize. Put it on to simply protect against harmful sunrays that can cause cancer and sun spots. 

A daily moisturizer will help in the long run, preventing wrinkles and drying out of the skin. 

Some affordable, yet effective, facial-washer and moisturizer brands are Aveeno, Neutrogena and Biore. 

Keep in mind that tons of money does not have to be spent to keep skin clean. 

6. Keep cellphone screen clean. Not only are there germs but grime from daily life on the screen, including fingerprints, oils, makeup, skin cells and even plain old dirt. 

Cleaning it will result in healthy and clean skin. 

A huge thing that keeps skin glowing and clear is decreasing stress levels. 

Stress in college is unavoidable. 

According to mayoclinic.org, “to encourage healthy skin and a healthy state of mind, take steps to manage your stress. Set reasonable limits, scale back your to-do list and make time to do the things you enjoy.” 

There are many factors that could bring about bad skin. Do not let stress add to all that. 

Be confident and enjoy being a young person with clear skin. 

Worrying about breakouts and redness will increase the stress that life already brings, so just take the steps to have exceptional skincare and make sure to keep that youthful glow.