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  • Articles, GirlSpring.com, Politics

    We’re at War

    November 5, 2019

    In the America we live in, we don’t taste war daily. We don’t breathe in the aftermath of destruction or taste the wake of death. It’s easy to forget that American troops are officially fighting wars in seven different countries. Under the authority given by the 2002 Authorization for the Use of Military Force to fight al-Qaeda related conflicts, we have operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Libya, and Niger. We have been fighting in Afghanistan for the past 18 years.

    In my lifetime, there has never been a time where the United States hasn’t been at war. I’ve grown up with the understanding that there is always a need for people to enlist in the army, and that there’s no foreseeable end. Why are we still in Afghanistan? It began with the attacks on 9/11, and with Bush’s response.

    •  On September 18, 2001, President George W. Bush signed the joint resolution to authorize the military to use force against those responsible.
    • By December 9, 2001, the Taliban regime collapses with the surrender of Kandahar. 

    In March of 2002, things begin to get a little mixed. Operation Anaconda, with 2000 American troops and 1000 Afghani troops, launches against 800 al-Qaeda members. However, the Pentagon begins to shift our resources away from Afghanistan and towards Iraq, listing Saddam Hussein’s regime a chief threat.

    YearAfghanistanIraq
    2002The US military starts to establish a reconstruction model.Bush claims that disarming Iraq of its “weapons of mass destruction” is a new priority
    2003Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfield declares an end to “major combat”.NATO gets heavily involved.In March, Bush gives Hussein 48 hours to leave Iraq and then attacked when he failed to respond.  After fully taking all the major strongholds of the regime, Bush declared “mission accomplished”.On December 13, 2003, Saddam Hussein is captured.
    2004Osama Bin Laden releases video showing him taking responsibility on behalf of al-Qaeda for 9/11.In June of 2004, Saddam Hussein is turned over to Iraqi authorities to stand trial.
    2005U.S forces are given access to Afghani military facilities.On October 19, Saddam Hussein goes on trial for killing 148 people in 1992.
    2006NATO leaders agree to remove restrictions on the logistics of how force can be used.On November 8, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfield resigns as a result of his leadership failures that allowed for the abuse of detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison. On December 30, Saddam Hussein is executed.
    2007A Taliban commander is killed by combined US, Afghani, and NATO forces.American commanders arm Sunni Arab groups that promise fight militants related to al-Qaeda who have been their allies in the past.
    2008General Stanley A. McChrystal orders an overhaul of US airstrikes.The Iraqi Parliament and the US ratify a pact that calls for American troops to pull out of major cities by 2009 and be fully gone by 2011.
    2009On March 27, President Barack Obama commits 17,000 more troops to Afghanistan. Obama announces a new strategy involving increased aid to Pakistan.US Marines launch major offensive in southern Afghanistan. On December 1, Obama announces a major escalation of the mission, committing another 30,000 troops to the 68,000 already on the ground.The Iraqi people celebrate the withdrawal of American troops with parades and a national holiday.
    2010General McChrystal is relieved of his position as commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan.NATO member countries sign an agreement to hand over full responsibility of Afghanistan to the Afghani forces by 2014.Obama declares an end to the seven-year combat mission in Iraq. Wikileaks makes information about civilian deaths, detainee abuse, and Iranian involvement available to the public.
    2011On May 1, Osama bin Laden was killed by U.S. forces in Pakistan. President Obama wants to begin the withdrawal of American troops from the area. Obama announces plans to remove 33,000 troops by the summer of 2012. October 7 marks the tenth anniversary of the war.Defense Secretary Leon E Panetta supports a plan that keeps 3,000-4000 American troops in Iraq a year after the deadline for their withdrawal. The United States formally ends its operations in Iraq on December 15.
    2012The Taliban agree to move towards peace talks, but then rescind their statements after accusing Washington of going back on the prisoner swap.U.S. Secretary Leon Peretta announces a plan to end combat missions by mid-2013. American soldiers come under fire for disrespectful behavior and violence against civilians. Afghani President Hamid Karzai demands that foreign troops be confined to military bases.Iraqi Kurds halt oil exports.
    2013US forces shift focus to military training and special ops-driven counterterrorism.The final report of the Special Inspector-General for Reconstruction in Iraq is released, showing that $10 billion was wasted.
    2014President Obama announces plans to withdraw most US troops by 2016.Baghdad asks the US government for help. US forces return. The Iraq War has cost the US over $2 trillion. American-led intervention in the Iraqi civil war begins on June 15.
    2015Three American contractors are killed at Hamid Karzai International Airport. President Obama announces that the number of troops will remain at 9800. Later, he announces that the number will remain 9800 throughout 2016.The US coordinates airstrikes with the Kurdish fighters and begins to plan to retake Mosul. American-led coalition launches first airstrikes on ISIL targets in the city.
    2016On December 31, American troops withdraw from Afghanistan, leaving 8,400 troops in four garrisons.The US begins targeting Islamic State chemical weapons infrastructure with airstrikes and special forces raids. President Obama authorizes the sending of 600 more troops to Iraq.
    2017The US drops its most powerful non-nuclear bomb on suspected militants. President Donald Trump presses ahead with an open-ended military commitment to fighting the “vacuum for terrorists”. He promises to lighten restrictions on combat. The Mosul massacre has the single largest death toll inflicted by a coalition airstrike since 2003. On December 9, it is reported that ISIL has lost all strategic territory in Iraq.
    2018Trump deploys troops across rural Afghanistan. The Trump administration cuts off financial assistance for Pakistan.The US announces that it will reduce the number of its troops in Iraq. On October 4, an operation against ISIL is started by the Iraqi military with the aid of French and American forces.
    2019In February, Taliban forces propose a plan where they stop international terrorist groups from operating in Afghanistan in return for the complete withdrawal of American troops. In September, President Trump breaks off peace talks.There is very little information. This picture was taken sometime in July. French and American soldiers are shown to support the Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve.

