No matter who you are, having clear, vibrant skin can make your days seem easy, while acne, pimples or discoloration can make you feel as though you’re always standing under your own personal rain cloud. While some of the tensions wreaking havoc on your skin are out of your control — like fluctuating hormones and the climate where you live — there are some natural and healthy practices anyone who suffers from less-than-clear skin can undertake to improve the situation in as little as two short weeks.

Healthy skin is a reflection of overall health. Far from being a simple and passive recipient of whatever you slather on it, your skin is constantly revitalizing itself according to the quality of your water, nutrition, exercise regimen and more. From the skin-boosting health benefits in a cup of lemongrass tea to the necessity of regular, quality sleep, here are six steps to smoother, healthier-looking skin.

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Drink Green Tea

The health merits of green tea, including how it improves skin, could fill a large book. Full of antioxidants, green tea is a beverage that helps regenerate cells, repairs free radicals and in general, restores balance and order to sick bodies. Especially for people who struggle with a blotchy or reddened complexion, green tea’s anti-inflammatory properties — especially when you drink it iced — can work magic. Green tea also has plenty of epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG, which keeps wrinkles from forming by slowing collagen deterioration. For younger-looking, evenly colored skin you need to use green tea.

 

Drink Lemongrass Tea

The health benefits of lemongrass are so myriad that promoters almost make you suspicious, but the promises have plenty of science behind them. From its reputation as a cancer cell killer to its ability to relieve nausea, chest colds and menstrual cramps, lemongrass provides many benefits.

One of its most heralded benefits is, of course, its ability to improve skin, especially when skin trouble is caused by bacteria. Lemongrass tea is a wonderful, natural antibacterial agent, so if you suffer from acne, a cup or two of lemongrass tea each day will help provide relief. Lemongrass also works to detoxify the liver, kidneys and pancreas, which will also result in brighter skin over time.

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De-stress

Stress wears out every part of your body, including your skin. Are you worried about exams? Did you lose your job? Is your child sick? The stresses of everyday life will result in breakouts that are caused by the release of stress hormones in your system. To combat them and the deleterious effect they can have on your skin, adopt some stress-busting habits like:

  • Yoga
  • Meditation
  • Journaling
  • Regular exercise
  • Talk therapy

Reconsider Dairy

A Harvard Nurse’s Health Study has linked heavy milk consumption with acne prevalence — especially in women who drink skim milk. While researchers are unsure as to why milk and milk products consumption are associated with increased acne, if you do suffer breakouts, try cutting back on milk, ice cream, cottage cheese, cheese and yogurt for a couple of weeks to see if you experience a change.

Drink Better Water

Tap water is mostly safe to drink and use, but if you suffer from skin problems you should probably switch to drinking distilled water, purified water or spring water. Tap water — because it is a part of the process of sewage and sewage treatment — can house a surprising of chemicals, additives, drugs and more that can wreak havoc on healthy skin. Here is some of what might be lurking in your tap:

  • Lead
  • Chlorine
  • Pharmaceutical drugs
  • Hormones
  • Fluoride
  • Bacteria

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Sleep

Getting enough quality sleep every night is essential for beautiful skin. During sleep, your skin repairs itself from the trials of the day — pollution, stress, too much or too little sunshine, dehydration — all these problems and more are addressed during your nightly sleep cycles. When you’re sleep-deprived, your body not only spends less time and energy on repairing your skin cells, but it also creates more stress your skin will have to combat. People who sleep too little — less than seven hours each night — have an excess of adrenaline and cortisol in the body, hormones that tax your body and facilitate breakouts and other skin woes.

Good skin sometimes is out of your control, but with good habits and some help from a couple of healthy teas, you can improve the look and feel of the skin you’re in.