Never too young, never too old
Never too young
Whether you yourself are in your twenties or thirties, or if you have young children, there’s one thing to know about your skin: it’s never too early to start taking good care of it.
Although there are a variety of effective treatments for treating sun damage and fine lines and wrinkles, nothing is going to keep your skin looking young quite as taking care of it, to begin with. It’s easier to stop sun damage from getting worse than treating bad sun damage later on.
A good skin care regimen is as important as brushing your teeth, keeping up good hygiene, and maintaining a healthy diet!
Good skin care habits start with simple everyday things like washing your face morning and night, wearing a moisturizer and sunscreen every day.
UV exposure is the single greatest factor when it comes to visual signs of aging on your skin.
Never too old
We’re told to start moisturizing as teenagers and to start worrying about wrinkles at 30, but what if at 40, 50, 60 or beyond, you’ve never had a facial and still have no real skincare routine? Even if you’ve never been interested in skin care, it’s not too late to put together an effective regimen. The key is not to get overwhelmed: a good, effective skin care routine needs to be neither expensive nor time consuming. But you need to take the first step.
With the right care, skin can look smoother, brighter and yes, younger. And skin damage can even be repaired over time. As we age, our body produces less collagen and loses the fat that keeps our skin looking plump and our cheeks looking pinchable. Often these changes feel like they happen overnight, as hormone levels drop during menopause. But again, hitting “the change” doesn’t mean it’s too late to take care of your skin. It’s actually the perfect time to invest some extra time and care into the health of your largest organ—particularly the skin on your face, neck and chest.
WATER
Water your body and your skin
Your skin is an organ and what we eat and drink can affect it. In the summer months, we need to work to keep our bodies and skin hydrated. The sun and heat give us a challenge, as we are more active and sweat more often. In the winter months it is just as important to keep our bodies hydrated, as our skin is exposed to dry air in our homes with the furnace running, and cold air means low humidity. We are exposed to the cold and the air is dry so we need to be sure we get enough water (and the right kind of water). Don’t cheat on this. This doesn’t mean the water you use to make your coffee. Drink about 2-3 liters of pure, clean drinking water daily.
Emily Giddings, RN