It's a fact – healthy skin just looks younger, and the most thorough way to help your skin look younger is to give it the nutrients it needs to thrive. Here are just five ways you can step up your skin routine and get softer skin that looks fresher, younger, and more attractive.
1 – Hydrate 3 ways, every day.
You've heard before that water intake makes a big difference in your health, but when it comes to our skin, most of us are not doing everything we can to make sure our skin is taking in and retaining enough moisture to keep it healthy and young-looking. Make sure you:
• Take in enough water during the day. Bottom-line daily intake for a healthy woman should be about 8 glasses, but add another 4-8 when you exercise frequently, work on your feet, drink coffee, or get sick.
• Splash your face with cold water, or drape your skin with a wet washcloth, once or twice a day.
• Use a gentle, unscented facial moisturizer, especially on problem areas like the eyelids and upper lip. Best times to use it: right after showering (when your pores are open, the moisturizer will penetrate deeper) and right before bed (when your body focuses on repairing tissues).
2 – Include fruit with each meal.
Healthy greens along with fruit, nuts, and vegetables help provide your skin with the nutrients it needs, but they also give your body important tools to eradicate toxins that prevent healthy skin. Focus on Vitamin C-rich fruits and keep fats, sugars and other processed carbs to a minimum.
3 – Use sunscreen if there is any chance you will be out in the sun.
Even if your skin is already showing the effects of sun damage, the best way to slow down the aging process is to put a stop to the habits that compound the damage. Today, we have peach-toned, non-oily sunscreens that do triple duty as foundation, moisturizer, and sunblock – saving time and saving your skin.
4 – Stop smoking, and cut a teaspoon of salt per day from your diet.
Smoking drastically alters your blood chemistry and prevents your blood vessels and lymphatic system from functioning properly. This leaves your skin starved for oxygen and nutrients, and unable to eradicate fully the toxins that cause it to degenerate. While salt's effects are not nearly as detrimental, new studies suggest that limiting salt intake offers nearly as dramatic benefits for all of your body systems -- including vascular and tissue health.
5 – Slow down.
Being rough on your skin because you are in a hurry can inhibit tissue health. Avoid using very-hot shower water (this depletes surface tissues of the oils they need to stay soft) and don't "scrub" your face with a towel afterward – exfoliate properly with a cleanser designed to remove dead skin without damaging it. Stress also causes measurable chemical changes that damage skin health, so slowing down your pace can also help slow down some of the processes that prevent you from looking fresh.
1 – Hydrate 3 ways, every day.
You've heard before that water intake makes a big difference in your health, but when it comes to our skin, most of us are not doing everything we can to make sure our skin is taking in and retaining enough moisture to keep it healthy and young-looking. Make sure you:
• Take in enough water during the day. Bottom-line daily intake for a healthy woman should be about 8 glasses, but add another 4-8 when you exercise frequently, work on your feet, drink coffee, or get sick.
• Splash your face with cold water, or drape your skin with a wet washcloth, once or twice a day.
• Use a gentle, unscented facial moisturizer, especially on problem areas like the eyelids and upper lip. Best times to use it: right after showering (when your pores are open, the moisturizer will penetrate deeper) and right before bed (when your body focuses on repairing tissues).
2 – Include fruit with each meal.
Healthy greens along with fruit, nuts, and vegetables help provide your skin with the nutrients it needs, but they also give your body important tools to eradicate toxins that prevent healthy skin. Focus on Vitamin C-rich fruits and keep fats, sugars and other processed carbs to a minimum.
3 – Use sunscreen if there is any chance you will be out in the sun.
Even if your skin is already showing the effects of sun damage, the best way to slow down the aging process is to put a stop to the habits that compound the damage. Today, we have peach-toned, non-oily sunscreens that do triple duty as foundation, moisturizer, and sunblock – saving time and saving your skin.
4 – Stop smoking, and cut a teaspoon of salt per day from your diet.
Smoking drastically alters your blood chemistry and prevents your blood vessels and lymphatic system from functioning properly. This leaves your skin starved for oxygen and nutrients, and unable to eradicate fully the toxins that cause it to degenerate. While salt's effects are not nearly as detrimental, new studies suggest that limiting salt intake offers nearly as dramatic benefits for all of your body systems -- including vascular and tissue health.
5 – Slow down.
Being rough on your skin because you are in a hurry can inhibit tissue health. Avoid using very-hot shower water (this depletes surface tissues of the oils they need to stay soft) and don't "scrub" your face with a towel afterward – exfoliate properly with a cleanser designed to remove dead skin without damaging it. Stress also causes measurable chemical changes that damage skin health, so slowing down your pace can also help slow down some of the processes that prevent you from looking fresh.
