10 tips from dermatologists for healthy skin – words Alexa Wang
Your skin is the largest organ in your body, and one of the most complex. But as an organ that is constantly exposed to the elements, it is always at risk. There are more than 3000 known skin disorders, so you need to take extra special care of your epidermis.
Your skin is the largest organ in your body, and one of the most complex. But as an organ that is constantly exposed to the elements, it is always at risk. There are more than 3000 known skin disorders, so you need to take extra special care of your epidermis.
To find out how to look after your skin, it’s best to go to the experts: dermatologists. These 10 tips will help you keep your skin healthy – and healthy skin looks great!
1.Use sunscreen
This is the tip you were expecting. You’ve heard it many times before, but there’s a reason dermatologists tend to rank sunscreen at the top of their list of skincare tips.
Ultraviolet radiation from the sun has incredibly damaging effects on your skin, from sunburn to skin cancer. It also causes your skin to age at a much faster rate.
Using sunscreen every day before leaving the house is the closest thing to finding the fountain of youth. You might find that your BB cream or foundation has an SPF factor, but to be certain you’re protected it pays to use broad-spectrum protection as well.
Always put sunscreen on top of moisturiser, not the other way around, and don’t forget your neck, décolletage and the backs of your hands. These areas of skin are often exposed to the elements, yet we tend to forget about protecting them.
2.Don’t smoke
Smoking isn’t just bad for your lungs and general health, it’s bad for skin health too. Smoking accelerates skin ageing, causing it to lose elasticity and wrinkle up.
This is particularly obvious around your mouth, which has to cope with the double insult of tobacco damage and your lips pursing as you draw on a cigarette. You can tell an older smoker by the vertical lines radiating from their lips. Smoking also exacerbates psoriasis and eczema.
3.Get regular skin cancer checks
Keep an eye on freckles and moles. If you notice that something’s changing or you develop a new mole or freckle that’s different from the others, go and see your GP. There are various forms of skin cancer, and not all of them are dangerous, but it never hurts to get an expert opinion.
4. Don’t over-cleanse when you have an acne breakout
Acne isn’t just for teens. Adults can have acne in their 30s, 40s, 50s, and beyond. When you have a breakout, it’s easy to overdo the treatment trying to fix things quickly.
Instead, use a gentle cleansing product that won’t upset your skin’s pH, like Okana’s Apple Juice Foaming Cleanser, wash your face first thing in the morning, and the last thing at night. Only cleanse during the day if you’ve had a sweaty workout. Whatever you do, avoid exfoliating when you have a breakout – it can make things way worse.
5. Keep your stress under control
Stress can bring on flare-ups of psoriasis, eczema, and rosacea, so making time to find inner calm with yoga or meditation is a way to preserve your good looks as well as your mental health.
Even a simple after-dinner walk can send your stress packing, especially if you cancel out any anxious inner voices by listening to music, podcasts, or audiobooks.
6.Don’t work out with makeup on
Before you hit the gym or head out on a run, take a moment to remove your makeup. Sweat needs to get out of your pores and heavy makeup block that.
Your pores can become clogged, providing the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. Working out in your war paint is just asking for blackheads or an acne breakout.
7. Clean your phone screen every day
Your phone can pick up a lot of dirt throughout the day, and it touches your skin every time you take a call.
Get into the habit of cleaning your phone at least once a day. If it’s waterproof, a wet face cloth with a touch of soap will do the job nicely. If not, use a tissue dampened with some glass cleaner.
8. Your lips are the canary in the coal mine
Miners used to keep caged canaries with them while at work. Dangerous levels of lethal gases would kill the canary before the miners were affected, warning them so they could escape – gruesome but true.
For you, the canary is your lips. When they start to feel dry, it’s time for heavy-duty facial moisturising. Dry lips are a sign that your skin is getting dehydrated.
9.Eat more fatty acids
Your skin needs omega-3 to make lipids, which keep it plump and youthful. Forget the scaremongering you’ve heard about fats. Not all fats are created equal, and a low-fat diet is actually bad for you.
The trick is eating the right fats. Feast on foods like salmon, avocado, and walnuts. For an extra boost, you can even take a couple of fish oil capsules every day.
10. Less towelling for more moisture
If your skin is inclined to be dry, apply moisturisers when your skin is still moist from the shower rather than drying yourself completely.
By leaving moisture on your skin, you have the opportunity to trap hydration with good quality emollients likeOkana’sVegetable Day Moisturiser for your face andAvocado Smash Body Butter for the rest of you.
Looking for an all natural anti-wrinkle mask? Check out VerdiLab’s Rose Radiance Cream Mask
