The skin is your body’s largest organ. It shows age and damage in a way that is perceptible to everyone you meet. When our health suffers, it’s the skin that reveals our inner state more reliably than any other visual factor.
For all these reasons, it’s important to take care of our skin. And even though age and its related health concerns come for all of us, there’s no reason why you can’t set a goal of maintaining healthy-looking skin for a lifetime. As we move into the summer months, these techniques will be of use to many of us.
- Use Sunblock Anytime You’re Out in the Sun – Dark skinned people from Africa or of African descent have natural sun protection equivalent to SPF 13. This means that these individuals can stand in the sun for about 13 minutes without suffering any damage from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Fair skinned people have much less natural sun protection, meaning that the palest of us can’t be in the sun for much time at all without burning. For this reason, most people should wear a light sunscreen when being outside for more than a few minutes. If you practice this sun-safe method for life, it could make a big difference in the health and appearance of your skin. Jane Iredale and Alba Botanica products may help in this effort.
- Moisturize Your Skin – Moisturizers and lotions can directly supply your skin with the nutrients it needs, while shielding it from the elements. Moisturizing is vital in the hours and days that follow sun damage. Even if you don’t spend time directly in the sun, you may still find that your skin is sensitive to light, heat, wind, dryness, and other similar factors. Organic lotions such as those from 100% Pure may help.
- Drink Plenty of Water – Your skin is mostly water, so drinking water may make a difference in the overall look and feel of skin. Drink lots of water and low sugar beverages to help maintain skin hydration.
- Avoid Alcohol and Tobacco – Alcohol and alkaloids like nicotine are harmful to the skin in several ways. Alcohol is harmful to all organs in the body, especially when it is consumed in greater quantities than the body can process out. Additionally, some people find alcohol and tobacco to be triggers for seemingly unrelated skin problems, such as psoriasis and acne. If you suffer from these or related conditions, or want skin that appears younger than it really is, cutting off booze and cigarettes may help.
- Be Active – You might have heard it said that a sweaty body is a healthy body. Broadly speaking, this is true. On the one hand, an increase in circulation may help the kidneys and bowels to process out waste, but when we’re not active this process isn’t as efficient as it is in people who regularly practice vigorous exercise. While it isn’t clear if sweating helps to clear out the body, it can be said that people who exercise may show more signs of being in good health.
Your skin tells the story of your overall health and age. Improving the skin can make you appear younger and more attractive, while unhealthy skin tends to have the opposite effect. We can’t always control how age affects our skin, but the above methods should help you to support your skin at every stage of life so you always looks beautiful in your own right.
