As you age, your skin naturally starts to lose collagen and elasticity. Elastin, the fibers that give young skin its resilience and bounce, start to deteriorate in your 30’s, along with collagen. Dermatologists offer a million and one non-surgical and noninvasive procedures to keep your skin tight but, there are plenty of easy, effective, and cost-friendly things you can do at home to keep your skin looking beautiful, at a fraction of the cost. I’ll be sharing them with you throughout my new blog series “My Skin is Beautiful”. In part two, I’ll explain why skin protection and detoxifying are two important keys in bringing life back to your skin.
Protect
While the sun provides vitamin D and other health benefits, there has always been a strong correlation between sun exposure and aging of the skin. Too much sun exposure has consequences such as skin pigmentation, wrinkles, and dryness. Sun exposure has also been linked to skin cancer, which is why most dermatologists advise that wearing sunscreen is the most important part of a skin care regimen! Here are some of the best ways to protect your skin from the sun:
- Wear SPF 15 – 30 to protect the skin from the sun’s rays every day. Wear makeup or moisturizers that contain sunscreen and put it on your face, neck, chest and hands.
- Don’t use moisturizers with sunscreen overnight, the ingredients are not meant to be used 24/7 and may aggravate the skin.
- Cover skin by wearing long-sleeved shirts, pants, and wide-brimmed hats and stay indoors when the sun is at its most intense, usually between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
- Avoid tanning beds. They are just as harmful as direct sunlight.
Detoxify
Every day our skin is exposed to countless external stressors, like smoke, dirt, fumes, and air pollution. The skin is the largest organ in the body and toxicity can often manifest itself as recurring conditions like eczema, redness or breakouts. To detox the skin, I recommend using an infrared sauna that produces a moist heat. After sitting for about 15-20 minutes you begin to sweat and your pores are rinsed.
A sauna induced heavy sweat really helps cleanse and rejuvenate your skin by eliminating toxins from the body. Saunas provide both a health AND a beauty benefit.
My tips for using a sauna:
- Try out different types of saunas (steam, infrared and oxygen steam sauna)
- If you can’t make it out to a sauna, try an in-home approach with a portable infrared sauna
- 2-3 times per week is ideal.
- Remember to consult your doctor prior to use if you have heart issues, sensitive skin, asthma or if you are pregnant.
In the following series, we’ll be back with more tips on how to turn dry, dull, aging skin to clear, glowing, youthful skin. Until next time…
-Xo JJ