TAKE CARE OF YOUR SKIN: PRACTICAL TIPS

Taking care of your skin: practical advice

Indeed, to take care of your skin, you should adopt a routine that allows you to protect yourself from external and internal aggressions: the cold, the sun, pollution, chemicals…there are so many risk factors for your skin’s health¹.

How to take care of your skin?

The skin is said to be your body's largest organ^1,2 - a true outer envelope, to protect your internal organs from the outer elements.  Give this amazing organ some love, with our three best secrets for good skin care, here:

Adopt an excellent lifestyle. In other words:

• Get enough sleep to repair skin cells². While the recommendation varies from person to person, the majority of adults need around 7-9 hours of sleep per night⁴.
• Tobacco itself can also damage collagen metabolism and cause premature skin aging due to wrinkle formation⁵. 
• Eat healthy, drink well. Excess sugars and animal fats can potentially exacerbate the appearance of pimples⁶. 
• Additionally, excessive consumption of fatty foods can contribute to the damage of cellular tissue – this is impacted by excess free radical production, impacting the skin’s elasticity, which could accelerate the development of fine lines and wrinkles⁷. 
• Finally, drink water (not soda!).  Our skin is composed of approximately 30% water – this contributes to the plumpness and elasticity of the skin⁸.  While it is okay to treat yourself to sweet drink every now and again, drinking water is the preferred way to stay hydrated.

How to take care of your face?

There are some differences between facial and body skin, typically the thickness, which can also vary with age⁹.  Additionally, it is constantly exposed to the elements, and therefore is at risk of more damage vs the skin on our bodies.

Wash your face daily^10,11.  The idea is to get rid of impurities accumulated throughout the day, and any sweat or oil build up from throughout the night.  A daily face wash removes impurities, helping the skin have a fresher look. Without doing this, our skin would have a layer of dirt on the surface which would make it harder for products to penetrate the skin properly.

Exfoliation is not just for your body!  Exfoliating is the process of removing dead skin cells from the surface of your skin¹².  According to the American Academy of Dermatology, by exfoliating, your skin can appear brighter¹³.  Exfoliate on clean skin, making small circular movements with your fingertips – be careful around the eye area¹³.  

Apply sunscreen.  Your face and neck and almost always exposed to the sun, which, can damage the skin, with form of damage being early signs of aging, such as a wrinkled appearance¹⁴.  The WHO suggests to stay out of the midday sun, to wear protective clothing, but on areas such as the face, where there is longer exposures, to apply a sunscreen with SPF of 15+.  Not only this, but re-apply every two hours to ensure as much protection as possible¹⁵.

To take care of your skin, start with something simple. Once you’ve found a routine that works for you, you can consider adding additional products such as exfoliants, masks, etc,

Speaking of simplicity, you can use dietary supplements that promote skin health! While vitamin A contributes to the maintenance of normal skin, Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of skin and vitamin E contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.  Fortunately, contain these key vitamins, to help you shine from the inside, out!