    The timeline breaks off suddenly, as close to the present day as it can get. There’s so much more that has happened, so many more lives that have been lost, so much more destruction. This is the price of war. Maybe this article hasn’t clarified anything for the reader at all. It’s entirely possible that you’re more confused now than you were before. After writing it, I personally have to admit that I still don’t fully understand why we’ve been at war for the past nineteen years. 

    It’s entirely possible that that’s the point. 

    Works Cited

    “A Timeline of the U.S. War in Afghanistan.” Council on Foreign Relations, Council on Foreign Relations, https://www.cfr.org/timeline/us-war-afghanistan.

    Cox, Matthew. “Army to Deploy 1,700 Paratroopers to Iraq.” Military.com, https://www.military.com/daily-news/2016/11/03/army-to-deploy-1700-paratroopers-to-iraq.html.

    Cox, Matthew. “Army to Deploy 1,700 Paratroopers to Iraq.” Military.com, https://www.military.com/daily-news/2016/11/03/army-to-deploy-1700-paratroopers-to-iraq.html.

    Taylor, Adam. “Do U.S. Troops Have a Future in Iraq?” The Washington Post, WP Company, 7 Feb. 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2019/02/07/do-us-troops-have-future-iraq/.

    ThinkProgress. “A TIMELINE OF THE IRAQ WAR.” ThinkProgress, 17 Mar. 2006, https://thinkprogress.org/a-timeline-of-the-iraq-war-6622633720be/#2012.

    “Timeline of Major Events in the Iraq War.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 31 Aug. 2010, https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/08/31/world/middleeast/20100831-Iraq-Timeline.html#/#time111_3296.

    Watson, Ben, and Bradley Peniston. “US at War in 7 Countries – Including Niger; US Army Rebuilds Afghan Firebases; F-35s to India?; and Just a Bit More…” Defense One, 15 Mar. 2018, https://www.defenseone.com/news/2018/03/the-d-brief-march-15-2018/146688/.

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  • Articles, GirlSpring.com, Health, Healthy Eating, School

    School Lunch is Not Meeting its Goal

    November 3, 2019
    food tray

    Are you a parent who constantly hears your child speak about hunger after school? Throughout America, students are complaining about not being provided enough food for lunch. The Federal Nutrition Standards of the USDA in school nutrition needs to change. The portion size of school meals needs to be increased.

