Looking after your skin can help you to stay healthy and beautiful long into old age. There are many different ways in which we can all be caring for our skin. Below are some of the biggest things you can do to protect your skin and keep your skin young-looking.

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Protect Your Skin in the Sun

One of the best ways to keep your skin looking young is to protect your skin from the sun. Letting yourself burn in the sun so that you can get a tan more easily may have short-term benefits, but in the long run, you may regret it. Sunburn damages the skin and increases the chance of developing wrinkles. It’s also a leading cause of skin cancer – about 80% of skin cancers are from UV radiation exposure.

There are many ways in which you can protect your skin from the sun. The most obvious is to wear sun cream on a sunny day – this can help to reduce exposure to harmful UV rays. Those with fairer skin should stick to high-factor sun creams to limit the damage. Covering up or staying in the shade can also keep your skin protected. It’s worth also wearing shades on a sunny day to prevent you from squinting (which can cause wrinkles to form around the eyes).

Additionally, consider using sunscreen without toxic ingredients. These sunscreens cost a little more, but will keep you healthier in the long-run.

Give Up Smoking 

If you don’t smoke, GREAT! If you do, drop the habit.

Smoking is horrible for your skin’s health. It restricts the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the skin, which can cause the skin to become thin and pale over time. Smoke and heat from cigarettes can also speed up the development of facial wrinkles such as eye bags and frown lines. You’re also much more likely to develop lip wrinkles as a smoker due to the constant action of sucking on a cigarette.

Giving up smoking while you’re young can give your skin time to heal and replenish its color (as well as protecting the rest of your body from various problems caused by smoking). Nowadays, there are many different ways to quit smoking, including nicotine patches and gum. Some people use vaping to help stop smoking, but that is not a recommended method. This post at HelpGuide has some great tips on giving up smoking. 

To Keep Your Skin Young Looking Take Time to Destress

Chronic stress is also bad for your skin. Stress can increase inflammation – which can make skin problems like rashes and acne worse. Stress can also speed up the development of wrinkles. This is because the stress hormone, cortisol, breaks down collagen and elastin.

By reducing stress in your life, you could help to protect your skin from wrinkles and inflammation. There are some stressful events and tasks in life that cannot be avoided. However, you can always take time to destress afterward when things calm down. Many activities can help you relieve stress, such as taking a hot bath, meditating, listening to music, watching a funny movie/TV show, or exercising. If you lead a very busy and hectic life, make sure that you’re finding time to fit in these types of soothing activities. 

Get Your Beauty Sleep

A good night’s sleep is vital to the health of your skin. It’s while we’re asleep that our body does most of its regenerating. This includes helping to heal scars and fight skin infections. When we’re asleep, our skin also produces new collagen, which helps keep our skin firm. As a result, sleep deprivation could put you at greater risk of developing facial wrinkles earlier. Wrinkles like eye bags are directly linked to lack of sleep.

Try to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night. This may not be possible if you’re a new parent, but if you haven’t got kids or your kids are older, you should try to aim for this amount of sleep by going to bed at a reasonable time. If you struggle to get to sleep, focus on developing a relaxing bedtime routine (stress is a leading cause of insomnia – and, as already mentioned, not good for your skin). It could also be beneficial to limit screen time before bed and consider herbal teas, sleep supplements or relaxing scents. Sleep quality is also important too. Try to find a way of regulating the temperature in your room so that you’re not getting too hot or too cold. A decent mattress is also important for a good night’s sleep. Consider hypoallergenic bedding if you get itchy skin. 

Maintain a Healthy Diet

Many foods are good for our skin. However, some foods will age your skin faster than others. When it comes to bad foods, sugary snacks are one of the biggest culprits. A diet heavy in sugar can increase acne’s risk and reduce collagen levels, causing more wrinkles. Too much salt in your diet could make the skin dehydrated – avoiding eating too many chips, processed meats, and noodles as these foods are high in salt. Consuming large amounts of alcohol or coffee can also dehydrate the skin and promote wrinkles, so try to go easy on these drinks (alcohol can also dilate pores in the skin, increasing the risk of developing blackheads and cystic acne). 

What can I eat to improve my skin health? Fruit and vegetables such as carrots, spinach, tomatoes, and berries are some of the best foods that you can eat to keep your skin healthy. Such foods are packed with vitamins and other important nutrients that your skin needs. Fish and nuts are meanwhile great sources of omega-3, which is also vital for our skin health, helping to moisturize it from the inside out. On top of this, make sure you’re drinking enough water so that blood can flow easily to the skin.

Use the Right Skin Products

Our skin can get many of the essential nutrients it needs from a healthy diet. However, there are various skin products out there that can help to offer an added nutrient boost. Products like moisturizers are particularly worth using as you get older. This is because the skin stops producing sebum (our skin’s natural oils) as we get older, which leads to the skin drying out and wrinkling. Using a moisturizer can help to replenish these oils within our skin and is one of the best ways to ward off wrinkles.

There are many skin products that could be worth using regularly. If you have very oily skin and are prone to spots, using facial scrubs and herbal medicines like tea tree oil could help to ward off acne. If you get very dry skin, you may want to use heavier creams than regular moisturizers such as E45 cream. There are lots of anti-aging serums and other skin products that can give your skin a health boost. Read online reviews such as this BHIP global review in order to find products worth using. By adopting a daily skincare routine, you can then help to keep your skin healthy. 

Physical Activity Keeps Skin Young Looking

Exercise can also be good for the skin. It improves blood circulation, allowing nutrients to reach the skin, and improves the production of collagen. It’s also a great stressbuster and can help you sleep better at night (providing that you don’t exercise too late, which can adversely make you feel more alert before bed).

If you don’t do a lot of physical activity, consider ways to get more workouts into your week. Physical activity doesn’t have to include a workout at the gym. It could be something as simple as walking or cycling to the shops or doing some thorough housework. Any form of activity that gets your heart rate up and causes you to sweat is likely to be good for your skin.