Skin Care tips for healthy
Don't have time for intensive skin care? You can still
pamper yourself by acing the basics. Good skin care and healthy lifestyle
choices can help delay the natural aging process and prevent various skin
problems. Get started with these five no-nonsense tips.
1. Protect yourself from the sun:
One of the most important ways to take care of your skin is
to protect it from the sun. A lifetime of sun exposure can cause wrinkles, age
spots and other skin problems — as well as increase the risk of skin cancer.
For the most complete sun protection:
Use sunscreen. Use a
broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15. Apply sunscreen
generously, and reapply every two hours — or more often if you're swimming or
perspiring.
Seek shade. Avoid the
sun between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., when the sun's rays are strongest.
Wear protective
clothing. Cover your skin with tightly woven long-sleeved shirts, long pants
and wide-brimmed hats. Also consider laundry additives, which give clothing an
additional layer of ultraviolet protection for a certain number of washings, or
special sun-protective clothing — which is specifically designed to block
ultraviolet rays.
2. Don't smoke:
Smoking makes your skin look older and contributes to wrinkles.
Smoking narrows the tiny blood vessels in the outermost layers of skin, which
decreases blood flow. This depletes the skin of oxygen and nutrients that are
important to skin health.
Smoking also damages collagen and elastin — the fibers that
give your skin strength and elasticity. In addition, the repetitive facial
expressions you make when smoking — such as pursing your lips when inhaling and
squinting your eyes to keep out smoke — can contribute to wrinkles.
If you smoke, the best way to protect your skin is to quit.
Ask your doctor for tips or treatments to help you stop smoking.
3. Treat your skin gently:
Daily cleansing and shaving can take a toll on your skin. To
keep it gentle:
Limit bath time. Hot water and long showers or baths remove
oils from your skin. Limit your bath or shower time, and use warm — rather than
hot — water.
Avoid strong soaps.
Strong soaps and detergents can strip oil from your skin. Instead, choose mild
cleansers.
Shave carefully. To
protect and lubricate your skin, apply shaving cream, lotion or gel before
shaving. For the closest shave, use a clean, sharp razor. Shave in the
direction the hair grows, not against it.
Pat dry. After
washing or bathing, gently pat or blot your skin dry with a towel so that some
moisture remains on your skin.
Moisturize dry skin.
If your skin is dry, use a moisturizer that fits your skin type. For daily use,
consider a moisturizer that contains SPF.
4. Eat a healthy diet:
A healthy diet can help you look and feel your best. Eat
plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins. The association
between diet and acne isn't clear — but some research suggests that a diet rich
in vitamin C and low in unhealthy fats and processed or refined carbohydrates
might promote younger looking skin.
5. Manage stress:
Uncontrolled stress can make your skin more sensitive and
trigger acne breakouts and other skin problems. 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.
The results might be more dramatic than you expect.