Make Your Skin Naturally Glow
From Stealth Health and http://www.rdasia.com/make-your-skin-naturally-glow?page=3
Beauty, the saying goes, is only skin-deep. But the
importance of skin goes a lot deeper. Most of us think of skin as just our
body’s visible outer layer, but doctors consider skin an organ, meaning that it
is very much alive and charged with many important duties.
In particular, the skin is the first layer of your immune
system, serving as a shield between you and legions of germs such as viruses
and bacteria. It also protects your insides from sun, cold, scrapes, cuts, and
moisture. And, of course, your sense of touch is crucial for everyday function.
Like any part of your internal body, your skin can be
healthy or ill. It can be well nourished or malnourished. It can be exercised,
and it can wear down with age or abuse. In particular, as we age, our skin
becomes thinner and drier. Plus, other, more unpleasant things happen to our
skin. Things like wrinkles, age spots, dark circles, and large pores, which
tend to turn up like uninvited guests at a wedding.
While you can’t control your age, you can control numerous
other factors that accelerate this aging process, including excessive exposure
to sunlight, loss of estrogen during menopause, poor dietary habits, stress,
and cigarette smoking.
Unlike the other organs of your body, you can apply
medicines, moisturizers, and other healthy potions directly to the skin. For
that reason alone, there is absolutely no reason you can’t have healthy,
attractive skin throughout your life.
To keep your skin and face young and
healthy, and to maintain its natural, protective moisture, follow these tips.
1. Skip the long, steamy showers and opt for shorter, cooler
sprays. Long, hot showers strip skin of its
moisture and wash away protective oils, says Andrea Lynn Cambio, M.D., a New
York City dermatologist. So limit showers to 10 minutes and keep the water
cool.
2. Check the dryness of your skin by scratching a small area
on your arm or leg with your fingernail.
If it leaves a white mark, your skin is indeed dry and needs both moisture and
exfoliation (that is, removal of the outermost layer of dead skin cells).
3. Treat your neck and chest like an extension of your face. Your neck and upper chest area is covered by very sensitive
skin, making it a prime spot for telltale signs of aging such as dryness, sun
spots, and wrinkles, says Susie Galvez, owner of Face Works Day Spa in
Richmond, Virginia, and author of Hello Beautiful: 365 Ways to Be Even More
Beautiful. To keep this area youthful, use facial cleansing creams that
hydrate and cleanse gently rather than deodorant soaps, which can be drying.
Top it all off with a good facial moisturizing cream. If this area is extra
dry, use a facial moisturizing mask twice a month.
4. Run a humidifier every night in the winter to moisturize
the air in your bedroom. Not only
will it ease itchy, dry skin, you’ll be able to breathe the moist air more
easily.
5. Take 160 milligrams of soy isoflavones per day or pour
soy milk over your cereal. Soy
consumption may support skin health by supplying high-quality protein needed
for building and maintaining collagen, the material essential to connective
tissues, says Aaron Tabor, M.D., CEO and medical research director at Revival
Soy in Kernersville, North Carolina. Soy isoflavones may also act as
antioxidants to protect collagen from damage caused by free radicals, highly
reactive molecules that can weaken or destroy cell membranes. Free radicals can
also damage DNA, create age spots and wrinkles, and depress the immune system,
increasing the risk of skin cancer. Good sources of soy isoflavones include soy
milk (20-35 mg soy isoflavones per serving) and tofu (20-30 mg soy isoflavones
per serving).
6. Switch from a deodorant soap to one with added fat, like
Dove, Oilatum, or Neutrogena.
Deodorant soaps can be drying, whereas added-fat soaps leave an oily, yet
beneficial, film on your skin.
7. Keep your beauty products clean and simple, particularly
if you have sensitive skin. Stay away
from products with color, fragrance, or those that produce bubbles or have
“antibacterial” on the label, says Dr. Cambio. These can all irritate skin.
8. Smooth a couple of drops of olive oil over your face,
elbows, knees, and the backs of your arms every evening. The oil contains monounsaturated fat, which refreshes and
hydrates skin without leaving a greasy residue.
9. For soft, young-looking hands and feet, slather on
moisturizing cream and then slip on thin-fabric socks
and gloves while you sleep.
10. Tone your skin with a sage, peppermint, and witch hazel
combination. Sage helps to control oil,
peppermint creates a cool tingle, and witch hazel helps restore the skin’s
protective layer. Combine 4 ounces of witch hazel with 1 teaspoon each of sage
and peppermint leaves and steep for one to three days before applying to your
skin.
