How you treat your skin will determine its level of beauty. Great skin is skin that is taken well taken care of, inside and out, and it is skin that has been protected from the environment and harmful bad habits over the years. Strive to have great skin so that you can be admired for your natural beauty and youthful appearance, and also to protect yourself from the many skin diseases that can develop.
Cleanse Your Skin
Wash your skin twice a day to remove dirt and oil from your skin. Use warm water, and rinse all soap from your skin. Cleanse your skin with a mild skin cleanser that will not dry your skin out.
Moisturize Your Skin
Moisturize your skin after washing it. Skin looks healthy, beautiful and young looking when it is well moisturized. Apply moisturizer to your skin before it completely dries, and use one that is appropriate for your skin type. Do not use a moisturizer that contains oil if your skin is oily.
Exfoliate Your Skin
Slough off dead skin cells to reveal the new skin underneath. Apply an exfoliant to your skin, and then gently remove it according to the instructions on the product label. Exfoliate your skin once or twice a week, but avoid abrasive exfoliants if you have acne or blemished skin.
Eat For Your Skin
Include foods in your diet that will contribute to great skin. Eat cantaloupe, mangoes, spinach, kale, broccoli, carrots and eggs for vitamin A. Consume brewer's yeast, seafood, chicken, turkey and yogurt for B vitamins and tomatoes, oranges, grapefruit, cabbage and sweet red peppers for vitamin C.
Avoid Drugs, Alcohol and Tobacco
Do not take drugs if you do not need them. Certain drugs can make skin dry and exacerbate an acne condition, as well as trigger an allergy. Too much alcohol in the body can rupture capillaries, leave marks under the skin and dehydrate the skin. The nicotine in tobacco impedes circulation of the blood, which hinders the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the skin. Cigarette smoking also creates wrinkles.
Avoid Squinting
Do not squint, as doing so will create wrinkling of the skin. Avoid stretching the skin and avoid massaging your skin if you do not know how to perform massage correctly. Try not to make any extreme expressions that could cause your skin to wrinkle before its time.
Exercise Every Day
Dance or do some other form of exercise for about 20 minutes every day to promote blood circulation. Blood circulation feeds the skin oxygen and nutrients and is responsible for removing the waste that can cause skin problems.
Drink Water
Drink six to eight glasses of water every day. Water assists in the removal of wastes, helps with digestion and keeps skin cells healthy.
Have a Massage
Get a professional massage to help remove toxins from the body. A professional massage will also help tone muscles.
Shield Skin from the Sun
Excess sun exposure leads to wrinkles and brown spots, and in the worst cases, skin cancer. Always protect your skin by wearing a sunscreen that is broad spectrum and a minimum of 15 SPF. Dress in clothes and accessories that give you optimum coverage from the sun's harmful rays, and avoid being under the sun when the sun's rays are most damaging (between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.).
References
- "Miladys Standard Textbook for Professional Estheticians"; Joel Gerson; 1999
- "Linda Page's Healthy Healing, All New Eleventh Edition"; Linda Page; 2001
- Girls Health.gov: Hair and Skin Care
- Girls Health.gov: Vitamins
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