Get Your Skin Shining
Protecting your skin from damaging solar rays, drying wind, and dulling pollution is vital to maintaining its vibrant health. Just as an artist requires a smooth, even canvas on which to create a beautiful image, you want your skin to be radiantly healthy and free of blemishes for you to look your best.
Keeping skin clean is the first step in keeping it healthy. Bacteria, dirt, and oil can accumulate in pores, leaving the skin vulnerable to breakouts. Blackheads are formed when the oily sebum your skin produces oxidize and turn dark; although they aren’t dirt, they can give skin a dirty, mottled appearance. Thorough, but gentle cleansing with a lotion or cream cleanser will keep skin free of pimple-producing bacteria and accumulations of sebum. Conventional bar soaps also keep skin clean, but can be harsh or drying to sensitive facial skin, so consider a creamier formulation designed for the face.
Skin naturally sheds old cells from its outermost layer, the epidermis. When this process slows down due to seasonal changes or the aging process, your skin can look ashy or dull. Exfoliation, the gentle removal of old skin cells, speeds up this natural process and removes old cells to reveal the younger, more vibrant skin concealed beneath them.
Some exfoliators are physical, using a gentle abrasive to slough off skin cells. Scrubs that have a gritty or sandy texture are physical exfoliators. Others work by chemical processes, weakening the bonds that hold old cells to younger ones and allowing dead cells to be washed off easily. alpha hydroxy acids and enzymes are effective chemical exfoliators and are popular ingredients in anti-aging skin care products.
After exfoliation, skin needs protection from the primary cause of premature aging: sun damage. Not only can harmful ultraviolet rays leave your skin with uneven coloration and a network of fine lines, they can also cause skin cancer. Sunscreen doesn’t just protect your skin from aging before its time, it protects your health. It’s important to choose a sunscreen that provides protection from both UVA and UVB radiation. All sunscreen has an SPF (sun protection factor) assigned to it; the higher the number, the better the protection. Look for products containing zinc oxide, a safe, non-irritating, and effective ingredient to ward off harmful solar radiation. Remember that no sunscreen can be effective if it stays in the bottle, though; use sunscreen liberally on all exposed skin every day.
Sun damage is not the only danger your skin faces. Chlorinated water, wind, and arid temperature-controlled environments can rob skin of moisture, leaving it looking and feeling dry. Invest in a moisturizer that contains both humectants and oils or silicone-based polymers. Humectants like glycerin and uric acid collect moisture from the surrounding atmosphere, while oils and silicone-based ingredients act as an occlusive barrier to keep that moisture there to rehydrate parched skin. Some moisturizers also contain plenty of sun protection, allowing them to do double duty.
No matter your age, taking steps to protect your skin will help keep it beautiful and healthy for a lifetime.
This was written by a leading dermatologist, who specialises in anti-aging treatments and skin care. Has recently reviewed and recommends the following product: loreal professionnel
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