I love living in California. We have the beach, the sun, and great vibes all around us. It’s easy to forget that with all the sun, sand, and salt water your skin can easily become damaged. Read on to learn about what you can do to prevent skin damage and have healthy, beautiful skin for life.
Sun protection
Sun light is great, in moderation. It creates vitamin D, helps with depression, and even helps lower your cholesterol. The sun, with all its healing power, also has some drawbacks. Sun exposure can cause age spots, wrinkles, melasma, even increase your skin cancer risk. That is why it is incredibly important to use sunscreen. Use broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15. Make sure you apply your sunscreen before sun exposure and then reapply within one hour and throughout your sun exposure.
The sun’s rays are the strongest between 10 am and 2 pm so try to stay in the shade as much as you can during those hours. I know that isn’t the easiest thing to do, especially when you’re on vacation or taking your family out to the beach for the day. Just make sure you’re applying sunscreen frequently, and that there is shade available for when you get too hot.
Stop Smoking
Smoking can make your skin look older, cause wrinkles, decreases blood flow and depletes the skin of oxygen. Smoking not only damages collagen and elastin, but the pursing of your lips and such can lead to wrinkles. Stop smoking if not for your lung health then for your skin health. Here is a helpful place to find information and get help to quit smoking. http://www.lung.org/stop-smoking/i-want-to-quit/how-to-quit-smoking.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/
Take care of your skin
- Don’t take long hot baths or showers. Hot water removes the necessary oils from your skin that keep it healthy and moist.
- Shave carefully. Remember to use shaving cream, a clean, sharp razor and be careful to shave your knees carefully as not to cut yourself.
- Pat dry, don’t rub. When you rub your skin try it pulls the moisture. So pat dry, especially after washing your face.
- Even if you don’t have dry skin it is still important to moisturize your skin to keep your skin youthful. It is especially helpful if you choose a moisturizer with SPF.
Eat healthy
Eating whole foods is crucial for healthy skin. Premade meals are loaded with artificial flavors, sugars and preservatives. Stick to the perimeter of the grocery store and to avoid the middle because that is where all the processed foods are. Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean fats, and lean protein.
Manage stress
Stress can do loads of damage to your skin. Like cause breakouts, cause hair breakage, dulls shine, and make your nail beds unhealthy and nails brittle. Make sure you have an appropriate outlet for your stress, whether it be the gym, yoga studio, surfing, or even self-pampering. It is crucial for your overall health, not just skin health, to manage your stress. Visit me in San Diego for a relaxing facial, or microdermabrasion to give your skin some TLC. Of course you can get your Sugaring done at the same time!
