Focus Areas for Great Skin

On a daily basis, most of us focus on our face more than anything else. Our makeups have SPF added, we wear hats to shade our faces from the sun, we apply night cream to our faces at night. But, what do we do for our other high-exposure areas? Nothing. That’s why they say you can tell a person’s true age by looking at their hands and neck. The hands, neck and chest are often the first areas to show signs of aging. They are exposed to the sun as much as your face and are usually neglected when we moisturize and apply sun protection.

Face

Chances are, you already have a face routine in place. I’ve provided a daily routine below for you to consult to make sure you’re not forgetting anything when you care for your skin each day. The main things to remember are:
Washing: Make sure to wash your face with a gentle facial cleanser each day.
Exfoliate: Exfoliate once a week with a product that contains alpha hydroxy or another dermabrasion to cleanse your face of dead skin and smooth uneven patches.
Moisturize: Moisturize in the morning and at night (more on this below).
SPF: For everyday wear, make sure your lotion or face makeup has at least an SPF 15. If you will be in the sun for an extended period of time (longer than going from your car to a building), apply a stronger SPF that is made for your skin.

Hands

We often neglect our hands simply because we use them so often. Applying an SPF once in the morning seems like it would help, but as soon as you wash your hands, you’re back to square one. If you spend any amount of time at all in the sun, apply SPF to your hands after each washing. This sounds tedious, but it’s the same as applying moisturizer to dry hands in the Winter, right? Many brands are starting to make a hand-lotion that contains sunscreen.

Neck and Chest

I am very guilty of neglecting my neck and chest. After a few Summer days of working in the garden, my neck and chest (and shoulders) are definitely the first to show signs of sun exposure. Since my face lotion contains SPF, I always think I’m fine. So, what SHOULD I be doing? Each time you wash and moisturize your face, you should also attend to your neck and chest. There is no need to get a special product made exclusively for these areas. Your face products are perfect.

Lifestyle Tips to Keep Skin Healthy

Living a healthy lifestyle will make you feel better on a day to day basis, have more energy and look better, too! In addition to your waistline, your skin is one of the first areas to show how well you’re taking care of yourself.

Water

We’re always hearing how important it is to drink plenty of water each day. Drinking plenty of water keeps your skin hydrated, glowing and elastic. Water also works to flush out toxins that can be damaging to your overall appearance. How much water should you drink? Stick with the 8 glasses rule. If you live in a dry climate or are susceptible to dry skin, you may want to drink more. Another rule of thumb I’ve heard is to take your weight and half it. That is the number of ounces of water you should drink each day.

Sun Exposure

Though we all love to have glowing tans in the Summer, the sun is incredibly damaging to our skin. And, it’s only getting worse. If you look at people who are 60 or older, almost half of them have had some sort of skin cancer to a varying degree. If you’re a sun worshipper or your work requires you to spend many hours outside, lather on the sunscreen. Go for a sunscreen that has an SPF of at least 30 and reapply every 2 hours. What if you never get a sunburn? Applying sunscreen in this way does prevent burns, but it’s mostly to prevent your skin from the damage the sun creates long-term. EVERYONE needs to wear sunscreen.
To achieve that glowing tan you so desire, find a great self-tanner instead. They’ve really come a long way from the orange ones of the early ’90’s.

Sleep

‘Beauty Sleep’ isn’t a myth. Getting plenty of sleep really does help keep your skin looking healthy and fresh. While you sleep, your body works to repair the damage you did to it throughout the day. Getting too little sleep will make your skin dull, pale and puffy.

Exercise

Getting a fair amount of exercise (at least 30 minutes 4 times a week) not only makes your body healthier, it results in healthy skin as well. Exercise increases blood flow and releases toxins, both great for skin elasticity and glowing complexions.

Foods for Healthy Skin

Eating well can make a huge difference in the health and longevity of your skin. The most important vitamins for your skin are A, C and E (Just remember FACE without the F). Look for those in the foods you eat and in the moisturizers you put on your face. Eating poorly and depriving your body of the vitamins it needs is like starving your skin, making it appear dry, dull and older looking.