    All throughout school we are told that cafeteria food is meant to be healthy and nutritious.Although that may be true, the portion size is simply not enough for students. In 2012, a radio interview was held with Jessica Donze Black, director of Kids’ Safe and Healthful Foods Project, Pew Charitable and she says “The United States Department of Agriculture updated the standards for school lunches. In fact most of the standards people are really supportive of. It’s more fruits, more vegetables, more whole grains, low-fat, no-fat dairy, the things we know kids need more of. The standards are intended to meet one-third of the needs of the average child”(Black). With this in mind, I understand that the USDA want students to be healthier, but students are constantly hungry after eating a school lunch after a few hours. Also if the standards are only intended to meet one-third of students,then the majority is not being affected.This defeats the purpose of the Standards. 

    In addition,parents are beginning to realize that their kids are not receiving enough food from school meals.Further on in the radio show, a parent argues back and she claims that her children have been commenting that they are very hungry and that they have noticed that they can’t eat as much at school.She’s had to actually supplement their food with a snack. She sends them a snack every morning so they can eat and not be starving when they get home.This reveals that health is no longer the issue with school food.The issue is the amount of food students are recieveing.As a student, I can see that the food is healthier,but on the downside it is lighter,and it no longer fills up the majority of students.

    Furthermore,the portion size of school lunches has been changed to reduce childhood obesity. This goal is being accomplished, but children are complaining more about being hungry. In Maury Thompson’s article: School Lunch Regulations Still Leaving Students Hungry. Thompson says “The new lunch standards are part of a U.S. Department of Agriculture effort to reduce obesity. In these new standards restrictions have been applied. One example for this situation would be that some cafeterias used to serve 1 and a half grilled cheese sandwiches with a total of two ounces of cheese. Now students receive one sandwich containing 4 ounces .showing an increase of protein but decrease of bread. Critics say these restrictions are too drastic and leave students hungry.

    The USDA is ignoring the problem of in-school hunger. They are addressing one problem, childhood obesity, and creating another, in school hunger. They are overly focused on obesity rather than creating standards to balance out obesity and in-school hunger.

    In addition, students whose stomachs are full or nearly full in class, improve in academic performance. In school when a student is hungry they tend to focus on thinking about food. Scientists have observed that food affects the brain’s function. If a child is hungry, it is harder for them to do their best work. If the USDA provide students with larger amounts of food,it would throw out the distraction of hunger in students. We have all been in class at a point in time trying to learn, but then our stomachs growl and we shift our thoughts to food, or simply become unconcerned about the lesson. The worst part about this is students are complaining that the hunger occurs after they have just eaten cafeteria  lunch.

    In the same way that academics are being lessened, so are athletics. The decrease of portion sizes are hurting our student athletes. Nearly 8 million high school students are athletes. At the beginning of the 21st century the public health community discovered and explained that being overweight and obese is a problem in the nation’s youth. In 2015, an article Are School Lunches Starving Student Athletes was published on beyondchron.org, a site that provides coverage of ignored activities happening in the country. In this article Donna Woldow speaks about the issue of student athletes not being provided with enough to eat. She says that “school lunches are failing to meet student athletes’ nutritional needs” (Woldow). With that being said we learn that student athletes are being ignored, and the players are beginning to realize that very few are concerned about their situation.

    Ultimately, the USDA must increase the portion sizes given in school meals. After eating lunch students should no longer have the complaint of hunger, but as stated the complaint has risen.The USDA has done a great job of lowering childhood obesity rates, but has created the issue of in-school hunger. Students need to eat a satisfying portion of food because it creates successful students. Teachers, and parents it is your turn now. Students all over America have attempted to be heard, but they are being ignored. Stand up for your students get the USDA to change the school meal standards.The positive result of this change will limit the complaints of students being hungry.

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  • Articles, GirlSpring.com, School, Tips

    Learning a New Language

    November 1, 2019
    learning a new language

    Learning a new language can be both fun and challenging. In my experience, it has been extremely rewarding to know how to speak more than one language, and these skills let me communicate with a wider range of individuals and have broadened my understanding of different cultures and ways of life. 

