If you take good care of your skin through healthy eating, lifestyle practices, and good skin regimens, you will see the results present themselves by slowing down the aging process and creating a healthy glow.
When damage occurs to your skin, it can be difficult to reverse. By learning more about what you need to do for healthy, youthful looking skin, you can begin taking these steps to prevent skin damage and improve the way your skin looks right away.
Avoiding Aging
In order to keep your skin healthy, you need to avoid outside sources of damage, which can break down the cells within your skin and speed up the aging process. By allowing these outside sources to cause damage to your skin, you'll not only speed up the aging process, but you can also encounter different problems with your skin, such as cancer and discoloration.
One of the most important things you can do to care for your skin is to avoid the sun. The sun can cause serious damage to the skin, and without protection, the injury can happen very quickly, leading to permanent damage. Those with regular sun exposure, who do not have the proper protection, will encounter wrinkles, sun spots, and even increase their chances of developing skin cancer.
Skin Care
There are steps you can take to get the natural vitamin D that the sun provides to you, while avoiding the negative results of exposure. When you are out in the sun, it is important that you use a sunscreen that is at least 15 SPF or higher.
While applying this protection before going out into the sun is vital, you'll also need to reapply the sunscreen every two hours if you remain outside. Other than using sunscreen, you should try to stay in shady areas between the hours of two and four p.m. when the sun's rays are the strongest.
Smoking is another cause of skin damage. Many people know about the effects that smoking has on their lungs, but they are unaware that the toxins in cigarette smoke actually destroys the cells of the skin. When you smoke, or are exposed to cigarette smoke, the collagen in your skin is going to break down at a much faster rate than that of a non-smoker or someone who is not around smoke.
Skin Hygiene
Other than avoiding outside causes of skin damage, having a good skin care routine is vital. This routine involves washing your face on a daily basis and providing it with a good moisturizer in order to help prevent dehydration, which can lead to wrinkles and other problems.
Additionally, exfoliating once or twice each week will give you silky, glowing skin. Women with oily skin should exfoliate more often, and those who have dry skin should only exfoliate every other week. Be sure to choose an exfoliating cleanser that contains sugar, sea salt, seeds, almonds, or other grainy components. Don't scrub too hard, but be sure to cover all areas of the face.
Skin Nutrition
Provide your skin with the right nutrients by engaging in healthy eating habits and drinking enough water. Drinking five to eight glasses of water each day will help you to keep your skin hydrated, which will create a healthy glow and prevent early signs of aging. These measures are also important for good skin care.
Be sure to eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables to ensure that you get plenty of essential vitamins and minerals. Research regarding the best foods for healthy skin found that certain antioxidant-rich foods offer a protective effect. These include:
- Carrots, apricots, and other orange/yellow fruits and vegetables.
- Spinach, Brussel sprouts, and other leafy green vegetables.
- Tomatoes.
- Beans, peas, and lentils.
- Blueberries, cranberries, and strawberries.
- Salmon, mackerel, and tuna.
- Nuts and seeds.