Go For The Glow
Twelve Tips for Healthy and Youthful Looking Skin
Who hasn’t looked in the mirror and wished they had the power to stop the effect of time on one’s skin? The beauty industry makes billions of dollars each year on beauty regimens for those who want to improve their appearance. Yet, if you want to keep looking youthful and slow down the skin’s aging process, there’s no better way to do that than to incorporate these healthy tips into your lifestyle.
1. Wash your face regularly and gently. Avoid soaps, face wipes and washes that contain fragrance which can irritate your skin and lead to premature aging.
2. Put on moisturizer every day. The daily loss of skin cells leads to dryness and moisturizer helps the skin repair itself.
3. Exfoliate. Critical to youthful skin, exfoliating allows one to shed the dull and dead skin cells for a smoother, more even skin, as long as you don’t overdo it (once or twice a week is enough), and you use a gentle exfoliator.
4. Avoid or limit sun exposure. While sun is essential to life and is a good source of vitamin D, it also causes premature aging and wrinkles, not to mention increasing the risk for skin cancer.
5. Protect yourself from the sun. If you cannot avoid or limit sun exposure, you can protect your skin from its harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays that can damage your skin by using a sunscreen with a protection factor (SPF) of at least 15. Apply as often as needed.
6. Eat a skin-friendly balanced diet. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, beta-carotene, zinc, and vitamins A, C and E are important for maintaining skin health. Some tasty choices include fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel and herring; avocados; sunflower, flax and hemp seeds; walnuts; carrots, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, red or yellow bell peppers, broccoli, soy, and dark chocolate. Many of these foods act as antioxidants while others help keep your skin firm and strong.
7. Drink plenty of water. Six to eight glasses of water per day helps get rid of toxins in your body and your skin.
8. Manage stress. Stress releases the hormone cortisol, causing many things to occur in our bodies, including the accumulation of fat, and making the skin very dry, oily, wrinkled, or full of acne.
9. Get enough sleep. When one is sleep deprived, the body makes more of the stress hormone cortisol.
10. Quit smoking. When you quit smoking, your skin receives more oxygen and nutrients, making your complexion healthier.
11. Avoid tanning salons. Sunless tanning is one of your skin’s worst enemies as it makes it age much faster.
12. Protect yourself from the sun. Sun contributes significantly to premature aging and wrinkles as well as exposing you to a higher risk of skin cancer. Apply, as often as needed, a sunscreen with a protection factor (SPF) of at least 15.
