Health & Beauty Tips - Beautiful Skin

Saturday, May 24, 2014

Staying healthy and happy is what I have always hoped to achieve in life. Those are the main purpose and motivation behind my venture into this less traveled path. Having said that, being beautiful mentally and physically as well as aging gracefully are some other goals that will likely take my lifetime to accomplish. I suppose life is a journey where you learn all about balance. Juggling between work and family, indulgences and routines, the to dos and not to dos, etc. This is the skill of staying alive, which may become easier, well, with the increased number of wrinkles on your skin (hopefully not!). That said, it's always better and wiser to be equipped with some tips and advises to achieve better well being in life. Hence, I will be sharing some health and beauty tips every month, hopefully these tips (and tricks?) that have shined some lights on me, will benefit you as well. Lets work hard to becoming better persons with beautiful minds :)

Well, I guess having beautiful skin is one of the utmost importance for all women. It is now fast approaching winter in Australia, hence I hope you will find this post beneficial to you. Skin care is a routine done 365 days, every day all year round. Hence, whether you are residing in a tropical country, or currently experiencing warm summer heat wave, this information should still be relevant to you.


1. Hydrate, hydrate and hydrate

Keep your body hydrated by drinking plenty of water. If you aren’t much of a water drinker, it’s best that you get started now. Carry a bottle with you everywhere, especially when you go out, and make it a point to drink as much as six to eight glasses a day. This is to provide moisture from the inside.

2. Cleanse

Cleanse your face everyday and apply moisturizer immediately afterward for optimum absorption.

3. Moisturize

Use a moisturizer. You may have used a moisturizer that worked just well during spring and summer, but you may need to change your skin care routine as the weather changes. Look for a moisturizer that is oil based or for oily skin. But don’t just moisturize your face alone, use lotion or moisturizer on your body as well, especially on areas prone to drying out like your hands and feet. This is to provide moisture from the outside.

4. Scrub and exfoliate

Use a gentle and good face and body scrub on a weekly basis to slough off all those dead cells from your skin. Old and dry skin cells will make your skin look rough and worn, so a weekly exfoliating session should leave your skin fresh and ready for some moisturizing! Choose wisely and get something effective yet gentle and respectful!

5. Apply sunscreen

There is this misconception that sunscreen is only for summertime, when the sun is hot and glaring in the sky. Winter sun, as well as snow glare, can also be damaging to the skin. So don’t skip your sunscreen just because you don’t see the sun in the sky. Sunscreen reduces the harmful effects of the sun, which accelerates skin aging.

6. Less makeup

Wearing makeup can dry out your skin. Avoid heavy makeup or if possible wear little to no makeup during winter to avoid dehydration of your skin.

7. Paying attention to the more sensitive areas

Some parts of your face (eye contour, lips, etc) have particularly fine, fragile skin. They need specific care, especially the eye contour and the lips. These areas of your face are more sensitive and deserve special attention.

8. Have ample sleep

Slumber is nature's most powerful beauty treatment. Having consistent (optimal 7-9 hours) good night sleep bring oxygen and blood supply to all your skin cells, rejuvenating your skin and keeping your skin supple and healthy. Insufficient sleep ages all of our body including skin.

9. Exercise

By increasing blood flow, exercise helps nourish skin cells and keep them vital. "Blood carries oxygen and nutrients to working cells throughout the body, including the skin. In addition to providing oxygen, blood flow also helps carry away waste products, including free radicals, from working cells.The job of neutralizing toxins belongs mostly to the liver. But by increasing blood flow, a bout of exercise helps flush cellular debris out of the system. You can think of it as cleansing your skin from the inside.


10. Good diet

Have a good diet, avoid having too much sugar in your diet. Fruit and vegetables contain powerful antioxidants that help to protect skin from the cellular damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are caused by smoking, pollution and sunlight and can cause wrinkling and age spots. Eat a rainbow of colorful fruit and vegetables and aim for at least five portions a day. Vitamin C is also a super antioxidant. It is needed for a strong immune system, radiant skin and helps blemishes heal properly. Vitamin E protects skin from damage and supports healthy skin growth.

Some best foods for healthier skin (from Fitness magazine):

- Prevent wrinkles with yogurt: The protein you get from eating dairy helps skin become firmer. Eat a single serving daily to make your complexion smoother.
 
- Protect with pomegranate: They're packed with polyphenol antioxidants. Polyphenols fight free radicals and regulate skin's blood flow, giving it rosiness. One pomegranate or a few glasses of juice daily should do the trick.

- Soften your skin with walnuts: Walnuts contain omega-3 essential fatty acids, which can improve skin's elasticity. Snack on a handful of walnuts each day to improve your complexion's texture.

- Fight back with peppers: Women who eat green and yellow vegetables regularly tend to have fewer wrinkles, especially around the eyes.

- Brighten up with sunflower seeds: Loaded with vitamin E, sunflower seeds keep your skin supple by protecting its top layers from the sun. Eat a handful daily.

 - Even out your skin tone with soy: Drink a latte with soy milk or eat edamame and you may get a clearer complexion. Soy contains minerals and proteins that have been shown to reduce hyperpigmentation. One cup a day should yield results.

- Calm redness with green tea: It's very high in antioxidants, particularly one named EGCG, which is proved to reduce redness. Sip at least one cup of green tea a day, and fight redness.

11. Avoid clash diets

Repeatedly losing and regaining weight can take its toll on your skin, causing sagging, wrinkles and stretch marks. Crash diets are often short in essential vitamins too. Over long periods of time this type of dieting will reflect on your skin.

12. Avoid smoking and drinking

Try to avoid smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, both can age the skin.

13. Watch out for environmental stress

Pollution, smoke, stress… All these have harmful effects on the skin. Use skincare products to protect your skin against these daily stresses before leaving the house and cleanse your skin thoroughly when you come home in the evening.

14.  Use humidifier

Space heaters and central heating system blast hot (and very dry) air at home and in office spaces. While they’re great for keeping you warm, they do very little good for your skin. Counter dry air with a humidifier, which bring back moisture into the air and prevent it from drying. Instead of getting one big humidifier, place several ones throughout your home to help disperse moisture evenly.

15. Avoid hot showers

The water heater is always seen as a lifesaver during winter, or when you need to shower on any cold day, so it can be very tempting for you to put the temperature on high and enjoy a hot shower or bath. Doing so, unfortunately breaks down your skin’s lipid barriers, causing moisture loss.That said, it’s better that you stick with warm water and being quick about the whole thing. You can also use oat, milk or aloe based cleansers and bath products to help with the dryness and itching.

LASTLY and most IMPORTANTLY

16. Staying happy and positive

Having a beautiful mind and cheerful mood will allow you to radiance from the inside.


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