Skin care is more than essential for a model. It does not matter being thin, beautiful and tall if your skin is not healthy.
The first step to taking care of your skin is preventing damage. Sun, wind, pollutants and simply aging can degrade the condition of your skin.
Exercise, rest, and good nutrition lay the foundation for beautiful, healthy skin. A proper diet isn’t just good for your overall health, it also helps to ensure that your skin will receive all of the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that it needs to maintain and repair itself. Drinking purified water is another great way to keep your skin healthy. Water helps to hydrate the skin and move waste and nutrients through the system. It’s very effective to if you mix a teaspoon or capful of organic apple cider vinegar in with your water. Never drink Tap Water.
The most important way to care for your skin is to protect it from the damaging rays of the sun. Ultraviolet radiation damages the skin and can lead to wrinkles, premature aging, age spots, and even cancer. Take extra precautions to make sure your skin is not exposed to the sun’s rays. Use a natural sunscreen, or a moisturizer that contains sunscreen (at least SPF 15) every day. Aim for 10-15 minutes of direct exposure around sunrise or sunset, as your skin needs some sunlight each day
Dry skin is very common, especially in the winter. Dry skin may also be caused by frequent baths, certain cosmetics or medications. Avoid using harsh soaps when bathing, and if possible, cut back on the number of baths or showers each week. Hot water is not good for your skin either. When you do use soap, try using a natural, mild soap.
Follow up your bath with a moisturizing lotion, concentrating on problematic dry areas. A good all natural moisturizer is one of the foundations for a healthy skin care regimen. Continue moisturizing throughout the day to keep skin healthy. Your hands and face are particularly susceptible to daily damage, and may need to be moisturized more frequently.
A Skin Care Routine
You should develop some kind of skin care routine based on your skin type, daily activities, and nutritional needs so that you can be sure you are taking the very best care of your skin. Following a daily skin care regime will also allow you to more closely evaluate your skin for abnormalities.
Here's a simple routine that you can adapt to fit your needs:
- Cleanse: Wash your skin thoroughly on a daily basis to remove the dirt, debris, pollutants, and perspiration that have accumulated. If you have dry or sensitive skin, use only warm water to wash your skin and use a mild natural cleanser every few days. If you have normal or oily skin, be sure to wash with a gentle cleanser on a daily basis.
- Moisturize: Unless your skin is very oily, you will want to use a moisturizer everyday to keep your skin hydrated and healthy. Your skin needs moisturizer all year long as both the indoor winter heat, and summer sun can be equally damaging to your skin.
- Protect: Use a natural sunscreen when possible, regardless of whether or not you plan on spending much time in the sun. The sun's rays are very damaging and if you get in the habit of applying sunscreen everyday, you will never be left without protection.
How to avoid spots
Spots occur when there's a build-up of oil called sebum under the skin. Sebum is essential to keep your skin and hair lubricated. It travels up the hair shaft and out through your pores. When these pores become blocked, a whitehead or blackhead may develop. But if these blocked pores become infected, you may get a red pus-filled spot. It's not known what causes the increased production of sebum that leads to acne. But a number of factors - including hormones, bacteria, some medications and genetics - play a role. Contrary to popular belief, chocolate and greasy food don't give you spots.
To reduce your chances of a breakout:
- Watch what touches your face: anything that increases the oil production increases your chances of getting spots. Keep your hair clean. Try not to rest your hands or telephone receiver on your face and avoid tight clothes or bag straps that rub your skin. Pollution and high humidity can also cause spots.
- Wash spotty areas with a gentle cleanser: facial scrubs, astringents and masks generally aren't recommended as they can irritate skin. Excessive washing and scrubbing can make acne worse.
- Don't pick or squeeze your spots: it may be tempting, but it can cause infection and scarring.
- Avoid irritants: using oily or greasy makeup, sunscreens and hair products can make spots worse. For some people, the sun worsens acne and some acne medications can make you more susceptible to the sun's rays. Use a sunscreen that doesn't clog your pores.
- Use a cream containing benzoyl peroxide: research shows that these products help to unblock pores, kill bacteria, and reduce oiliness. They can be used on blackheads, whiteheads and inflamed spots and are available over the counter at your pharmacist. For persistent acne, your doctor can prescribe antibiotic creams and gels, oral antibiotics or the contraceptive pill. For severe acne, dermatologists can prescribe isotretinoin (a vitamin A derivative).
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