Taking good care of your skin is essential, especially with what damage pollution and sun exposure can inflict. Keeping skin healthy should be a priority for you so read on for some great ideas on how you can protect your skin to keep it looking its best and treat various ailments and conditions that plague so many of us.
The healthiest thing you can do for your skin is to wear minimal makeup, or no makeup at all. Putting foundation on your face, day after day, coats your skin in chemicals that have to be washed off at the end of the day. Many women, in an attempt to look younger, continue to wear foundation in an unattractive way. You can often get better results only applying foundation in strategic areas so that your face breathes better. Study your face in the mirror and apply foundation only to the red or darker areas. Blend carefully and leave the rest as is. Step back and see if you don’t look better already. Better yet, take the plunge one day and try going commando with no makeup at all, or with only moisturizer and lipstick. You won’t believe how freeing it will be, or how much time you will save.
To avoid getting a rash if you’ve been exposed to poison oak or ivy, you need to act immediately. It takes ten minutes for the invisible oil to bind to your skin. If you can thoroughly wash the area with lots of running water within that time, you can probably avoid the rash. You can use dishwashing liquid to help break up the oil.
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.
Sunscreen is not just for summer. While sunscreen is typically associated with warm days on the beach, it is just as important, if not more so, in the winter. On clear winter days, the sun can still deliver as much UV rays as it does in the summer, and if there is snow on the ground, you will be hit from below as the rays reflect off the ground.
If you have oily skin, make sure to use a gel based or foaming cleanser both in the morning and at night. Cleansers targeted specifically for your type of skin will help wash away excess oils and dirt clogging your pores. Make sure the product says it’s for oily skin.
When shopping for sunblocks, look for products that contain titanium dioxide or zinc oxide, as these two ingredients form a physical barrier and not just a chemical one. Also, be aware of the differences in coverage implied by the different SPF ratings. Even an SPF 50 product blocks only 98% of UV rays; in other words, no product blocks absolutely everything.
If you are worried about your skin looking damaged, then you should protect yourself from the sun’s harmful rays by wearing sun screen on a daily basis. People who frequently apply sun screen to their skin have healthier looking skin. It is as simple as applying lotion to your skin once a day.
Healthy skin starts with drinking the proper amount of water. Ultimately, you are what you consume, and drinking plenty of fluids is essential for maintaining your skin’s texture, elasticity, and appearance. Consuming a minimum of eight cups of water each day helps you remain well-hydrated and results in skin that is soft and supple.
Facial creams are a great skin care regime that can help you to treat dry, scaly skin. Creams and lotions can also help to rejuvenate skin and tighten loose skin that can start to sag over time. The more supple and tight your skin is, the younger you will look.
Wearing SPF clothing is an excellent way to take care of your skin. You can use a laundry product to give your regular clothes a sun-protecting boost, or you can wear a rash guard that carries a high SPF. Both of these tactics will keep your skin from getting burned and help it maintain a healthy appearance.
If you are playing sports, make sure that you do not wear clothing that is fitted too tight. This can prevent your skin from getting the oxygen that it needs, which can expedite the drying out process. Wear loose fitting clothing instead, to maximize the quality of your skin during the day.
If you are a smoker, quitting the habit can be one of the best things you can do to protect your skin. Smoking both decreases the blood flow to your skin and damages the fibers that keep your skin elastic and supple. A long-term smoking habit can be very bad for your skin.
Consider using tomato paste as a skin care product. Studies have shown that people who ingested around five tablespoons of tomato paste a day were not as susceptible to the harmful rays of the sun. Tomatoes contain lycopene, an antioxidant that can help reduce the risk of sunburn.
Avoid tanning machines if you can. The artificial rays from a tanning bed can accelerate skin aging and even lead to cancer. If you must use them, do it infrequently. Sunless tanning lotion is a viable option, but remember to check the label on the bottle for dangerous or harmful chemicals.
Maintaining healthy skin is an investment and a very wise one! Hopefully this article has given you some really smart ideas and tips on how to keep your skin nourished, healthy and protected. Unless you were born with perfect skin you need all the help you can get, just like most people, to keep up with the best tactics for great skin and putting your best face forward!
