Tips for Healthy Skin
Skin is your body's largest organ. It serves as a protective barrier between your insides and the rest of the world, helps regulate body temperature and acts as a filter. It's affected by every aspect of your life, from what you eat to where you live. Healthy skin is better able to fight signs of aging, heals
much faster and staves off potential disease better than unhealthy skin.
much faster and staves off potential disease better than unhealthy skin.
- Protect yourself from the sun. A lifetime of sun exposure can cause wrinkles, age spots and other skin problems and increase the risk of skin cancer. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15. When you're outdoors, reapply sunscreen every two hours, more often if you're swimming or perspiring. Avoid the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the sun's rays are strongest. Wear protective clothing.
- 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 that are important to skin health. Smoking also damages collagen and elastin, the fibers that give your skin its strength and elasticity. The facial expressions you make when smoking, such as pursing your lips when inhaling and squinting your eyes to keep out smoke can also contribute to wrinkles.
- 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.
- Control and manage stress. Uncontrolled stress can make your skin more sensitive and trigger acne breakouts and other skin problems.
- Drink plenty of water. Keep your skin hydrated by drinking plenty of water throughout the day.
- Cleanse your face gently. Don't clean so much you dry it out.Don't scrub too hard. Over washing and scrubbing can cause skin to become irritated.