Important basics for healthy and glowing skin
Good skin care — including sun protection and gentle cleansing — can keep your skin healthy and glowing for years to come.
Don't have time for intensive skincare? You can still pamper yourself by mastering the basics. Good skincare and healthy lifestyle choices can help delay natural aging and prevent many skin problems. Start with these five valuable tips.
1. Protect yourself from the sun
One of the most important ways to care for your skin is to protect it from the sun. Lifelong sun exposure can cause wrinkles, age spots, and other skin problems — and also increases your risk of skin cancer.
For maximum sun protection:
- Use sunscreen. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15. Also, apply sunscreen generously and reapply every two hours — or more often if you're swimming or sweating.
- Seek shade. Avoid the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the sun's rays are strongest.
- Wear protective clothing. Cover your skin with tightly woven, long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and wide-brimmed hats. Also consider laundry additives, which give clothes an extra layer of UV protection for a certain number of washes, or special sunscreens—designed specifically to block UV rays.
2. Quit smoking
Smoking makes your skin look older and contributes to wrinkles. Smoking constricts the small blood vessels in the outer layers of the skin, reducing blood flow and making the skin paler. It also depletes the skin of oxygen and nutrients important for skin health.
Smoking also damages collagen and elastin — the fibers that give your skin strength and elasticity. Additionally, the repetitive facial expressions you make while smoking — such as pursing your lips when inhaling and squinting your eyes to keep out the smoke — can contribute to wrinkles.
Smoking also increases your risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the skin. If you smoke, the best way to protect your skin is to quit. Ask your doctor about tips or treatments to help you stop smoking.
3. Treat your skin gently.
Daily hygiene and shaving have a positive impact on your skin. To keep it smooth:
- Reduce your shower time. Hot water and long showers or baths can strip your skin of oils. Limit your shower or bath time and use warm — rather than hot — water.
- Avoid harsh soaps. Harsh soaps and cleansers can strip your skin of oil. Instead, choose mild cleansers.
- Shave carefully. To protect and moisturize your skin, apply shaving cream, lotion, or gel before shaving. For a basic shave, use a clean, sharp razor. Shave in the direction of hair growth, not against it.
- Pat skin dry. After cleansing or bathing, gently pat your skin dry with a towel so that some moisture remains.
- Moisturize dry skin. If you have dry skin, use a moisturizer that suits your skin type. For daily use, consider a moisturizer with SPF.
4. Follow a healthy diet
A healthy diet can help you look and feel your best. Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. The relationship between diet and acne isn't clear—but some research suggests that a diet rich in fish oil or fish oil supplements and low in unhealthy fats and processed or refined carbohydrates may promote younger-looking skin. Drinking plenty of water helps keep your skin hydrated.
5. Dealing with stress
Uncontrolled stress can make your skin more sensitive and cause acne and other skin problems. To encourage healthy skin—and a healthy mind—follow healthy stress management steps. Get enough sleep, set reasonable limits, reduce your daily to-do list, and make time for things you enjoy. The results may be more dramatic than you expect.