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Our lifestyle choices contribute every day to aging our skin. This means that most of the lines on our faces are our own fault! Read on to find out what you can do about it to reduce and possibly eliminate the factors contributing to your fine lines and wrinkles! While moisturizers, lotions and facials can help to keep our skin looking young, what you do on the INSIDE is just as important as what you do on the OUTSIDE. Many of the external causes of aging skin are determined by the health and lifestyle decisions we make every day. Some of how we look is in our genes, the rest is up to us. Making unhealthy choices can cause prematurely aging skin, and this makes us look older much faster. Bottom line: the result is more wrinkles, puffiness and fine lines than Mother Nature can correct for us. An important part of any anti-aging skin care regimen is to know what you may be doing that is harming your skin and accelerating the skin's aging process.
Here are 7 habits that contribute to aging skin, making you look older than your years:
Cigarette smoke:STOP SMOKING AND STAY AWAY FROM THOSE WHO DO. Whether you smoke, or you spend time with a smoker, cigarette smoke is damaging and detiorating to your skin. Research has shown that exposure to cigarette smoke significantly increases skin wrinkles, discoloration and dryness. This is partly due to the smoking itself, and also because cigarette smoke depletes your body of Vitamin C, which is a key ingredient for keeping skin plump and moist. Smoke carries horribly toxic chemicals into the air and into your body. Your skin cells don't stand a chance! Some researchers believe that exposure to cigarette smoke (whether you smoke or the one you live/work with does the smoking) is as damaging to aging skin as exposure UVB and UVA rays.
Sun exposure:WEAR SUNSCREEN AND COVER UP. Sun exposure is very aging to skin. Unprotected skin that is exposed to the sun becomes more mottled in appearance. Freckles can turn into brown sun spots. The skin takes on a dry, leathery appearance, and wrinkles and sagging increase. The risk of skin cancer is significantly increased by sun exposure. The good news is that sun damage is avoidable, and if you start now, you can improve the condition of sun damaged skin. See your health care provider to assess the amount of sun damage you may have, and to rule out possible skin cancers. He or she may be able to prescribe medication that can help to reduce existing sun damage. If you want to avoid aging skin but don't want to avoid the sun, make sure you use sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB rays. Choose sunscreen with SPF of 30 or higher, and use it all year-round, even on cloudy days. Clouds do not protect you from ultraviolet ray exposure. Ladies, try a foundation with an SPF of 10-15, as well as lip balms with the same.
Lack of exercise:GET MOVING! Living a sedentary life contributes to aging skin, because exercise helps to tone your muscles and get your blood flowing. Exercise should be an important part of every anti-aging skin care program. Researchers have also discovered that sedentary older adults are at higher risk for dementia, blood pressure problems and diabetes. In addition to the physical benefits of exercise, the benefits of a regular exercise program will show on your face. Having a bright smile and lots of energy will help you look and feel younger, at any age. 10 minutes a day of light to moderate exercise can significantly improve mood and increase blood flow. (PS Love making is a form of exercise! And so is light housework!)
Exposure to cold weather:STAY OUT OF THE COLD; MOISTURIZE. Cold winds and low temperatures contribute to aging skin by making skin dry, so if you venture out in the cold be sure to use a good moisturizer. It's important to use moisturizer indoors too, as heated rooms can be very drying to skin. Consider using a humidifier to help keep your skin more comfortable and reduce the aging skin effects of heated rooms. Allow your shower to humdify the bedroom and even setting a small pot of water on the stove in winter (keeping a close eye on it so it doesn't run dry, set it on low) is a good deterrent for the winter "itchies".
Alcohol use:STOP DRINKING. Alcohol contributes to aging skin by dilating small blood vessels in the skin and increasing blood flow near the skin's surface. Over time, these blood vessels can become permanently damaged, creating a flushed appearance and broken vessels on the skin's surface. One or two drinks a week (of wine) have a health benefit, but just remember -- all things in moderation! (Also, the bar is full of cigarrete smoke, so stay away if you can. See tip #1.)
Stress:CHILL OUT. Maybe you've heard this expression: "Don't frown, your face could stay that way." Stress and worry cause frowning, and over time the muscles in the face actually conform to that movement. The lines in your face will be etched into a perpetual frown. Rather, to help reduce aging skin due to stress, be aware of your stress level and try to vary your facial expressions during the day. Smile at your co-workers, laugh at a good joke. A good anti-aging skin care program should include meditation, yoga, gentle exercise or other relaxation techniques. Keeping stress in check -- and frown lines and aging skin wrinkles to a minimum -- will help you look and feel younger.
Lack of sleep: GO TO BED EARLIER. Too little sleep makes you look and feel tired. One of the first places lack up sleep shows up is on the face, with dark circles and bags under the eyes, and sagging skin. Lack of sleep is also a major factor in memory loss and symptoms of depression that include low interest in daily activities and negative thinking. Research has shown that most adults function best with 8-9 hours of sleep each night. Reduce caffeine during the day (with none in the evening after 5 pm), avoid eating at least 2 hours before bedtime, and maintain a sleep routine that includes going to bed at the same time each night. If you are having trouble sleeping, for any reason, it's important to see your health care provider.
While some signs of aging skin are inevitable, there's a lot you can do to look your best at any age. Taking good care of yourself is the most important step in your anti-aging skin care program. For more advice and free recipes to moisturize and fight the signs of aging with our goat milk soaps and lotions: visit us at . Thank you and God Bless You. 1 John 4:7
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