11. Select a moisturizer that contains skin-repairing
humectants. Is that a new word for you?
Humectants attract water when applied to your skin and improve its hydration.
Good ones include glycerin, propylene glycol, and urea. Also look for skin
products that contain alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs), compounds that help reduce
wrinkles and improve dry skin, acne, and age spots. AHAs, which naturally occur
in grapes, apples, citrus, and sour milk (think buttermilk or yogurt), work by
speeding up the turnover of old skin cells, making skin look younger.
12. Use a loofah daily to keep ingrown hairs and scaly skin
under control. While in the shower, gently scrub
bumpy or scaly skin with a circular motion to remove dead cells. For
extra-smooth skin, sprinkle a few drops of an alpha-hydroxy product on the
loofah before scrubbing.
13. Take rose hips every morning to help build collagen. Rich in vitamin C, rose hips (available at drugstores) can
help keep skin smooth and youthful. Follow label directions.
14. Pop a high-potency multivitamin every day. Many nutrients are vital to healthy skin, including vitamins
C, A, and B. The most reliable way to get them all every day is to eat well, as
well as take a daily supplement.
15. Use unscented baby powder to keep areas where skin meets
skin — like the inner thighs, underarms,
beneath large breasts — clean and dry. This is important to prevent a common
skin condition called intertrigo, which occurs when such areas remain moist,
fostering the growth of bacteria or fungi.
16. If you’re gearing up for a day in the sun, steer clear
of scented lotions and perfumes.
Scented products can lead to blotchy skin when exposed to the sun, says Galvez.
17. To treat dry, rough, itchy skin, try these bath add-ins:
* Half a pound of sea salt and one
pound baking soda. Soak until the water is cool to detoxify your skin and
soothe the itch.
Two cups Epsom salt. In addition to soaking in it, while your skin is still
wet, rub handfuls of Epsom salt on the rough areas to exfoliate skin.
A few bags of your favorite tea. The tea provides antioxidants as well as a
delicious scent.
One cup uncooked oatmeal tied into an old stocking or muslin bag. Oats are not
only wonderful for your inner health, says Galvez, but provide a healthy glow
on the outside as well, leaving a film on your skin that seals in water.
Equal parts of apple cider vinegar, wheat germ, and sesame oil. Apple cider
vinegar is both antibacterial and alkalinizing (meaning it helps maintain the
proper acid balance), while sesame oil and wheat germ add moisture.
One cup powdered milk with one tablespoon grapeseed oil. The lactic acid in the
milk will exfoliate your skin, and the grapeseed oil will give your skin a
powerful dose of antioxidants.
18. Apply ice wrapped in a towel to dry, itchy skin. A few minutes on, a few minutes off. Allow the moist cold to
relieve your skin and draw warming blood to it, but don’t let your skin get so
cold as to sting or hurt.
19. Smooth aloe vera gel over extra-dry skin. The acids in aloe eat away dead skin cells and speed up the
healing process. Cut off an end of an aloe leaf, split open, and spread the gel
on the dry area.
20. Plunk your rough, dry elbows into grapefruit halves. First exfoliate your elbows in your bath or shower, then cut
a grapefruit in half and rest one elbow on each half, letting them soak for 15
minutes, recommends Galvez. The acid in the grapefruit provides extra smoothing
power.
21. Hang room-darkening shades in your bedroom. They help avoid sleep disturbances or insomnia caused by
ambient light. Sleep is critical to your skin’s health because most cell repair
and regeneration occurs while you’re getting your z’s; if you’re not getting
enough rest, your skin cannot renew itself.
22. Cook with garlic every day. A 1996 Danish study found that skin cells grown in a
culture dish and treated with garlic had seven times the life span of cells
grown in a standard culture. They also tended to look healthier and more
youthful than untreated cells. Plus, garlic extract dramatically inhibited the
growth of cancerous skin cells.
23. Go for a run, ride your bike, work out in
the garden on a hot day — anything that gets you sweating.
Sweating is nature’s way of eliminating toxic chemicals that can build up under
skin. Plus, regular exercise maintains healthy circulation and blood flow
throughout your body, including your skin. If you’re exercising outdoors,
though, remember to wear a sunscreen on your face that protects against UVA and
UVB rays, or a moisturizer with sunscreen protection.
24. Grill salmon brushed with olive oil and
sprinkled with toasted, crushed walnuts. There, you’ve just
gotten a skin-healthy dose of poly- and monounsaturated fats, particularly
omega-3 fatty acids, which studies suggest may affect the amount of sun and
aging damage your skin experiences. By extension, make sure olive oil is the
primary source of fat in your cooking each and every day, and try to have
salmon twice a week or more.
