Skin and Beauty

There are many aspects to skin care: 

Moisturizing.

Without sufficient moisture, the skin can become painfully dry and cracked. The American Academy of Dermatology has assembled the following list of dermatologists’ top tips for relieving dry skin:

• Limit time in the bath or shower to 5-10 minutes
• Avoid using hot water
• Be gentle when toweling off the skin—pat dry instead
• Use body moisturizer immediately after bathing
• Use an facial ointment or thick face cream for particularly dry skin
• Apply hand cream each time after washing the hands, and use before bed every night
• Wear lip balm—look for one that contains natural ingredients like beeswax, coconut oil, olive oil, shea butter or cocoa butter
• Avoid skincare products that contain harsh ingredients like alcohol, fragrance, and use retinoids, or alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) sparingly if your skin is dry
• Wear gloves to protect your hands in cold weather and during activities that involve using harsh chemicals or greases, like washing dishes or cleaning
• Choose non-irritating laundry detergents–look for ones made for sensitive skin or that are labeled hypoallergenic, and that are labeled “fragrance-free” rather than “unscented”
• Don’t sit right in front of a heat source. This may make your skin dry out faster.
• Use a humidifier

Sun Protection.

Protecting your skin from the sun is important to both the health and appearance of your skin. While small amounts of sun exposure are beneficial to bodily occurrences such as the production of vitamin D, prolonged sun exposure over time, without proper protection, can cause prominent wrinkles, skin discoloration, and increased risk of skin cancer. The American cancer society offers the following tips on protecting your skin from the sun:

• Seek shade—bring an umbrella to the beach, sit under a tree when in the park, any shade helps shelter you from the sun
• Protect your skin with clothing that is manufactured to shield UV radiation. All clothing does not protect your skin equally—fabrics with tighter weaves offer more sun protection than fabrics that are sheer and loosely woven. Read the label fully before promising a product that promises skin protection.
• Wear a hat that shades both your face and neck from the sun
• Use sunscreen, preferably a broad spectrum sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB radiation, with an SPF over 15, preferably higher. The SPF number refers only to UVB ray protection, to ensure UVA protection, check for ingredients like ecamsule, avobenzone, oxybenzone, sulisobenzone, zinc oxide, or titanium dioxide.
• Be sure that your sunscreen has not passed its expiration date.
• Wear sunglasses that block UV rays
• Don’t use tanning beds or sunlamps as prolonged use can increase cancer risk , lead to wrinkles and skin discolorations, affect skin elasticity, among other problems

For more information on skin cancer, visit the skin cancer condition center.

Anti-aging.

Though changes to the skin are a natural part of getting older, many men and women are displeased with the effects of the changes on their physical appearance. Regularly moisturizing skin and avoiding unprotected sun exposure throughout life can help the skin to age more gradually. When it comes to anti-aging products, it can be difficult to separate fact and fiction because people respond to products differently.

While the following tips won’t reverse skin aging, they may help the skin age more gradually:

• Remove your make up before sleep to prevent dirt build up on the surface of the skin
• Exfoliate both your face and body to keep pores clear.
• Use spot treatment for pimples rather than applying broad spectrum products to the entire face. Anti-acne products often contain ingredients that can be harsh on healthy skin.
• Get fresh air whenever possible. Potentially harmful free-radical practices are especially abundant in stuffy, urban environment air.
• Exercise regularly. Exercise can help the body to expel toxins which may help the skin age more gracefully.
• Quit smoking. Smoking accelerates the aging of skin.