    I have been bilingual for most of my life, and I enjoyed learning a third language, Spanish, in middle school and high school. I am definitely not fluent yet, but over the years, I feel like I’ve gained a good grasp of the language. I love it when I hear people speaking Spanish in public and can understand their conversation, or when I’m listening to a Spanish song and can understand the lyrics. I’ve enjoyed my language classes in school, and being exposed to a different language and putting effort into learning it has been an exciting process.

    However, learning a language is not just book work like learning tends to be in many other classes. It requires a lot of interpersonal communication practice and exposure to the language in formats like cultural activities, podcasts, and music- not just your standard writing and grammar exercises.

    Here is a list of ways to gain a better grasp of the language you are trying to learn:

    Find People to Talk to Using the Language:

    The best way to improve your speaking skills is to practice speaking the language! If you are taking a class in a traditional school setting, you will have to communicate with your teacher and classmates using the language multiple times (if not daily) during the course. Take advantage of these opportunities!

    The beauty of being in a language class is that everyone is there to learn and no one is an expert. So don’t be afraid of making mistakes! Make the best of these opportunities, and always know that it is okay to mess up. Not only are you learning from your errors, but your classmates will be learning from them too.

    If you are not taking a course on the language, or it isn’t a traditional course in a classroom setting, find speaking opportunities for yourself so you can practice the language. I would recommend finding a friend who either knows the language or is learning it too. That way you can speak to them in the language on a regular basis to get better at these skills.

    If you aren’t able to find such a person or don’t feel comfortable practicing with someone you know, go to your local library or get in contact with local community centers so they can connect you with resources and opportunities where you can practice these skills. I know students who’ve volunteered in classrooms at local elementary schools with Spanish speaking students and have been able to immensely improve their speaking and communication skills.

    Attend Cultural Events and Take Advantage of Opportunities Nearby:

    Whether it’s visiting a traditional restaurant and speaking to your server in the language or attending festival celebrations, it’s always a good idea to get involved culturally. These opportunities will not only give you an outlet to practice speaking the language. They allow you to gain a deeper understanding of the language by expanding your cultural knowledge and perspectives. This will further motivate you to learn the language since you are able to place it in a cultural context. In addition, you will get to know more people and broaden your social network. This is can come in handy if you are looking to gain experience in the future.

    Finally, if you are given an opportunity to travel abroad and are able to do so, I highly encourage it! Being in a setting where you are able to experience a culture and practice a language at the same time is super nice, and is a very fun and helpful way to quickly pick up and get better at a language.

    Listen to Podcasts or TV/Radio Broadcasts:

    Listening to podcasts and TV/radio broadcasts gives you exposure to the conversational dialects of your selected language . Oftentimes, when languages are taught in a classroom setting, skills are taught in a traditional manner. However, this isn’t always the way the language is commonly spoken. Additionally, you will probably notice that people speak faster in podcasts and TV/radio broadcasts than you are used to when listening to audios in class.

    Do a simple Youtube search to find options or visit this website for potential resources that may help you.

    The great thing about podcasts and TV/radio broadcasts is that you can do other things while listening to them. That is, if you are still able to follow along with what the audio is saying. If you aren’t at this level yet, allocate time in your schedule to listen without distractions.

    Books/Music:

    If you are able to find picture books or chapter books and/or simple songs in the language you are trying to learn, I would highly recommend doing so! These are really good resources for helping you practice your reading and listening skills. In terms of books, I would recommend doing a Google search to find books that professionals who teach the language you are learning would recommend for different levels. Often times, these books will have readers’ resources, such as keywords defined in English or a simple summary of each chapter, so you are able to get a general idea of what is going on in the story even though you may not be able to understand every single word and sentence.

    As for music, Youtube and Spotify will help you. Start off with slower songs and move to faster ones as your listening skills improve and you are able to better comprehend what is being sung.

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  • Articles, College, GirlSpring.com

    Free College? Is that possible?

    October 31, 2019
    girl with cash

    One of the best pieces of advice I ever learned was, “Why say no if its free?” While that might apply to small things such as candy and clothes, I never would have found it applicable to college as well. 

