Did you know your skin is your largest organ? And the cells in your skin are replenished every 28 days.
Here are some tips to help you keep your skin beautiful.
1. Your skin protects your body, but that’s not all. It’s the face you present to the world. When healthy, it’s a source of beauty. The choices you make every day — what you eat, where you go, how you feel — affect how your skin looks.
2. Want good skin? Watch your diet. Higher intakes of vitamin C and a lower intake of fats and carbohydrates are associated with better appearance as your skin ages. Changing your diet will help your looks. Eat more fish, fruits, and vegetables to help protect against wrinkles and dryness in aging skin. To avoid breakouts, go for complex carbohydrates (like whole grains and pasta) and healthy protein.
3. Your antiaging cream may contain vitamin C or E. Put these antioxidants to work from the inside, too. Eating foods rich in these vitamins, plus the mineral selenium, can help protect your skin against sun damage. They may even help reverse signs of aging, like wrinkles and skin discoloration. Taking high quality vitamins should be the top of your list.
4. Exercise benefits every part of your body — including your largest organ, the skin. Working out improves circulation, flushing toxins from your skin. Better blood flow also brings more oxygen and nutrients and may help your skin produce collagen, which staves off wrinkles. Don’t fret about sweat — exercise may actually help unclog pores. Wash your face right after a workout and avoid tight headbands, which can trap sweat and irritate skin.
5. Burn the candle at both ends for a few nights, and you may see it reflected in your face: Effect dark circles under the eyes, pale skin, and puffy eyes. Getting 7-8 hours a night will keep your body and skin in top shape. It matters how you sleep, too — rest your face on the pillow in the same position for years, and you’ll get wrinkles where the skin is pressed against the pillow. Solution? Sleep on your back, if you can. (Although we realize you cannot control your body movements when sleeping,)
6. Acne is another common skin problem, caused by the extra hormones in your body. Your best bet for avoiding breakouts is to wash your face twice a day and use a mineral oil-free moisturizer.
7. Whether you were a sun worshipper in your teens or now catch some rays inadvertently while gardening, walking, or even driving, chances are your skin has sun damage. Some 90% of all skin damage is due to the sun. As your time in the sun goes up, so does your risk of skin cancer. Protect skin by always wearing sunscreen — even in winter. Avoid the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. , when rays are strongest.
8. As you age, your skin changes. Your body doesn’t produce as much collagen, and the elastin that allows skin to spring back into place gets weaker. To boost aging skin, exfoliate to remove dead skin, use a nondrying soap, and moisturize often.
9. Caffeine in coffee and tea is dehydrating, so it may cause your skin to dry out. So drink lots of water every day
10. Too much alcohol is bad for your skin as well as your body. Alcohol is a diuretic; it causes the body to lose water. That can contribute to dry skin. It also dilates blood vessels. That’s why drinkers often have red, flushed faces — which makes rosacea worse. Over time, these blood vessels can become permanently damaged, so that skin stays red.
11. Simply put, smoking is bad for your skin: It’s second only to the sun in causing wrinkles and dry skin. In fact, under a microscope you can see wrinkles in smokers as young as 20. Smoking reduces blood flow to the skin and contributes to the breakdown of collagen. Less collagen means more wrinkling.
12. Every day, your skin comes in contact with pollution — cigarette smoke, car exhaust, or smoggy air. Keep skin healthy by keeping it clean. Exfoliate several times a week to remove dead skin cells, cleanse with a gentle soap or wash, then apply a quality cream with moisturizers. (Oily skin still needs a moisturizer; look for mineral oil-free products.)
13. Cold weather and wind bring on dry, flaky skin and can make eczema and rosacea worse. It’s not just the weather outside — dry heat indoors is harsh on skin, too. Fight back by using a humidifier at home, drinking lots of water, and applying moisturizer throughout the day. Remember the sunscreen when you go out.
If you would like to know more about the skin care I recommend, contact me.
My W.E.A.L.T.H Program goes beyond weight management and into the realm of lifelong wellness and vitality.
To Your Health,
