Both women and men should each take steps to make sure their skin stays healthy and vibrant for a lifetime. As soon as most of us make the transition from a youthful spirited teenager into the throes of adulthood, father time starts ravaging our skin with free radical damage in the form of lines, wrinkles, enlarged pores, crow’s feet, and stretchmarks.
Environment Plays a Big Role
Smoking, drinking, drug use, poor eating habits, environmental chemicals, along with sun and wind damage all play a role in the deterioration of the skin cells and pores on our face and body. Many of these factors can be controlled by choosing a healthy lifestyle, limiting the time spend in polluted urban environments, drinking filtered water, and by using a quality air purifier in the indoor spaces you spend a lot of time in, to limit the harmful chemicals getting into your body.
Collagen Production Ceases With Age
The one thing that’s impossible to control is the fact that our body’s ability to produce collagen starts to plummet soon after our 20th birthday. In fact, it’s thought that collagen production lessens by 1% per year after age 20, making it no surprise that many of us start to notice significant changes in our skin long before our 30th birthday, and much more profound and noticable changes as we progress toward 40, 50, and beyond.
Following you’ll find 6 sure-fire tips to help maintain healthier skin and even reverse some of the aging effects you’re dealing with already:
1. Cleanse Twice Every Day
Clogged pores prevent your skin from breathing (yes, skin does breathe!) This leads to acne, inflammation of the pores and eventually, irreversible damage in the form of wrinkles, redness, and large unsightly pores on the face and body.
Cleansing Tips:
• Wash with a quality foaming facial cleanser in the morning and at night before bed.
• Use a non-clogging organic body soap, like Burt’s Bees every day.
2. Replenish Every Day Using Hyaluronic Acid
Our body produces its own hyaluronic acid (HA), and it’s found starting in the second layer of skin and working inward. However, the top most-layer of skin dries out soon after it’s exposed (especially if you use exfoliating products.) HA holds water, helping skin maintain its suppleness and elasticity. Production diminishes soon after adulthood begins in both men and women.
Replenishing Tips:
• Hydrate your face and body with a product containing a 2%, or higher hyaluronic acid (HA) gel, once or twice per day.
• Additionally, take an HA supplement containing 60mg of this vital nutrient to ensure you’re never depleted.
3. Nourish & Moisturize Your Skin
Always read labels. If glycerine or petroleum jelly are anywhere near the top of the list of ingredients, avoid buying the product. Instead, look for skin-nourishing compounds like fruit, nut, and vegetable oils. These natural oils penetrate and replenish, whereas glycerine and petroleum only work to soften the skin temporarily.
Skin Nourishing Tip:
• Use products that contain acai, argan, coconut, rose hip, almond seed, and other fatty oils that skin loves, are very nourishing and moisturizing to both the epidermis.
• Treat your face with a moisturizing facial mask 3 – 7 days per week and allow sit to sit on the skin for up to an hour for maximum nourishment.
4. Exfoliate Daily
Exfoliation of the skin needs to be done carefully, to avoid taking too many layers of skin off our bodies too often. Mild exfoliation can be performed daily using salt and sugar scrubs, almond / oatmeal / coconut husk scrubs, or mildly acidic products that use glycolic acid. Daily exfoliation, particularly in the face, will keep your skin glowing and prevent the epidermis from over-drying.
Exfoliation Tips:
• Limit or completely avoid dangerous chemical and laser peels.
• Use natural exfoliating products daily to keep skin vibrant and wrinkle free.
• A peeling mask is a great way to exfoliate your skin. Use them once per week to avoid over-exfoliating.
5. Detox Therapy
Smoking, alcohol, drugs, processed foods, and sugar are all enemies to our skin. Skin reflects the overall health of our bodies, making it hard for any product or skincare regimen to cover up ill health. Quitting bad habits and limiting sugar in the diet has a significant impact on lowering free radical damage in the body, and frees up our immune system to fight the unavoidable stress placed on our skin every day.
Skin Detox Tips:
• Eliminate smoking, alcohol, and drugs from your life completely. This includes unnecessary prescription drugs.
• Eat whole, unprocessed foods like green leafy veggies, raw almonds, low carb fruits like avocados, and limit or eliminate dairy and animal meats.
6. Sleep is Essential
Last, but certainly not least is sleep. The body doesn’t do very much healing when it’s awake, and the skin is no exception. Get at least 7 hours of sleep each and every night, to ensure all the other steps you’ve taken toward healthier skin aren’t thwarted by a tired, overworked mind and body!
