Top Ten Enemies For All Skin Types

[Guest guest]

Top Ten Enemies For All Skin Types

 

 

 

Adapted from Naturally Healthy Skin, by Stephanie Tourles (Storey Books, 1999).

You've heard it said, that by 20, you have the skin you inherited; by age 40, you have the skin you deserve; and by age 60, you have the skin you've earned! Whether you need to maintain your skin, preserve your skin, or repair your skin, it's never too early and it's never too late.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can take charge of your skin starting today - and here is as good a starting point as any! 1. Smoking. Smoking constricts blood vessels, restricts oxygen uptake, gives a gray color to your complexion, and literally eats up vitamin C, which is necessary for collagen formation. It leads to puckering around the mouth and fine squinty creases around your eyes. 2. Pollution. Pollution affects your skin in the same way as smoking, minus the puckering and creasing. 3. Dry air. Your skin can easily become parched and thirsty. Keep a hydrating floral water spray handy at all times. 4. Weight loss/gain. Your skin, though quite elastic, is not a rubber band. Stretch marks and sagging, untoned skin can be the result of yo-yo dieting. 5. Excessive pulling on the skin. Makeup and facial products should be applied using a gentle touch. Pulling on the skin encourages sagging. 6. Abusive exfoliation/overszealous cleansing. Washcloths and facial scrubs are designed to exfoliate your skin while cleansing. If you scrub your skin in the same manner used to remove the soap scum from your shower stall, you'll only irritate it and make matters worse, not better. 7. Alcohol. Alcohol dehydrates you from the inside out, taxes your liver, and gobbles up your B vitamins. 8. Drugs. Some drugs may cause photosensitivity (sun sensitivity), dryness, blotchiness, or even mild acne. 9. Constipation. Toxins can build up within your body if your elimination is faulty, but they must eventually escape via some channel, and frequently that path is the skin. Drink plenty of fresh water and eat lots of fiber to keep your plumbing running smoothly. 10. Sunlight. Excessive sun exposure leads to dry, wrinkled, leathery, blotchy, prematurely aged skin and possibly skin cancer. You need your daily dose of vitamin D for fifteen minutes a day before 10:30 AM or after 4:30 PM. -- Diana Gonzalez

Nothing wastes more energy than worrying - the longer a problem is carried, the heavier it gets. Don't take things too seriously - live a life of serenity, not a life of regrets.

-Unknown