Skin is the largest organ of the human body and also the most visible. Yet many people don't take good care of their skin, leaving themselves open to accelerated aging and other skin problems. If you want to get beautiful skin, or preserve the skin you're in, there are some basic healthy skin care tips you can follow to keep you glowing for years to come.
Sun Protection
One of the most damaging hazards to the skin is ultraviolet radiation, from both the sun's rays and indoor tanning. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, more than 1 million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in the U.S. each year, and UV rays significantly increase the likelihood of premature aging of the skin and skin cancer. To protect your skin against the UV rays, avoid indoor tanning salons, and lather on sunscreen of at least 30 SPF whenever you will be outdoors. Even on cloudy days, UV rays can still penetrate, so don't skimp on the sunscreen when the sun's not out.
Avoid Smoking
Avoid smoking, as it causes wrinkles and aging of the skin. If you are currently a smoker, enlist the help of your physician to create a program to help you quit smoking. Smoking sucks moisture out of skin, which leads to sagging and wrinkles. Cigarettes also are full of chemicals, which are converted into free radicals in the body. Free radicals cause aging, leading to wrinkles, fine lines and loss of skin's healthy color. Smoking also causes blood vessels to tighten, which reduces the amount of nutrients and oxygen that get to the skin. Smoking also depletes vitamin C in the body, which helps preserve collagen and protects the skin from the effects of the environment.
Eat Healthy
To boost your skin's health and appearance, eat nutritious foods. Foods that are rich in antioxidants are especially important, as they neutralize the damaging effects of free radicals in the body. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps protect skin's elasticity and youthful appearance and also increases resistance to UV rays. Foods high in vitamin C include strawberries, oranges, kiwi, tomatoes, blueberries, raspberries and cabbage. Vitamin E is also important for skin health, as it helps prevent the effects of aging and protects against pollutants in the environment. Vitamin E-rich foods include spinach, peanuts, wheat germ, sunflower seeds, vegetable oil, whole grains, greens and almonds. Omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in fish such as salmon and snapper, are also essential for skin, as they help the skin stay moisturized and improve skin texture by reducing fine lines and wrinkles and helping skin stay clear.
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