Good Skin Care - 14 Ways to Improve Your Skin

Good skin care involves two main strategies: protection and nurturing. Your skin protects you from harmful bacteria and infection, and, in turn, you need to protect your skin from the harsher effects of the environment and outer world.

In addition, skin, being the largest organ of the body, must be nurtured just like your heart or lungs or any other organ in your body if it is to perform optimally. And though you may not care how your heart or lungs look – as long as they are healthy – you certainly do care how your skin looks.

So what are the best ways to protect and nurture your skin?

Here are 14 good skin care tips you can practice to get better skin:

1. Avoid the sun, especially between 10 AM and 4 PM. The sun’s ultraviolet light damages skin and can cause numerous skin disorders over time, including skin cancer.
   
   
2. Wear wide-brimmed hats, long-sleeved shirts and long pants to protect your skin from the sun.
   
   
3. Apply sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) greater than 15 on exposed skin about 20 minutes before exposure to sun.
   
   
4. Don't smoke. This is a fundamental commandment of good skin care. Smoking has been shown to age the skin prematurely by decreasing blood flow to the skin and increasing wrinkling.
   
   
5. Use warm or tepid water rather than hot water when washing or bathing to keep your skin from over-drying. Keep bath or shower time 15 minutes or less.
   
   
6. Use gentle, pure soaps containing no perfumes or dyes to avoid drying out or irritating your skin.
   
   
7. Exfoliate (remove dead skin cells) once a week. Men do this when they shave. There are a number of microdermabrasion kits that help rejuvenate skin. Chemical peels and retinoids are other more expensive options.  
   
   
8. Moisturize after washing. Use a moisturizer if your skin feels tight 20 minutes after your bath or shower to maintain a healthy moisture level in your skin. Take into consideration your age, skin type, and any other skin conditions or disorders that are particular to you when selecting a moisturizer. 
   
   
9. Be attentive and practice patient, good skin care when shaving to avoid skin irritations.
   
   
10. Drink water throughout the day – this will help keep your body and skin hydrated and will aid in flushing out toxins.
    
    
11. Eat lots of leafy green vegetables, fresh fruits, whole grains and. low-fat, protein-rich foods. 
    
    
12. Exercise regularly to strengthen the heart and circulatory system. Blood and oxygen feed every organ of the body, including your skin. Exercise also reduces stress, which disrupts the body’s biochemical balance.
    
    
13. Rest and relax to repair and rebuild your body and keep it in optimal health. 
    
    
14. Take a vitamin and supplement formula that is suitable for your age and sex to ensure you avoid any deficiencies and meet all your daily vitamin and mineral requirements.
    

Good skin care is all about common sense and a few basic guidelines: protect, cleanse, exfoliate, moisturize, eat right, exercise, rest, and take your vitamins.