Sun
Prevent sun damage by wearing sunscreen whenever you leave the
house, even if it is just to take something out to the car or
pick the kids up from school. For everyday wear, find a moisturizer
or foundation with SPF 15 or above. Wearing SPF 30 or higher can
also help restore past sun damage as the skin begins to repair
itself. Try to minimize your sun exposure between the hours of
11a.m.–3p.m. Even the strongest of sunscreens filter only
99% of ultraviolet rays.
Stress
Stress causes many different skin-damaging chemicals to overreact.
One, for example, is testosterone, which has been linked to triggering
acne. This would make sense in older career women who experience
adult acne. Always on the go, some lead very stressful lives with
work and children. Knowing how to keep calm and reduce stress
will help keep your skin alive. Try sniffing lavender or taking
lavender scented baths. Exercise, deep breathing, and yoga are
good stress relievers.
Alcohol
Alcohol-related problems could occur after only two beverages.
Aim for at least three alcohol-free days a week and try to drink
two glasses of water for every one glass of alcohol. Alcoholic
beverages can cause broken capillaries and veins, as well as redness
due to its ability to dilate blood vessels in sensitive skin.
Alcohol also contains acetaldehyde, which deteriorates skin fibers,
reducing elasticity and firmness. It causes dehydration and attacks
the vitamin C in your system, one of the most important nutrients
for healthy functioning skin.
Lack of Sleep
Nighttime is the one of the most important times for your skin.
This is when you begin building new cells and replace collagen
and elastin damaged by the day’s exposure to sun and pollution.
Treatments such as moisturizing masks are best used at night.
Research has stated that your skin is more absorbent during the
sleeping hours and takes in vitamin treatments more effectively.
Lack of sleep cuts these benefits in half and produces reactions
of its own such as dark circles, puffiness, and sallowness under
the eyes. This is caused by a reaction to the skin which diverts
blood to fuel the tired brain and other organs instead of to replenish
the skin. To avoid fatigued skin, try to get at least seven hours
of sleep at night.
Smoking
Nicotine in cigarettes constructs blood vessels in the skin giving
a very sallow and dull appearance. Constant creasing and wrinkling
of the eyes and pursing of the lips as you inhale, along with
the aging chemicals in nicotine, make it easy to understand why
the average smoker looks 5-10 years older than someone their age.
Lack of Exercise
Exercise on a regular basis helps boost the appearance and health
of skin by increasing the amount of oxygen in you blood stream
and reducing the amount of toxins that build up under your skin.
It also helps reduce stress and helps you sleep. Try doing at
least twenty-minute workouts three times a week. Cardiovascular
workouts such as bicycling, walking, swimming, running, and even
dancing are among our favorites.
Pollution
Pollution and harmful chemicals in the environment have been linked
to aging. The average consumer inhales seven percent of all pollutants
in the air everyday and ingests eleven pounds of pesticides and
additives found in food per year. Avoiding pollution is somewhat
tricky; however, you can help by increasing your intake of fresh,
organic fruit and vegetables, which contain antioxidants that
help combat toxins.
