Your skin is dry and splotchy in some places but oily in others. While it would be nice to have skin like the woman on the lotion commercial, you may be genetically predisposed to having a specific skin type. Current skin care habits may be aggravating any skin problems you might already be experiencing. Following some basic tips will not only improve the quality of your skin, but can help reduce risks of developing more serious problems such as skin cancer later in life.
Shield it from the Sun
Enough exposure to sun can cause dried out skin, unwanted spots, wrinkles and, eventually, skin cancer. This doesn't mean you should skip out on being outside altogether. As a safeguard, the Mayo Clinic recommends staying out of the sun between the brightest hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and wearing clothing such as bathing suit wraps and hats with brims that will protect your skin from the sun's ultraviolet rays. It also recommends applying broad-spectrum sunscreen 30 minutes before sun exposure and re-applying it after perspiring, being in water, and every 2 hours of exposure.
Be Gentle
Even the most resilient skin won't be at its best if it is treated aggressively. Aggressive treatment includes---but isn't limited to---taking long, hot baths and showers that strip essential oils from the skin, frequently washing the face with soap, vigorously rubbing skin dry, and constantly touching the face with hands and other objects. Gentle care involves showering and bathing in warm water, washing the face no more than twice a day with a mild cleanser, applying non-comedogenic lotion, blotting and patting the skin dry after swimming or washing, and avoiding frequent contact between the face and hands or objects that commonly touch skin oil such as your cell phone.
Eat Skin-Healthy Foods
What you eat may affect how young or old you look. In 2001, the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition" completed an analysis called "Skin Wrinkling: Can Food Make a Difference?" which assessed the correlation between diet and the accumulation of skin wrinkles with age. It studied older people of a variety of ethnic backgrounds and found that people who reported eating mostly vegetables, legumes and olive oil, had fewer wrinkles than people who reported eating a higher intake of meat, dairy and butter. Diversify your diet to complement your skin care routine.
Use the Right Products
A healthy skin care routine, which should involve cleaning, exfoliating, moisturizing, and potentially shaving, isn't one-size-fits-all. You may have oily skin, dry skin, combination skin (combined oily and dry,) normal skin, or sensitive skin. Most skin care products are designed to match skin type, so choose products that will complement yours. For example, if your skin is oily you may not choose a product that is intended for dry skin or else you risk having even more oily skin. Moreover, choose products that contain natural ingredients and no additives such as dyes and perfumes.
Avoid Smoking
Smoking reduces circulation to the skin and damages collagen and elastin, which give the skin its durability and suppleness. A University of Michigan study published in the "Archives of Dermatology" found that smoking doesn't just affect the skin that is exposed to sunlight, causing yellowness and wrinkles on the face, but it also causes skin damage on the whole body. Moreover, smoking triples a person's risk of at least one type of skin cancer, regardless of age, sex and amount of sun exposure, according to a January 2001 issue of the "Journal of Clinical Oncology."
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