"Best Smooth Skin Tips"

Causes of Aging Skin

Wrinkles.  Sooner or later we all get them.  The extent to which we get them is caused by two major factors; the genes we inherit from our parents, and environmental factors — caused by what we do to ourselves.

Aging caused by the genes we inherit is known as intrinsic or internal aging and is a continuous process that starts almost as soon as we reach the peak of adult-hood.  In our mid to late twenties our bodies start slowing the production of collagen and elastin.  Our dead skin cells don’t slough off quite as readily and the production of new skin cells is not quite as efficient. Even though this process begins relatively early, we don’t see the effect until decades later. Which is why it is so important to establish a good skin care regimen early in life.

Some of the signs we begin to see are:

• Thin, transparent skin
• Fine wrinkles
• Loss of underlying fat which contribute to the hollow look and dark circles under the eyes
• Dry, itchy skin
• Graying hair
• Sagging skin

Our genetic make-up determines how rapidly this normal aging process proceeds.   Some of us get gray hair in our late twenties and thirties, others don’t see it until late forties or fifties.

Aging caused by environmental factors is called extrinsic or external aging. The number one cause of external aging is the harmful exposure to the sun. Many of us in over forty grew up trying to get tan.  We’d be in the sun for hours with little protection and our skin has begun to show the ravages of no SPF.

Other external factors are our habitual facial expressions including squinting, frowning, laughing and smiling. Additionally, the position in which we sleep has an affect on how and where wrinkles form on our faces and chests. Other important factors in external aging is smoking, gravity and diet.

TIPS TO WARD OFF PREMATURE SKIN AGING:

Protect Yourself from the Sun.

• Stay away from any form of tanning unless it comes in a bottle.
• Stay out of the sun during the time of day when the sun is the strongest (10:00 AM to 3:00 PM)
• Wear protective clothing such as wide brimmed hats, long sleeved shirts and long pants.
• Always apply ample sun screen — use an SPF of at least 30 applied at least 20 minutes before exposure and applied liberally and often throughout the day.

Check your face for wrinkles caused by habitual facial expressions

• Lines made from happy expressions like laughing and smiling are most often pleasant and should be left alone.
• Lines made from frowning, scowling, or squinting can make one look angry and ill-tempered.  If you have lines like those, you may want to consider Botox. These injections have been approved by the FDA and will make even the deepest wrinkles disappear. You will not only look younger almost instantly, your face will take on a more pleasant countenance.

Check your face by wrinkles caused by how you sleep.

• Sleeping on your side or stomach causes your face to be scrunched against the pillow all night and can cause unseemly wrinkles.
• Learning to sleep on your back can reduce the effect of that all-night-face-scrunching.
• Pillow cases made of satin can also reduce the fine lines.

If you smoke – stop!

• You know the drill here — its unhealthy inside and makes you look old.  Enough said.

Simple tips to eating and drinking foods that help create healthier skin.

• Eat lots of fruits and vegetables — they are high in anti-oxidants which fight off free radicals in your system and can enhance cell function.
• Drink lots of water — your body and skin crave moisture — especially during the winter months, and will look more youthful and supple with more moisture.  You should drink 1/2 ounce of water for every pound of body weight.  So if you weigh 140, you should drink 70 ounces of water each day.  Caffeinated drinks do not count — and in fact for every caffeinated drink you have you should drink and extra 8 ounces of water.
• Take a resveratrol supplement to enhance the anti-oxidant properties that help reverse the aging process.

Naturally, you should always have a regular skin care regimen that includes gentle cleansing, followed by a gentle exfoliant, followed by the gentle application of a kickbutt moisturizer!