Our skin is our largest organ and the one that grows quickest. It is also the part of us that we present to the world day in, day out, and the one we abuse the most. Crucial to aging well and looking healthy, we need to avoid wrecking our skin where we can.
Here we look at some hints and tips for when to protect your skin and ensure you continue to look good throughout life.
Avoid overexposure to the sun
Looking brown and tanned means we appear healthy for short periods of our lives. However, it is also the cause of some of the biggest problems with our skin.
On a basic level, we are more likely to squint and create lines around our eyes and on our forehead, which age us dramatically. At a much more severe level, sunburn can lead to some form of skin cancer.
Avoiding premature aging and skin diseases means slapping on the sun cream and covering up when the UV is strong. Even when it is cloudy out, we ought to be covering up with sunscreen at an SPF 30 or higher sunscreen. You should apply your cream before leaving the house and reapply regularly throughout the day.
It is the rays rather than the heat of the sun that can cause damage to cells in our skin. Therefore, you can imagine that a sunbed will wreck your skin much quicker, as you are encouraging direct exposure to the whole of your body.
Smoking can damage your skin
There are so many ways that smoking is bad for your health, including lung cancer and heart disease. These diseases lessen the blood flow to the skin, making it look unhealthy and more prone to wrinkling. Cigarette skin is where we are more prone to skin problems, as our skin cannot heal from environmental factors as quickly.
If you think you are out of danger because you choose vaping, you might want to think again. Repetitively using our facial muscles creates deep lines around the mouth and wrinkles on the top lip. You will find yourself looking older more quickly because of the sucking motion you do with your mouth.
Not drinking enough water
Our skin is made up of more than 60% water, and the effects of dehydration on the skin include puffiness and discoloration. Consequently, drinking more water will help give you the healthy glow you hope from your skin.
Equally, this means drinking less coffee and alcohol, which are diuretics and can suck the moisture from your skin.
The good news is that drinking water also flushes toxins through your body, so you will be much less prone to spots.
Cleansing the face inappropriately
The skin on our face is much more sensitive than the rest of our bodies. Therefore, you need to use a cleanser for the face designed for this skin. Most of us use astringent cleanser and draw out natural oils that help skin retain the healthy glow that keeps us looking young.
Equally, we tend to scrub at our face as we scrub at the rest of the body. Again, this can cause damage. While it is good to exfoliate and lift dead skin cells from our face, we don’t want to be too abrasive on this sensitive part of our body.
Worrying too much
A scourge of modern living is the high-stress lifestyle. We spend too much time in heightened states of emotion, which can negatively affect the health of our whole body and mind.
Our skin represents our general health, so if we are suffering from any physical problems, it will show up first in the form of dryness, rashes, or spots. The more we can maintain emotional balance, the healthier our skin will look.
Worrying and stress also create those lines on our faces that can create premature aging. When we laugh a lot, we indeed get laughter lines. However, the effect of these upward turning grooves is to make us look more alive and approachable. Worry lines can lead to a constant look of sadness or anger, which will impact the way people interact with us.
Everyday life can be intense on our skin and cause dryness, wrinkling, and spots problems. By protecting this sensitive organ, we will look and then feel younger. While how we look is not as important as who we are, you will feel happier when your skin looks good because you will look good, and people will respond to this.
Form good habits with your skin to create a positive emotional cycle for everyday happiness.
