5 Tips for Healthy Skin

Good skin care can keep your skin healthy and glowing for years to come.

1. Protect yourself from the sun

The most important way to take care of your skin is to protect it from the sun. A lifetime of sun exposure can cause wrinkles, freckles, age spots and rough, dry skin. Sun exposure can also cause more-serious problems, such as skin cancer. For the most complete sun protection:

• Avoid the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. This is when the sun's rays are the strongest.
• Wear protective clothing. Cover your skin with tightly woven long-sleeved shirts, long pants and wide-brimmed hats. You might also opt for special sun-protective clothing, which is specifically designed to block ultraviolet rays while keeping you cool and comfortable.
• Use sunscreen when you're in the sun. Apply generous amounts of broad-spectrum sunscreen 30 minutes before going outdoors and reapply every two hours, after heavy sweating or after being in water.

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, such as vitamin A, that are important to skin health. Smoking also damages collagen and elastin - fibers that give your skin its 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 - may contribute to wrinkles.

3. Treat your skin gently

Daily cleansing and shaving can take a toll on your skin, so 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 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. Find a moisturizer that fits your skin type and makes your skin look and feel soft.

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 research suggests that a diet rich in vitamin C and low in fats and carbohydrates may 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 - takes 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 may be more dramatic than you expect.

Sun Exposure = Skin Aging

Sun Exposure = Skin Aging

So now we know. Sun tanning causes wrinkles. The days of baby oil and iodine are a thing of the past. However, it is difficult to avoid the sun altogether. . But you can do the next best thing by protecting your skin every day from the dangerous ultraviolet rays.

Did you know that 78% of the sun damage that occurs in a lifetime is from day to day exposure such as driving in the car, walking to the mailbox, lunch with a friend outside and sitting in your office near windows? The times when you think you're not exposed long enough to truly get any kind of damage. But the truth is, every time the sun or its rays see your skin, whether it's inside or out, you are increasing how fast your skin ages.

Sun Exposure = Wrinkles

It's that simple. A little sun means a little damage, and a lot of sun means a lot of damage. The good news is that it's never too late to slow down the aging process. Every day, you should wear a broad-spectrum SPF . It is suggested that you use an SPF #30. I often hear, "My foundation makeup has sunscreen." Although this can help, you really need to use a SPF #30 that will coat the skin cells first for the best UV protection.  And don't forget about the front and sides of the neck! The neck ages just like the face, so be sure to give that area attention also.  And for those who spend a great deal of time outdoors, learn to dress defensively. Choose wide-brimmed hats as these protect both the entire face and neck areas, as opposed to baseball hats that protect only the face. Sunglasses are a must. Not only do they protect your eyes from bright UV light, but they also prevent unnecessary "squinting" wrinkles.

THE BOTTOM LINE...

Using a good SPF containing UVA/UVB protection every day, as well as limiting your time outdoors, will pay off years down the road!