|
|
|
The Ins and Outs of Skin Care |
|
|
|
by Dayle Haddon
 |
| Cleansing our skin should go hand-in-hand
with those other self-care rituals like brushing
our teeth. |
Much of human interaction is
tactile; when someone shakes
your hand on an introduction,
touches your arm in acknowledgement or
tenderly caresses your face, it casts a
strong impression of who you are. Does
this contact with others reflect that you are
taking good care of yourself? Is the feel of
your skin giving off signs of neglect?
Skin does much more than simply
cover what is inside; it’s the largest organ
of the body. It breathes, excretes, absorbs
and protects. Because skin is affected by
external (sun, smoke, weather and pollution)
and internal factors (the foods you
eat and the amount of water you drink),
it’s important to approach skin care
“inside out” and “outside in.” Caring for
your skin can be one of your most powerful
weapons in the fight against aging
because the skin so quickly reflects back
the TLC you lavish on it. A skin care regimen
doesn’t have to be expensive or
complicated to be effective but it should
be a regular part of routine.
Sunscreen: Everyone—men, women
and children—should apply an SPF 15
(sun protection factor) in the morning. I
stockpile portable SPFs—in my purse,
my office drawer and near my front
door—little reminders to myself to apply
a sunscreen throughout the day. An effective
sunscreen protects against UVA/UVB
rays (UVA ultraviolet rays cause sun spots,
wrinkles and some forms of cancer and
UVB ultraviolet rays which burn the skin)
and contains titanium dioxide, zinc oxide
or Parsol. Remember to rub sunscreen on
every nook and cranny that is exposed to
the sun such as the hands, the chest and
the neck. There are so many formulas on
the market now that it is easy to find a
sunscreen for every member of the family:
gels work well for those with oily skin,
lotions moisturize dry skin, sprays are fast
drying and vanishing tints may hold a
child’s attention long enough for you to
get the sunscreen on them.
Cleansing and protecting. Cleansing
our skin should go hand-in-hand with
those other self-care rituals like brushing
our teeth. For most of us, we can skip
washing our face in the morning (try
using a rose water tonic or splash the face
with cold water instead). At night,
though, skin needs to breathe and rejuvenate
itself. The skin’s rate of cell renewal
is at its highest at night and the
absorption of active-care products
increases between midnight and 4 A.M.
The best soap is one that won’t clog
pores, won’t strip skin of its natural oils
and is formulated for your particular
type of skin (oily, dry or sensitive). As a
general rule, treatment soaps work best
for those treating a specific problem such
as acne: superfatted soaps work best for
older or dry skin (these formulas contain
added moisturizers and fats), and transparent
soaps (like glycerin soaps) act as a
humectant, keeping moisture sealed in
the skin.
Choose an antioxidant moisturizer
that contains vitamins A, C and E, which
will prevent damage and in some cases
reverse the damage that has already been
done (minimizing the appearance of
wrinkles and evening out red, rough or
scaly patches).
When it comes to skin care, the fewer
products you use the better. Find a cream
and cleanser that works for you and stick
with it. The only exception is when your
skin (or the weather) changes, in which
case you may find that you need to
switch to a milder or stronger formula.
Nutrition. You often hear about “free
radicals,” but what are they, really? Free
radicals are molecules with one missing
electron. These “cellular terrorists” attack
healthy cells in order to make themselves
complete. The rate at which this damage
appears depends in large part on how
well your skin can defend itself. The good
news is that nature has equipped us to
fight free radicals. Creams which contain
antioxidants tackle the surface damage,
while foods and supplements help undo
some of the harm that free radicals wreak
internally.
Developing an eating lifestyle, a diet
high in fruits and vegetables, is one of
the most important steps we can take to
protect our skin and our health. The
antioxidant foods—vitamins A, B, C and
E—are the multi-taskers, performing
several jobs at once. These vitamins
remove toxins from the skin, rebuild
collagen and protect the skin from further
breakdown. And there is no such
thing as eating right without drinking
water. Water is one of those totally wonderful
things in life. It helps to flush out
the system. It keeps the skin hydrated.
It’s natural. We don’t need a Ph.D. to
know which foods to eat for the most
glowing skin. Choose the darkest
greens, vibrant, deeply colored fruits
and vegetables and drink at least eight
glasses of water a day.
When you look your best, you feel
good too. It’s never too late to start.
Even if you’ve never properly cared for
your skin before, the steps you take
starting today, will help you to have
sensual skin all the way through your
70s and 80s.
Visit www.dayle.com
|
|
|
