Healthy Living, Healthy Skin

Healthy living should be easy.  But it’s not.  If it were, we all would be doing it.  Life gets in the way, between work, kids, spouses, fast food, and quick solutions, it’s no wonder our health and our skin suffer.  I can’t help you with work or the kids, but below is a list to start helping you have healthier skin today.

Hydrate!!-If you do nothing else for your skin, this is one of the main ones.  Start drinking more water.  Current science recommends at least 8 glasses of water a day.  Drink more if you can.  If your skin is not getting the sufficient amount of water, the lack of hydration will present itself by turning your skin dry, tight and flaky. Dry skin has less resilience and is more prone to wrinkling.

You Are What You Eat-Foods have been used for centuries as beauty treatments.  But, it’s not just about spreading them on your face, the foods you eat also affect your skin. Try to have a diet high in Vitamins E & C (vegetable oils, margarine, eggs, fish, whole-grain cereals and dried beans for vitamin E; citrus fruits, berries, potatoes, tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers and leafy green vegetables for vitamin C.). Essential Fatty Acids (cold-water fish, such as salmon, mackerel and tuna. For healthy mono fats, stick with olive oil and nuts.)  Vitamin A (orange, red and yellow fruits; vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and cantaloupe; and green leafy vegetables such as spinach and broccoli.)  As with anything, moderation is key.  Eating too much of any one thing can be dangerous

Get Moving- Exercise causes us to sweat-which clears skin of impurities, automatically making us glow.  It also promotes production of sebum, or oil, your skin's natural moisturizer, and enhances blood flow to the skin. That's important because blood carries oxygen and valuable nutrients that help maintain skin health.  Physical activity also helps us manage stress, which can cause breakouts and wrinkles.

It’s in the Air- Smoking is not good for your entire body-it’s especially not good for the skin.  Smoking constricts your capillaries restricting blood flow and oxygen to your skin.  Making your skin look older and wrinkle prematurely.  Smoking also damages collagen and elastin — the fibers that give your skin strength and elasticity.  

• Use Sunscreen-Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 50. Apply sunscreen generously, and reapply every two hours — or more often if you're swimming or perspiring.  Try not to be in the sun for long periods of time as it can dry out skin and attribute to sun damage.  When you do have to be out be sure to wear sunscreen and protective clothing.
  
  

Don’t Stress- Uncontrolled stress can make your skin more sensitive and trigger acne breakouts and other skin problems. To encourage healthy skin — and a healthy state of mind — take steps to manage your stress. Set reasonable limits, scale back your to-do list and make time to do the things you enjoy. The results might be more dramatic than you expect.  Regular facials from your esthetician can help alleviate stress as well as promote healthy skin.

This is a good, basic list of things you can start doing for your skin.  Remember, the changes won’t happen all at once and no one is perfect, just start doing every little bit you can to help your skin keep you happy and healthy.