Thursday, February 2, 2012

Healthy Habits For Beautiful Skin

Lifestyles do influence the way our skin looks. Although many might think their skin can handle the daily wear and tear, the truth of the matter is it's delicate and needs tender loving care from the inside out.

Our skin protects us from the outdoor elements and harsh environments, so it needs to renew itself with better daily habits.

Here are some tips to get better looking skin that everyone will envy.

Skin Care Routine:

It's so important to have a daily skin care regimen which includes at least a cleanser, toner, and moisturizer. For those serious about keeping their skin youthful, it's important to find the right skin care products for a particular skin type. Whether it's anti-aging, acne fighting, dry skin, combination or normal skin, do find the right product line for the best results.

Teaming up with a skin care professional is another great pathway, too.

Wear Sunscreen Daily:

Before stepping outside, be sure to wear sunscreen. In fact, apply it about 15 to 20 minutes beforehand.

UVA and UVB rays cause rapid premature skin aging, and even worse, skin cancer. Be it a bright sunny afternoon or an overcast day harmful rays will penetrate through and do its damage. This is why wearing a broad spectrum sunscreen every day is so important.

When purchasing a broad spectrum sunscreen, important ingredients to look for are:

    Ecamsule
    Avobenzone
    Oxybenzone
    Sulisobenzone
    Titanium dioxide
    Zinc oxide

Literally, sunscreen is one of the top defenders in any anti-aging skin care regimen.

Stop Smoking:

While much research has touted the negative health issues of smoking, another area it can wreak havoc on is the skin.

Smoking can fast forward fine lines and wrinkles, paleness, and grayish facial coloring.

Cigarette smoke changes the blood vessels in the skin causing them to shrink and slow down the blood flow. Ultimately, this leads to less oxygen. And nutrients such as vitamins A and C are unable to reach the upper skin layer. A breakdown in the skin will eventually happen sooner than later.

Another reason to kick the habit is the damage to an enzyme which destroys collagen and elastin. Cigarette smoke will cause the skin to sag.

Eat A Balanced Diet:

Foods rich with antioxidants such as berries, tomatoes, and carrots are wonderful for the skin. Other great antioxidants to add into a diet can also include:

    Artichoke hearts
    Dark chocolate
    Pecans
    Kidney, pinto and red beans

Limit alcohol and coffee intake since caffeine can dehydrate the skin which spurs fine lines and wrinkles. Water is good for the skin so keep track of those eight glasses a day.

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