Skin Care Tips

Sometimes we are so busy with our lifestyle that we forget about how to properly take care of ourselves. I am not talking about daily hygiene, I am talking about proper skin care. So many things can affect our skin and it gets worse as we get older. Age alone can greatly affect our skin. As we get older, our skin becomes thinner and you start to develop those little tiny fine lines and wrinkles. The glands that produce oil for your skin become less active, which makes your skin drier. Even the number of blood vessels in your skin decreases which makes your skin more fragile. This all equals to loosing the color and glow in your skin as you get older.

As part of good skin, care avoid the sun, wash your skin gently and use moisturizer regularly. This does not make aging go away but it does delay the aging process and does prevent skin problems. Here I have listed a few good skin care habits to help in protecting your skin.

The Sun Is Not Always Friendly

Always protect yourself from the sun. The ultraviolet light may be invisible but it can damage your skin, which causes deep wrinkles. Deep wrinkles cause dry, rough skin. Liver spots can also develop as well as serious skin disorders like noncancerous and cancerous skin tumors. The worst time to be out in the sun is from 10am to 4pm this is when the sun is the strongest and can cause the most skin damage. Wear long sleeved shirts while out in the sun. Some fabrics do a better job at protecting you from the sun than others like cotton is a good protecting fabric. Also, wear hats with a brim to protect your face from the sun. Always use sunscreen. Apply it about 20 minutes before going outside and reapply about every two hours if you have been sweating a lot or have been in the water.

Be Gentle With Your Skin

Use warm water instead of hot water when taking a bath or shower. Hot water can remove protective oils from your skin. Try to limit bath or shower time to fifteen minutes or less if possible. Do not use strong soaps as they strip the oil from your skin and can leave your skin very dry. Use a mild or gentle soap that has oils and fats added. For those of you with sensitive skin, do not use products that have perfumes or dyes as these can irritate your skin and could trigger an allergic reaction. Always carefully remove makeup using a soft sponge, cotton cloth or cotton balls. Be gentle when removing eye makeup since that is extremely delicate tissue. If you wear waterproof makeup, remove it with an oil-based product like petroleum jelly.

When washing your face, taking a bath, shower pat, or blot your skin dry with a towel this way some of the moisture remains on your skin. Always follow with a body and face moisturizer this is either oil or a cream. When you use moisturizer on a regular basis, you provide a seal over your skin. This keeps water in your skin and replaces the water, as it is lost. Get a moisturizer that is for your skin type. The best way to tell if you even need a moisturizer is to wait about 20 minutes after your shower or bath. If you skin feels dry then you need a moisturizer. Make sure the moisturizer you select contains SPF or a sun protection factor. The SPF should be at least 15. Again if you have sensitive skin get a moisturizer that is free from dyes and perfumes. If you have extremely dry skin you may want to use baby oil as a moisturizer. Apply it right after your bath or shower. If you skin is oily do not use moisturizer as your body makes enough oil to protect your skin already.