Skin care for healthy skin

Good skin care and healthy lifestyle choices can help delay natural aging and prevent various skin problems. Get started with these simple tips.

Protect yourself from the sun

One of the most important ways to take care of your skin is to protect it from the sun. A lifetime of sun exposure can cause wrinkles, age spots, and other skin problems — as well as increase the risk of skin cancer.

For the most complete sun protection:

·       Use sunscreen. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15. Apply sunscreen generously and reapply every two hours or more often.

·       Wear protective clothing. Cover your skin with tightly woven long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and wide-brimmed hats. 

Don't smoke

• Smoking makes your skin look older and contributes to wrinkles. Smoking narrows the tiny blood vessels in the outermost layers of skin, which decreases blood flow and makes skin paler.

•  smoking increases your risk of squamous cell skin cancer. If you smoke, the best way to protect your skin is to quit.

Treat your skin gently

• Limit bath time. Hot water and long showers or baths remove oils from your skin. Limit your bath or shower time and use warm rather than hot water.
• Avoid strong soaps. Strong soaps and detergents can strip oil from your skin. Instead, choose mild cleansers.
• Pat dry. After washing or bathing, gently pat or blot your skin dry with a towel so that some moisture remains on your skin.
• Moisturize dry skin. If your skin is dry, use a moisturizer that fits your skin type. For daily use, consider a moisturizer that contains SPF.

Eat a healthy diet

A healthy diet can help you look and feel your best. Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins. The association between diet and acne isn't clear but some research suggests that a diet rich in fish oil or fish oil supplements and low in unhealthy fats and processed or refined carbohydrates might promote younger looking skin. Drinking plenty of water helps keep your skin hydrated.

Manage 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. Get enough sleep.