25. Brew a pot of tea, chill, then store in the
fridge and drink throughout the day. Tea, as you probably know,
is a great source of antioxidants, molecules that fight the free-radical damage
caused by sun exposure and cigarette smoking. One Arizona study, for instance,
found that the more tea people drank (particularly tea with lemon) the less
likely they were to develop squamous cell skin cancer.
26. Switch moisturizers every time the seasons
change. Your skin needs more moisture in the winter than in the
summer. So the same day you bring those sweaters down from the attic for the
winter, buy a heavier moisturizer. When you trade in the sweaters for shorts,
switch to a lighter one.
27. Here’s one for men: Recognize
that skin-preserving products like cleansers and moisturizers aren’t just for
women. Men need skin care just as much as their wives and sisters. To prevent
wrinkles and skin cancer, use a moisturizer containing a sunscreen with an SPF
of at least 15 daily. Also use a gentle exfoliant weekly and a nighttime
moisturizer that contains alpha-hydroxy acids to encourage skin regeneration.
28. Prepare a homemade oat scrub and use on
your face every other day. Oats moisturize and exfoliate your
skin at the same time. Grind enough rolled oats in a food processor or coffee
grinder to fill 1/2 cup. Combine with 1/3 cup ground sunflower seeds, 1/2
teaspoon peppermint leaves, and 4 tablespoons almond meal. Mix 2 teaspoons with
a small amount of heavy cream. Scrub your face and neck with the mixture, then
rinse thoroughly with cool water.
29. Add a teaspoon of grapeseed oil to your
toner. The oil acts as an anti-aging serum by helping your skin
cells repair and rejuvenate themselves, suggests Gina Michele Bisignano, a
model and beauty expert in Los Angeles.
30. Avoid these three skin destroyers: Smoking,
tanning salons, and sunbathing. All three will age your skin
prematurely, many doctors agree.
31. For double protection, apply a cream
containing vitamin C to your face over your sunblock. The cream
helps prevent facial skin damage, dehydration, and wrinkles, says Galvez. Also
try creams containing vitamin E or beta-carotene.
32. Use a spritzer with rose, sandalwood, or
bergamot essential oils mixed with water. These oils are great
for hydrating the skin, says Melinda Minton, spa consultant and health and beauty
expert in Fort Collins, Colorado. To create an herbal spritzer, mix a few drops
of essential oil with water in a small spray bottle and spritz on your face
whenever your skin needs a little boost. Your skin is more pliable when it’s
hydrated, so a spray helps stave off frown lines and general movement wrinkles.
The hydrator also keeps pollutants out and keeps your skin’s natural lubricants
in. An added bonus: Your makeup will stay on longer and look more natural.
33. Clean your face and neck with a natural
cold cream and follow with a rosewater and glycerin rinse twice
a day to remove skin-damaging pollutants.
34. Keep your hands off your face! Because
your hands touch so many surfaces, they are a magnet for dirt and germs. Rub
your eyes, stroke your chin, cup your cheek, and you’ve transferred everything
on your hands to your face. As an extension of this, use headphones or a
headset when talking on the phone. This, too, keeps hands and germs away from
your face.
35. Stop with one glass of wine or one alcoholic
drink. Overdoing it enlarges the blood vessels near the surface
of your facial skin.
36. De-shine your face throughout the day by
periodically dabbing on loose powder to blot excess oil. Don’t use pressed
powder, which actually contains oil as an ingredient.
37. Never, ever rub your eyes — apply
compresses instead. The skin on your face is extremely
delicate, especially under your eyes. So use a very light touch on your face at
all times, says Dianne M. Daniels, image consultant and color analyst at Image
& Color Services in Norwich, Connecticut. If your eyes itch, apply a cold
compress or washcloth to the area, or try a cotton pad moistened with toner or
witch hazel.
38. Use a single family of skin-care products.
If you buy and use lots of different skin-care products, there’s a good chance
some contain the same ingredients, thus making them redundant, says Cara
DeCenso, an aesthetician at Ajune in Manhattan. And some brands just aren’t
very compatible with others, though you’d have no way of knowing that until you
already paid for and opened them. You’ll get much better results if you use
products that are designed and formulated to work together, such as Clinique,
Mary Kay, Albolene, or Neutrogena. You may have to shell out a little more
cash, but experts agree you’ll get better results.