    Growing up, I always heard how difficult it was for families to send their kids to college. While getting an education implies that in the future a person will be more well-off, sometimes, it is even harder to get that initial education. 

    When I was applying to college, I was lucky enough to run across several resources that gave me the opportunities for scholarships. With the amount of money that is being offered for graduating seniors, I can say without a doubt that it is feasible for a person to obtain a degree without the burdens of student loans and debt. For me, I was able to earn over $100,000 in scholarships for my 4 years of undergraduate at UAB. If I can do it, so can you! Check out the resources that I have listed below to see what is out there! 

    Here are a few of the resources that I used to find the scholarships that I received: 

    -Scholarship Websites 

    • There are SO many websites out there that provide high school students with scholarship opportunities. Several of them are similar to search engines that send you to other websites. You can even filter depending on what you plan on pursuing for your education, GPA/ACT scores, region you live in, and etc. 
    • Look for nationally awarded scholarship programs that can pay a certain amount yearly!
      • Several of them go unaccepted each year, and I was awarded one that pays annually for four years (Elks National Foundation Scholarship) 
        • Examples: Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship Foundation, Coke-Cola Scholarship Program, 
    • Look for local opportunities
      • I received several scholarships from local organizations and chapters; I found most of them through my school counselor who would even mail the completed applications for me. They were usually smaller amounts, but receiving multiple ones really adds up and lessens the burden of paying for college. 
    • Play to your strengths 
      • If you are a minority, a first-generation college bound student, earned a high GPA, played sports, or anything else that makes you unique, USE THAT! There are SO many opportunities and scholarships out there that are tailored to specific traits or requirements. Try to look up based on YOU, and I’m sure you’ll come up with a long list! 
    • Check out your school’s scholarship portal! 
      • There are SO many scholarships that alumni and other donors endow, and several of them are never used because no one applies for them! I know my university has a website where each student just fills out one application and are automatically considered for 100+ scholarships. The good thing about these scholarships is that they go directly to your student account, so you can use them ASAP!

    General Tips for Writing Scholarship Essays 

    • Keep your essays so that you can re-use them! A lot of the prompts are similar or can be adapted in different ways, so I would definitely recommend keeping a folder with all essays! 
    • Make it Personal! Try to speak about your experience and write as if you were telling a story. It makes it more compelling and the reader is more likely to remember your application! 
    • ALWAYS follow the guidelines! Make sure to read all the instructions on what the application requires, deadlines, and how to submit! You could miss out on some free money if you don’t follow instructions! 

    I hope these tips were useful and that you can use them as you approach applying to college. I know it requires some time and hard work, but the efforts surely pay off when you no longer have to worry about paying for your education! 

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  • Articles, Celebrities, GirlSpring.com, Music, This and That

    What To Do When All of Your Favorite Musicians are Dead

    October 31, 2019

    Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a fan of many celebrities. Most of those celebrities, however, happen to be dead. There’s Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley, Prince, the list goes on and on.

    I know of some other people who also share this problem. In this article, I thought I would lay out some of the bad things and some of the gratifying things about being a fan of dead celebrities.

    Many of the people I’m a big fan of are musicians. One of the most obvious downsides to this situation is that my favorite artists can’t make music anymore. Some musicians, though, have music released posthumously. This music is usually comprised of stripped-down demos and unfinished songs. The songs sometimes feel as if they were never meant to be released. The artist clearly has no say in what does and does not get released after their death, so these songs often feel like an invasion of the artist’s privacy, and sometimes even of their minds. This can also happen sometimes with officially unreleased records.

    For example, Jeff Buckley created a song called “All Flowers In Time Bend Towards The Sun” with Elizabeth Fraser, another musician (of the band The Cocteau Twins). This is my all-time favorite song from Jeff Buckley, and arguably my most favorite song ever. It is raw, real and unplugged. You can hear the relationship between the two artists clearly in the recording. The fun they have while making this piece is evident throughout it. It is a beautifully written and recorded song. But it is technically unreleased.

