Your (sk)INSIGHT into Healthy Skin
Your skin is the largest organ in the human body. It is our physical representation to the world, and its main function is to protect us from the environment.
The Skin You’re In
Your skin is home to more than 1,000 species of bacteria, while shielding you from contaminants and UV rays. Your adult skin contains about 300 million epithelial cells that are born, die, and then shed from the body within a 28 to 40-day cycle. In fact, you are shedding 30,000 to 40,000 dead skin cells a minute.
As a baby, the skin cell lifecycle is about 4 to 5 days. A baby’s skin heals faster, has a glow, and you have to get real close to see a pore. This is the skin we all desire.
3 Things You Can Do to Improve Your Skin
With the sun, elements and bacteria attempting to age your skin, here are three simple things you can do to help nurture and preserve your skin:
1 Stay out of the sun and cover up. Don’t believe it? Just look at the skin on your bottom or under your arms. It is soft and supple, much like the baby described above. Certainly, the sun is not evil, but you need to become sun smart and adapt to your environment slowly. If you are worried about Vitamin D deficiency due to lack of sunlight, supplement your diet with foods rich in Vitamin D. Click here to learn more.
2 When you can’t avoid the sun, use a sunscreen. Physical sunscreens, such as zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, are preferred because they reflect both UVA and UVB rays. There are some chemical sunscreens that do a good job but have stability and efficacy issues. However, if a physical block is not available, please use a BROAD SPECTRUM sunscreen. The best source for sunscreen use comes from Skincancer.org
3 Use a retinoid (Vitamin A derivatives) daily. All skin types and age groups (13 to 113) need to find the right retinoid for your skin. There is no one perfect Vitamin A derivative for all people, so it may take some research and testing on your part to find which one works best with your skin type and condition.
Products, Products, Products!!!
No doubt, shopping and looking for the next big thing in skin care can be exciting. But, it also adds to the confusion with pseudoscience and confusing terms. Here is a great info graphic from Groupon that illustrates how much we spend on beauty products.
There are too many myths and misconceptions out there to dispel them all. But, since facial moisturizers are the number one selling beauty product, we will address them. Moisturizers will not treat aging skin. What a moisturizer can do is sooth dry or irritated skin, smooth out the appearance of wrinkles by reflecting light and help damaged skin heal itself. Therefore, they have their place…just not in anti-aging.
Your Dermatologist Should be Your Best Friend (at least once a year)
Finding and going to a good dermatologist can be a daunting task. However, with the rise in skin cancer rates, you must go to the dermatologist at least once a year. If you are at high risk of skin cancer, you should go more often to get checked. The best way to find a good dermatologist is to ask a friend. Online reviews aren’t that reliable. You will find that most good dermatologists are booked many months in advance, so plan accordingly. But, derms are not just good for checking for skin cancer, treating acne and dry skin diseases. They are a great source for recommending healthy skin products you should use.
Miracles Don’t Happen Overnight
Any endeavor worth pursuing takes time and diligence. In the industry, we call it compliance. If younger looking, healthier skin is your goal, then you need to do your research, find a good place to start, and then begin the journey that works best for you as an individual. Introduce new products slowly, and if it doesn’t meet your expectations, keep going back to the drawing board until you find what works for you.
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