Preventive Habits for Healthy Skin

Page Updated on November 24, 2007

• Drink your water Water is necessary to hydrate your skin to prevent drying, to excrete toxins and wastes that can affect skin, and to keep your body's tissues and organs (including your skin) operating effectively.
• Stay out of the sun I don't care how much you love being out in the sunshine. It's just not as good for you ask you may think. Sun damaged skin isn't pretty, and even if you don't think your skin is damaged now, just wait until you start creeping up in age, and the damage will soon appear (even from sunburns you got as a kid). We should all get some sunshine to help us produce vitamin D and prevent depression, but other than that, stay in the shade.
• Use sunscreen when you are in the sun Okay, so you can't stay out of the sun all the time, so use a sunscreen. I recommend using at least an SPF of 30, but the higher the better.
• Cover yourself up In addition to using sunscreen, try to cover up when you're in the sun. I know bikinis are oh so sexy, but there are some nice wraps that can block out the sun and still keep you stylishly attractive.
• Don't tan (even in tanning booths) Okay, so you are avoiding the sun, but you still want a tan, so you hit the tanning booth...bad idea. Tanning booths use UV light, and UV light damages your skin. You may look bronzed today, but tomorrow you'll be paying for it with wrinkles and a lovely leathery textured skin. Stick to tanning sprays instead, or bring back the pale look.
• Don't take baths/showers that are too hot Hot water actually dries out your skin because it removes the oils that help regulate moisture and keep your skin soft.
• Don't spend too much time in chlorinated water Chlorine is a harsh chemical that is actually caustic and can cause chemical burns. You don't want this on your skin for long periods of time, even if small quantities, if you can help it. The amount of chlorine in tap water is probably better for you than harmful because it gets rid of microbes that can make you ill (better to have damaged skin that be deathly ill).
• Don't Smoke Smoking causes your body to have decreased blood flow to the skin. The chemical in smoking are also toxic carcinogens and produce free radicals that can further damage your skin.
• Don't overuse soaps, antiperspirants, deodorants, perfumes, etc. I know they smell so good and the bottle is so pretty, but they can do more harm than good if you over use them. When it comes to any skin care product, gentle is better, so I like to use baby products (such as Johnson and Johnson's Baby Wash). With deodorant and antiperspirant, try using them sparingly. If body odor is a problem, get some baby wipes and give yourself a "sponge" bath when necessary in between showers. When it comes to perfumes, less is better. Spray it into the air and walk into the mist (just one spray, don't create a cloud of perfume). Trust me, the rest of us will thank you for not smelling like a cosmetics counter.

Sources: http://www.nia.nih.gov,