    Elizabeth Fraser has come out since Jeff Buckley’s death and expressed how upset she is that the song has been published on Youtube and other music sharing websites. The recording is a personal moment shared between two friends. When I listen to this song, I sometimes feel selfish in consuming it. Although I love it so much, I can’t help but feel like I’m stealing something from Jeff and Elizabeth. This is the slippery slope you encounter with unfinished songs that end up getting released.

    Prince is another great example of this. All of his posthumous releases are questioned. Throughout his long career, Prince was known as a perfectionist. Every album was carefully crafted and completely his own. He didn’t like his songs to be covered by other artists. Every release seemed so meticulous and perfectly curated to contribute to his overall image as an artist. He is also known for recording many songs and for having an extensive vault of unreleased music. Prince died in April of 2016. There have been five posthumous album releases. Each of them has been met with critical and hesitant eyes. None of the albums have included many new songs from the vault.

    Although many of these songs have been released in the past, either by Prince himself or (in the case of his Originals album) by another artist, it is still a bold and risky choice to release this music. Again, this is another instance where one might feel guilty while listening to these songs. Considering his picky behavior while he was alive, who knows if he would have ever wanted these new albums released to the public.

    Another downside that comes with being a fan of dead musicians is the remembrance and mourning of their death every year. This is really tough for many people. Although this is an obviously sad occasion, it can bring fans closer together. Many fans take to social media to express their thoughts and to remember their favorite artists. You can meet new people this way and relate to them. I’ve met a few people through Twitter this way. 

    So is there anything good about being a fan of a dead musician? It can easily all seem like doom and gloom, but there are some fulfilling parts of this dilemma.

    Like I’ve mentioned, you can find new friends through being a fan of celebrities. This happens with really anyone who is vocal about their interests. There is something really special about relating to strangers through a subject that you’re both passionate about.

    Also, you can spread the message of the creators’ art, as they are no longer allowed to do so. You play a small role in keeping their memory alive. I love talking about and sharing the music of my favorite artists.

    Maybe this article hasn’t made the issue more appealing to anyone, but I’ll leave you with this: like it has been said many times, a true musician never dies.

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  • Articles, GirlSpring.com, Politics, TRENDING

    Thoughts on the Democratic 2020 Nominees

    October 28, 2019

    Currently, the Democratic pool of candidates consists of approximately six to eight 

    serious contenders, from various backgrounds and levels of experience. The politicians polling 

    the highest are Joe Biden, former vice president of Barack Obama, and Kamala Harris, a 

    Californian senator. Other possible candidates include Beto O’Rourke and Andrew Yang. While 

    Biden and Harris’ policies attract more support, neither one has gained a clear majority of 

    Democratic votes. With multiple front-runners vying for the nomination, it shows that American 

    Democrats are divided between these politicians. This size will most likely cause the eventual 

    nominee to face more difficulty winning the 2020 general election. 

    Although more contenders provides diversity and choices for Democrats, it also means 

    that each person receives a smaller percentage of votes out of the general population, compared 

    to if the party had only fewer candidates. The Democratic debates this year showcased the wide 

    range of political programs these candidates endorse, as well as their disagreements. The 

    Democrats show more divisiveness, with no single person providing a platform that covers the 

    policies and ideas they want to hear. 

    The current Democratic candidates do demonstrate promising and beneficial ideas, but 

    the Republican Party’s single contender in Donald Trump allows them some guaranteed support 

    and past precedents. Even though many of Trump’s decisions have driven out some of his 

    supporters, his presidency has also cemented the support from other citizens. The GOP needs not 

    worry about choosing a nomination, and can fully focus on promoting Trump’s campaign. For 

    the Democratic Party to nominate a strong contender, they must single out and support one 

    candidate who recognizes most of the U.S. citizens’ best interests when making policies and 

    negotiations. Only then will they obtain the ability to consolidate their party’s votes and truly 

    face off against Donald Trump in 2020.

