Skin care is not just about beautification and cosmetic enhancement. Taking care of your skin can improve your overall health and make you feel a lot better about yourself, no matter who you are. The skin is the body’s largest organ, and neglecting it can be downright dangerous. Here are a few quick tips to help you treat your skin better:
The most important thing you can do for your skin is to use a daily sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher. A lifetime of exposure to the sun and its damaging rays can leave you with wrinkles, age spots and chronically dry skin. Using a daily moisturizer with sunscreen in it will help to keep your skin softer, smoother and less prone to wrinkles.
If you want healthy skin, don’t smoke. Think of your skin as just another organ – a very large organ – but an organ nonetheless. Every organ in your body needs proper circulation to stay healthy. By smoking you restrict this circulation, leading to poor organ health. Instead of your organs getting a fresh supply of oxygen laden blood, they’re getting toxins and poisons.
Make sure your skin stays moist at all times. If your skin starts to dry out, use some moisturizer or lotion to help bring it back to life. Dry skin can be damaging and can leave your skin looking scarred. Drinking plenty of water can also help you keep your skin moist and healthy.
Many people find that their skin appears blotchy and irritated immediately after a facial. To counteract redness, apply a chilled compress of chamomile or green tea to the area. You may also look for skincare products that contain aloe vera, licorice extract, or hydro-cortisone. These products are soothing and will quickly reduce inflammation.
Use sunscreen everyday. Apply sunscreen to all exposed skin at least 30 minutes prior to going outside. In addition to cosmetic problems like age spots, freckles and wrinkles, prolonged sun exposure over the course of your life can also cause life-threatening skin cancer. Use sun protection even in winter and on overcast days.
Dark spots from sun damage or acne scarring can make your skin appear older. Eliminate these by using a daily cream made especially for fading spots. Products that contain hydroquinone will make the biggest impact on clearing up your skin. Apply the product twice a day after washing your face, and you will start to see results in four weeks.
If you have extremely sensitive skin and you live in a very hot, dry climate, avoid washing your face with plain water. Many people find that in very dry weather, water washes will actually dry your skin out further. Replace it with a gentle cleanser specifically designed for sensitive skin.
If you want to keep your skin looking younger, make a real effort to stop smoking. All the little blood vessels in your body constrict when you smoke, including the ones in your skin. The decreased blood flow deprives your skin of the oxygen and nutrients it needs to stay healthy and youthful looking.
Be as delicate with your skin as possible. Avoid taking multiple baths or showers a day and when you do shower use soaps you aren’t sensitive too. Also, when you shave be careful not to press deep, treat your skin how you want it to look.
Toner is one of the best things that you can use on your skin. A great toner will help to get rid of the impurities on your skin and even out the look of your face. Apply toner after you wash your face in the shower and follow with a top quality moisturizer with SPF.
Did you know that baths are less drying to your skin than showers can be? You can even add additional oils, either essential oils or carrier oils such as almond oil to a bath. Use warm water and don’t soak for longer then 10 minutes, unless you really need a long relaxing bath!
Do not underestimate how important nutrition is to skin care. Having a nutritious and well balanced diet will allow your face to look healthy and decrease your acne break-outs. Vitamins and minerals can also accelerate the healing of scars and blemishes, as well as, decrease puffiness and inflammation around the eyes and lips.
Summertime can lead to dry, weather worn skin. To help prevent this, eat foods rich in antioxidants and vitamin C. These nutrients have been scientifically proven to heal skin and prevent weather damage. Foods rich in these nutrients include raspberries, blueberries and strawberries. Shoot for at least one serving per day.
Exercise or use a sauna to get your heart pumping and to generate sweat. Sweating is actually a natural way to clean out pores. It opens up the pores and encourages fresh skin growth. Increased heart rate and blood flow also helps skin regenerate. Make sure to gently wash your face afterwards.
Before you embark on any new skincare regimen, find out what kind of skin you have. For example, dry skin and oily skin, require very different skincare approaches. If you have combination skin, that will also require a different strategy. The type of skin you have will influence what skincare products you will buy.
Even a little bit of skin care can go a long way. When you pay a little bit of attention to your skin’s health, it will reward you many times over. Besides improving your overall health, taking care of your skin will keep you looking younger and healthier for years to come.
