Your skin is the largest single organ in your body. It protects your delicate anatomy from the outside world. Taking care of your skin is not just an aesthetic exercise, healthy skin contributes to your overall health and can even extend your life. In this article you can find some great tips for treating your skin better.
If you smoke, you should try to quit smoking. Smoking damages your skin. Your skin is a very large organ and just like the rest of your body, it needs to breathe. Smoking could make your skin take on a greyish quality. No one wants skin that looks dull and lifeless. Stop smoking and let it get the clean air that it needs to look healthy and alive.
Avoid scratching dry skin. Though it might itch, scratching dry skin only exacerbates the problem. Apply lotion to moisturize the area. If necessary, you can even apply anti-itch creams that are specially formulated for dry skin. Applying products containing shea butter to dry patches of skin can also do wonders.
A good tip for skin care is to limit your exposure to sunlight. By limiting your exposure to the sun, you lower your chances of getting skin cancer, and your skin won’t age as fast. Overexposure to sunlight causes free radical damage to the skin cells which results in premature aging of the skin.
Many cosmetic companies market extra-expensive “night creams” in beautiful tiny jars. If you want the benefits of moisturizing while you sleep, save yourself some money and use a bit of the regular day cream around the skin of your eye area that you would normally use. The moisturizing benefits are the same, but your wallet will notice the difference.
Whether your skin tone is light or dark, always use sunscreen on sunny days. Not only does over-exposure to sunlight cause skin cancer, it also ages your skin much faster. If you have an especially light complexion, avoid tanning too much. When you reduce your skin’s exposure to the sun, you will reduce years to your appearance.
During pregnancy, use cocoa butter lotion regularly to help prevent stretch marks. Certain studies show that cocoa butter helps prevent stretch marks. Additionally, even just the act of massaging lotion on the problem areas can help. Massaging stimulates circulation, which improves cell and skin growth. Massaging cocoa butter onto the skin improves elasticity and can help you avoid stretch marks.
Vitamin A is wonderful for your skin. You can find this in fish oil, carrots, spinach and salmon(among many other foods). Vitamin A has the ability to regulate skin cycles and causes the oils and protein that can cause acne to become trapped and not make it to the skin.
Add sunglasses with certified UV protection to your wardrobe, and your eyes will thank you. Sunglasses shield the sun’s rays from damaging the delicate and vulnerable skin under your eyes that sunscreen can’t reach. Plus, wearing sunglasses reduces glare, which makes for less squinting and less wrinkles. Protect your skin and channel your inner Paris Hilton by wearing sunglasses with UV protection as much as possible.
To make your skin care routine faster and easier, multitask. For example, you can use a facial cleanser and exfoliator during your shower instead of afterward in front of the sink. Also consider products that do more than one thing, such as exfoliating cleansers or moisturizers that also contain sunscreen.
Wear clothes that offer SPF protection. The sun can do serious damage to your skin. While you might already apply sunscreen on a regular basis, consider adding some clothing with an SPF rating to your wardrobe as well. You can find shirts in stores and online, that offer extra protection against the sun.
To combat dry skin, make sure your diet contains plenty of vitamin A. Vitamin A deficiency can lead to dry eyes and skin and consuming the nutrient, increases your body’s cell growth rate. Foods rich in vitamin A include carrots, sweet potatoes and cantaloupe. Dark greens like spinach and kale are another good choice.
If you have dry skin, consider a creamy facial cleanser. Bar soaps can often be very drying to the face and will deplete already dry skin of much needed moisture. Make sure you are not washing your face too often. For most people, washing their face just once a day is enough.
When traveling with a baby, purchase baby supplies online and have them sent to your vacation spot. Baby items, such as diapers, wipes and food, take up a lot of space. Ordering these things online and sending them ahead, means that you won’t have as much to pack and unpack.
Knowing the type of skin you have will help you to tailor a skin-care regiment that works best for you. An easy way to determine the type of skin you have is by taking rice paper and blotting your skin. If your rice paper picks up oil from your face, you have an oily skin type; if not, your skin is dry. If the rice paper picks up oil from your t-zone (that is, the bridge of your nose and forehead) but not from the rest of your face, your skin is the combination type. Once you know your skin type, you can pick out more effective products.
A lip balm that contains SPF is a good way to protect the sensitive skin of your lips. This will put an extra protective layer on your lips and keep the harmful rays away from that thin layer of skin.
There is little vanity involved in good skin care. It is true that well-tended skin looks more appealing, but there are much better reasons to take care of your skin than aesthetics. Using ideas like the ones presented above can keep your skin healthy, and healthy skin is your first line of defense against the dangers of the outside world.