Basics for Healthy Skin

The cooler months can be particularly tough on your skin. Try some proven tips to repair the damage and get your skin looking and feeling great!

Smooth, glowing skin is something everyone strives for, but there are certain things that your skin needs in order to be at its best. Here are a few important tips to get your skin into shape for spring:

Hydrate Your Skin

You are what you eat – and drink. Your body is actually made up of nearly two-thirds water, so it only stands to reason that proper water intake will keep your skin (and the rest of you) looking and feeling healthy. Make sure to take in at least eight glasses of water every day. Plump up those skin cells with some much-needed fluids – don’t give wrinkles a chance.

Use Moisturizer for Healthy Skin

Using a good moisturizer will keep your skin feeling soft and supple. Basically, moisturizers hold moisture in the outermost layer of the skin, preventing and treating dry skin. They also improve skin tone and texture and protect sensitive skin.

Moisturizers come in two types – emollients and humectants. Emollients, such as mineral oil and lanolin, replace lipids in the skin. These moisturizers lubricate the skin and provide a protective barrier. Humectants actually put moisture into the skin by wicking it out of the surrounding air. These moisturizers work well to soften thick or scaly skin, but they need high humidity levels in order to be effective. Glycerin and urea are examples of humectants.

Amanda Jo Organic Bunny offers organic beauty products. Using natural, organic products are the very best way to care for your skin.

Protect Yourself with Sunscreen

Using good sunscreen will do more for you than just preventing wrinkles. Skin cancer is more than unsightly – it can be deadly. Choosing a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 will protect against those pesky UV rays. Don’t forget – even in colder climates, the sun still shines all day long and your face and hands are exposed nearly all the time.

An excellent moisturizer with sunscreen is Lubriderm Daily Moisture with SPF 15. That’s the one with the purple pump. It’s relatively inexpensive at $8.95 for the 16oz. bottle. It doesn’t smell all “coconutty” like some sunscreens, and it’s actually a great skin moisturizer, too. No matter which brand you choose, it does you no good if it’s still in the bottle. Use your sunscreen every day!

Provide Nutrients

Your whole body needs nutrients, and so does your skin. A diet that includes plenty of protein will encourage skin renewal, while antioxidants such as vitamins A, E, and C promote a youthful appearance. Antioxidants slow down harmful oxidation in the body by mopping up oxygen-containing free radicals formed as a by-product of normal metabolism. In doing so, antioxidants help to protect our skin from damage from the environment, the sun, and the ravages of time.

These vitamins can all be found in many of the same places. Vitamins A and C are abundant in dark leafy greens, broccoli, citrus fruits, cantaloupe, and carrots. Nuts and vegetable oils are good sources of vitamin E. A good rule of thumb is to eat a colorful diet – seek out plenty of bright oranges, green, and red fruits and vegetables. There is another, sweeter way to help your skin. Did you know that chocolate contains helpful antioxidants to promote healthy skin? It’s a flavonoid called epicatechin. In other words, chocolate can actually help prevent wrinkles! A daily multivitamin, however, can fill in where chocolate leaves off.

Get Plenty of Rest

It’s really hard to maintain a healthy glow if you’re exhausted. Most people require at least seven hours of sleep per night but don’t get it regularly. Cell regeneration is at its peak while we sleep. Using an antioxidant-rich nighttime moisturizer will enhance your nighttime skin renewal. Try your best to maintain a good sleep schedule so you can show off your inner and outer beauty.

Give these simple tips a try for healthy skin this spring. Nourish your skin from the inside out – the benefits can be more than skin deep. Not only will your skin look great – you’ll feel great all over, too!