SKIN CARE ADVICE - TOP TEN TIPS

Did you know that on average, your skin weighs around 7lb and has about 300 million skin cells? As the largest organ in your body, having healthy looking and feeling skin is very important. When skin looks healthy, that’s generally because it is healthy!!

Here is a list of the top 10 tips to keeping your skin looking its best.

1. The most important thing you can do to protect your skin is to stop smoking – even better: never start. Smoking can cause premature aging and yellowing of the skin. The tobacco smoke released into the air dries out your skin, while the smoke you inhale constricts blood vessels, robbing your skin of essential nutrients.
2. Stay hydrated. Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water per day will help keep your skin moist and less likely to wrinkle and age.
3. Stop the harmful effects of sun exposure! Avoid being out during peak sun times, wear a hat, wear sunglasses, and be generous with moisturizers with an SPF of 15 or higher on exposed areas. Wind and cold can also be particularly harsh to exposed areas, especially the lips. Chapped lips can also indicate dehydration.
4. Eat Healthy with a well balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables.
5. Remove your make-up thoroughly before bedtime! Clean skin is healthy skin. But don’t be excessive – washing too much reduces the surface oils in the outer layers of the skin and may or worsen dry skin.
6. Moisturise! Apply a moisturizer after a warm shower or moisturise your face after each cleansing, morning and night, if possible.
7. Don't use soap on your face! Soap should only be used from your neck down. Very important to keep this in mind.
8. Exercise! Particularly good for your skin. Exercise can help increase skin tone and maintain elasticity. It also increases the blood flow to your skin and gives it a healthy glow.
9. Vitamins and minerals are important for skin also! Try taking a daily multivitamin with anti-oxidants.

10. Relax, stress harms skin too. Take a break to let your worries of the day go in a nice warm bath or with some good music. This not only relieves your mind, but your skin also.