As much as you want to, no one stays young forever! Aging is a natural process that each of us will go through. Although this process gradually occurs over time, there might be factors that can accelerate the aging process. Some are lifestyle choices and exposure to certain elements in the environment.
In pursuit of a healthy, glowing complexion, here are five tips to help you keep your skin looking healthy.
1. Visit A Dermatologist
Getting all the help from doing research may help you achieve younger-looking skin. However, if your budget allows, you can definitely try and visit a skin doctor. This may be beneficial, especially if you’re experiencing skin conditions that require medical attention. For instance, skin specialists from Lumen Laser Center and other skin clinics can help treat skin concerns, enhance skin texture, and educate you further on how to care for your skin.
Skin issues such as redness, rashes, flaky skin patches, and skin irritation may trigger premature aging and wrinkles. This can be uncomfortable and emotionally distressing. Nonetheless, a dermatologist may help you look for alternatives, apply treatments, or even prescribe medications to manage these conditions. It’s important to find a reliable and trustworthy dermatologist if you want to keep your skin looking healthy
2. Wear Your Sunscreen
Frequent sun exposure accelerates the aging process; consequently, this leads to dark spots, freckles, hyperpigmentation, wrinkles as well as an increased risk for developing melanoma. Exposure to UV rays may prompt DNA damage in your skin cells. Potentially, this can result to skin cancer.
For this reason, it’s important to regularly apply sunscreen. It’s even more crucial to wear your sunscreen during summertime as you spend ample time outdoors where the UV rays are stronger. When selecting the most suitable sunscreen, read the product label first.
The recommended SPF number is, at least, 30. Also, know that general sunscreen products are only equipped to protect you against UVB rays. Thus, choose a product which indicates “broad spectrum” on the label. This means that the sunscreen is designed to shield you against both UVA and UVB rays. Apart from sunburn, protection from both UV rays reduces the probability for premature aging or even skin cancer.
Moreover, skincare experts suggest you opt for water-resistant sunscreens if you want to keep your skin looking healthy. This is highly recommended if you’d go for a swim, stay outdoors for long, or if you’re the type who sweats a lot. However, for excellent results, try to reapply your sunscreen evenly once every two hours. Likewise, don’t forget to put on sunscreen around your eye region.
In addition, to further keep your skin healthy, refrain from going outdoors from 10 AM to 4 PM. However, if you need to go out during these hours, wear protective clothing such as tightly woven clothes, hats, or certain sun-protective clothing like those from Coolibar.
3. Remove Makeup
Makeup removal should be part of your daily skincare ritual before you hit the sack if you want to keep your skin looking healthy. The majority of makeup products are made of oil-based chemicals. Consequently, when it stays on until the next day, it clogs your pores which may result to blackheads, pimples, blemishes and even breakouts. Even so, mascara residue can potentially damage your eyelashes. Such a big problem!
Dirt, sebum, impurities, and makeup residue trapped in your skin may cause oxidative damage and irritation that can affect your skin barrier. Leaving your makeup on while you sleep bars your skin from replenishing and rejuvenating itself. These may result to wrinkles and dullness.
However, by cleansing your face well with a mild cleanser, you can keep your skin fresh, supple, and well-moisturized. Apart from this, regular exfoliation is crucial to help reveal younger-looking skin, promotes cell turnover by removing dead skin on top of it, and allows your skin to breathe.
4. Get Adequate, Quality Sleep
Poor sleep quality can potentially compromise skin barrier functioning which then may result to skin aging. Likewise, this may trigger the release of the stress hormone, cortisol. Consequently, elevated cortisol levels can prompt inflammation, cause dryness, and disrupt collagen production. Take note that collagen is essential to keep your skin healthy, youthful, and radiant.
For this reason, try to aim for seven to nine hours of sleep every night if you want to keep your skin looking healthy. To help your body prepare for sleep, have a relaxing nighttime routine. It might help if you take time to prepare a hot beverage such as green tea to soothe and calm your mind. You may also schedule nights when you pamper your skin with collagen-enriched face masks. Aside from helping boost collagen production, putting on face masks can help hydrate and moisturize your skin. Don’t forget to light up some candles and turn on relaxing music to complete the vibe.
5. Ditch Smoking
Apart from applying products onto your face, it’s important that you make mindful lifestyle choices if you want to keep your skin looking healthy.
Notably, smoking tobacco narrows down the blood vessels present in the surface layer of your skin. Consequently, oxygen supply is depleted and essential nutrients are barred from nourishing your face.
Aside from making your skin look paler, smoking speeds up the accumulation of free radicals and can trigger conditions such as acne, psoriasis, hair loss, and premature spots. Likewise, smoking meddles with collagen and elastin production. This can make you look older than your actual age.
Apart from this, the repetitive facial expressions you unconsciously make while smoking can promote fine lines around your mouth region. What’s worse is that smoking may increase your chances for developing lung cancer. Secondhand smoking is also not safe as it comes with risks and consequences of its own.
Even though you’re on top of your skincare regimen, smoking can still prevent you from achieving a healthy-looking glow. Hence, if you smoke, you need to quit as soon as possible not only to protect your skin, but your general health as well.
If you have difficulty breaking this habit, consider speaking to a doctor. Reach out to people who can provide you expert advice and tips to gradually stop smoking so you can keep your skin looking healthy.
The Bottom Line
There are several ways to achieve a healthy-looking complexion. By making deliberate lifestyle shifts and choosing to break bad habits, you can keep your skin looking healthy, fresh, young, and radiant.
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