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  • Articles, Body Image, Health, Makeup, Puberty

    How-to Guide: Building an Effective Daily Skincare Routine

    October 28, 2019
    African American girl good skin

    Building An Effective Skincare Routine

    OCTOBER 28, 2019

    Developing a practical skincare routine can be challenging for anyone, but it’s especially difficult for young adults. From finding out your unique skin type to trying out countless beauty products, there’s no denying how frustrating and overwhelming it is to discover what works best for you and what doesn’t. Nevertheless, it’s imperative that you take the time to discover these answers now so that you can adequately protect and care for your skin. To do this, you must first concentrate on building an effective daily skincare routine. If you’re unsure of where to start, don’t panic. Just follow this simple guide!

    Understand Your Skin Type

    Understanding your skin type is arguably the most essential step to creating the most effective skincare routine. This will make it easier to determine which products you’ll need to keep your skin looking and feeling healthy. To evaluate your skin type, analyze the amount of water and oil in your skin. Depending on how well the two balance out, the type of product you’ll need may vary. For example, if your skin produces more oil than it does water, you probably have an oily skin type, which is a common skin concern for teens once hit puberty. As a result, you might be struggling with things like acne or excess shine. Lucky for you, oily skin can be treated with several over-the-counter options. It might take some trial and error before you find out which ones are most suitable for your unique skin.

    Oily skin may benefit from products that contain an ingredient like retinol, which works to boost cell turnover and clear out your pores. Still, you must keep in mind that not all oily skin is the same. Depending on other personal factors like age, genetics, and hormone levels, finding the right skincare products can be tricky. For some females, the same over-the-counter acne products may prove to be successful throughout their teen and adult years. Other females, however, may not be as lucky and choose to speak with a doctor about getting a prescribed acne treatment if the issue remains prevalent once they’ve reached adulthood. 

    Cleanse Skin 2 Times a Day

    After you’ve categorized your skin type and carefully selected your skincare products, it’s time to develop a routine. Cleansing your face when you wake up in the morning and before going to bed at night, is necessary for clean and clear skin. Not only will it work to remove dirt and other impurities from your skin, but it will also refresh your complexion.  In the morning, the cleanser should be the first skincare product you apply to your skin. At nighttime, cleanser should come directly after you remove any makeup you wore throughout the day.

    Before you use your cleanser, splash some lukewarm water on your face. When you’re done, apply your cleanser to the tips of your fingers and massage the product onto your skin in a circular motion. Do this for about 60 seconds, then rinse with water. To finish up, grab a towel or washcloth and gently pat your skin dry.

    Apply Toner (optional)

    Similar to a cleanser, toners are used to freshen your skin by removing oils from the skin and replenishing it with moisture. Although this is an optional skincare step, the benefits of facial toners are great for all skin types and ages. 

    If you do choose to use a toner, make sure you apply it after your cleanser in the morning and at night. Normally, toners come in liquid form and may either be applied to your face with a light spritz or with a cotton pad.

    Hydrate Skin Using a Moisturizer

    Regardless of whether or not your skin is oily, moisturizers are a must-have product for your daily skincare regimen. This is because moisturizers add a protective layer to your skin, while also keeping it hydrated. As you age, your skin’s ability to retain moisture weakens over time. Therefore, getting into the habit of using it now will allow you to maintain your youthful complexion later in life. 

    Moisturizers should be one of the last steps to your daily skincare routine. When you wash your face regularly, it’s easy for the skin’s surface to get stripped of its natural hydrators. This is why it’s best to spread it all over your face and neck afterward. For those of you with dry skin, consider applying a heavier moisturizing cream at night to repair and restore dehydrated areas of your skin.

    Protect With Sunscreen

    Finally, wrap up your daytime skincare routine by putting on a light layer of sunscreen. Daily use of sunscreen can help prevent future fine lines, wrinkles, and dark spots that typically occur from excess sun exposure.  According to the American Academy of Dermatology, wearing a water-resistant, broad-spectrum protection sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 is best.

    For the perfect coverage, use a pea-sized amount of sunscreen on your face and neck and wait 15-30 minutes before going outdoors. Or, if you’re running short on time, you can also skip the sunscreen entirely if you have other skincare products that meet the recommendations of the American Academy of Dermatology.  From face moisturizers to certain skin cosmetics, keeping your skin protected has never been so effortless!

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