Leafy Greens

Leafy greens are rich in Vitamin A which help keeps skin cells healthy.

Citrus

Citrus keeps our levels of Vitamin C high, important for the creation of collagen.

Avocados, Sweet Potatoes

Avocados and Sweet Potatoes are great sources of Vitamin E which prevents water loss.

Berries

Berries are rich in antioxidants, necessary to flush our bodies of toxins that can damage the skin. Antioxidants also help protect the skin from sun damage.

Fish, Flaxseed

Fish and flaxseed are high in Omegas 3, 6 and 9 which are what create healthy cell membranes. Basically, if you have healthy cell membranes, more water will remain in your skin and your skin will look younger and fuller.

Whole Grains

Whole grains, particularly whole wheat, contain Selenium. Selenium makes your skin more resilient against damage from sun and other environmental factors.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal contains Gamma Linolenic Acid. ‘What’s that’ you ask? GLA is an essential fat that depletes as we get older. It works to restore the skins plumpness and elasticity and is found almost exclusively in oatmeal.

Green Tea

Green tea is a great anti-inflammatory. If you’re someone who experiences puffiness, try having a cup of green tea each day.

Vitamin Supplements

Eating well is definitely important, but we don’t always get adequate levels of the vitamins we need from food alone. That’s why it’s a safe bet to take supplements as well. A multi-vitamin will probably cover your bases, but you’ll probably need to also take a fish oil supplement to get your Omega 3 and 9 fix.

Moisturize to Keep Skin Looking Young

Now that we’ve talked about nourishing your skin from the inside out, let’s focus on surface level solutions. Moisturizing your skin at least twice a day is so important. Remember your grandma’s cold cream routine? She was onto something (but she probably didn’t use enough sunscreen).

Morning

In the morning, apply a light moisturizer that contains at least SPF 15. Follow with a moisture-rich eye cream. Apply with the ring finger and tap eye cream all around the eye to hydrate this delicate area.

Night

For night, apply a thicker cream that will firm and hydrate as you sleep. Use eye cream again here, but you can wear a thicker one since you won’t be applying makeup.

Balance

The main thing to keep in mind as you work with your skin is to find a balance between oiliness and dryness. Find lotions that help you maintain a balance.

Daily Routine for Healthy, Glowing Skin

Here is a daily routine that you might choose to follow or use to adapt your current routine.

Morning

Rinse
If you are taking care of your skin, your skin will naturally create the oils it needs to be healthy. Excessive washing can dry your skin and cause more damage than good. Washing your skin at night is usually plenty. Rinse your face with cool water in the morning.
Tone
Use a gentle toner to smooth your skin and remove any stray dead cells, makeup, etc. Make sure your toner does not contain alcohol since that will just dry your skin.
Moisturize
Apply a gentle moisturizer (one that contains SPF) to your face, neck and chest.
Eye Cream
Tap a small amount of eye cream under your eyes and along your brow bone.

Night

Wash
Use a gentle daily cleanser on your face and neck. If you’re prone to acne, you might choose a cleaner that is more stringent, but don’t get too carried away. Lots of chemicals on your face usually makes it hard for your skin to regulate itself. Many products contain Benzoyl Peroxide, an ingredient that’s great for battling acne. If you don’t have an acne problem, using such a harsh product on your face can cause sensitivity to sunlight and dryness (besides the fact it tends to discolor the collar area of your clothes and your towels).
Exfoliate
If your cleanser doesn’t include a light exfoliation, use a daily exfoliant to remove dead skin cells and smooth skin.
Moisturize
Moisturize with a firming night cream.
Eye Cream
Apply a firming, hydrating eye cream around the eyes.

To Have Younger Looking Skin, Prevention is Key!

If you’re 18 or 48, prevention is key to achieving and maintaining healthy looking skin. Eat well, sleep well, exercise well, apply that sunscreen and dote on your skin (including your hands, neck and chest). You’ll be happy you did!

What do you think of these tips?
What do you do to take care of your skin? Any homemade remedies or practices that you’ve found make a huge difference?