How to keep your skin healthy and glowing

The human body is very delicate and vulnerable. So then, it has always been an easy target for an arrow, a sword, or a bullet. In all ages, people tried to protect their bodies as well as possible. For instance, medieval knights had iron armor and, at the present policemen, officers use more effective protection flak jackets to survive in the battle against evil.

We should appreciate these inventions of humankind. At the same time, we must never forget what nature provided us; to resist the undesirable and dangerous influence of the environment. Skin is what I mean.

Although it cannot protect us from a sword or a bullet, it has always been a very effective defense against ultraviolet rays; heat, cold, viruses, and bacteria. These factors consistently try to make our body their home for some period and then slowly destroy it.

Besides, the skin is a multifunctional component of the human body. Thermoregulation helps us adjust to the environmental temperature due to the widening or narrowing of blood vessels and the secretion of more or fewer liquids by skin glands. The metabolic function takes place during gas exchange, water-salt metabolism, etc. After all, due to the skin’s sensation function, we can feel the pleasure of touching.

I am sure the knights took good care of their armor to keep it durable and reliable for as long as possible. We, too, should do our best to keep our dermis in good condition and keep it looking great.

So, to have healthy and attractive skin it is desirable to:

• avoid the sunlight, as its ultraviolet rays cause the most harmful changes in the skin structure, making it dry, wrinkled, thin, and covered with age spots. They can also provoke skin cancer;
• quit smoking because nicotine is said to have the same influence on skin as sunlight;
• clean and moisturize skin properly (scrubs, creams, ointments, and lotions can be of great help in this case);
• keep to a healthy diet with much fruit and vegetables to supply the skin with all the necessary vitamins. Drinking much water helps improve its state as well;
• avoid stress because the skin is like a mirror, reflecting everything that is going on in the human mind.

It is easy to take care of our skin when we are young. Soft and full it only needs, perhaps, a proper cleaning (excluding cases of skin diseases).

Aging, on the other hand, emphasizes the flaws in our appearance, and takes away our beauty. It all results in dry, thin, and wrinkled skin. It is a point that preserving our natural body cover beautifully takes much effort and skill to succeed.

If you want to keep your youthful skin appearance, you need to know why your skin starts to change as you age. I have listed some of the most important things that affect the appearance of your skin. Plus, some of the ways to keep your skin from aging too quickly. The sooner you start applying these ideas, the longer you will retain your youthful appearance.

As you age, here are some of the changes that will occur:

* Your top skin layer, the epidermis, becomes thinner and more fragile

* Your skin becomes drier since oil glands produce less oil

* The number of blood vessels decreases in your face and throughout your body. Blood brings nutrients to your skin cells, giving your skin a healthy and rosy look

* Fewer skin cells are repaired or replaced quickly

* The sun and pollution start to show their effects on your skin by breaking down collagen and elastin, which give your skin its elasticity.

* Your good or bad diet starts to show its consequence on your skin. Your bad diet did not provide the nutrients your skin needed to be flexible, hydrated, oxygenated, and healthy.

* The unhealthy skin products you have been using start to show their harmful effects on your skin.

Consider that the beauty of your skin depends on the type of food you eat, exposure to sun and pollution, and the chemicals in your facial and skin products. Excessive exposure to the sun and pollution will damage your skin and accelerate its maturing appearance – age spots, blemishes, wrinkles, roughness, and sagging.

Here are some things you can do to slow down the aging skin.

* Use sunscreen every day – You can slow down wrinkle formation and even prevent it if you use sunscreen early in your life. Use sunscreen that contains Zinc Oxide. It is better than those that have Titanium Dioxide. Daily, use a broadband SPF of 15, and for heavy outdoor sun, activities use an SPF of 30. If you wear makeup, put your sunscreen on first.

* On hot days and even when it is not fair, apply your sunscreen and a hat. Stay in the shade when possible.

* Keep away from highly polluted areas and do not smoke. Smoking changes the elasticity of the skin fibers leading to rough and wrinkled skin.

* Get enough sleep. Your skin repairs itself when you sleep.

* When you sleep, do not sleep with your face on the pillow.

* Drink plenty of water. Your skin loses water during hot days and needs plenty of water to keep hydrated. Water is found in raw fruits and vegetables. Sodas, sugar drinks, tea (except herbal teas), coffee, or milk are not water. Rotate between buying and drinking Reverse Osmosis and Distilled water.

* Minimize drinking alcohol. Alcohol can lead to spider veins and broken capillaries. It also causes your skin to become dehydrated.

* Eat more fruits and vegetables. They provide plenty of antioxidants, which protect you from sun and pollution damage.

* Take an antioxidant supplement, which should include up to 2000 mg of vitamin C. You may have to take the Vitamin C separately.

Start using these ideas and, you will see improvement in your skin. This improvement may take a few months to appear on your skin. Be patient and persistent and, you will be rewarded with a good skin appearance.