How To Take Care Of Your Skin

Knowing how to take care of your skin is a life long commitment. It's even more important to learn how to take care of your skin properly. Yes, it would be easier to not worry with it and go about your business of the day, but your skin is the first thing that people really take notice of. This is why it's so important to take good care of it and make a great first impression. 

1. Protect yourself from the sun. The most important thing you can do to take care of your skin is to protective yourself from harmful UV rays. Prolonged exposure from the sun can cause a multitude of skin issues such as aging, wrinkles, sun spots, freckles and even skin cancer. Always apply a strong sunscreen with a high SPF as well as wear clothing that will block some of those harmful rays.
2. Don't smoke. If you are a smoker, you need to stop for many reasons. Smoking does all kinds of damage to your body, but your skin is the first to show signs.  Smoking can cause premature aging and wrinkles. The harsh chemicals in cigarettes actually narrow tiny blood vessels which deplete the skin of blood flow and oxygen. Smoking also damages collagen and elastin in your skin, which are the fibers that gives your skin its health.
3. Exfoliate. People often overlook exfoliating their skin because they think they don't need to. The truth is, everyone should exfoliate their skin at least twice weekly, if not more. When you exfoliate, you are actually getting old dead skin cells off of your face. Once you have stripped away that old skin, the new skin cells shine through and look much healthier. One of the reasons men seem to look more youthful than women is because men tend to exfoliate more by shaving daily. There are several ways to exfoliate skin such as microdermabrasion and chemical peels.
4. Eat a clean diet and drink more water daily. A tried and true method of maintaining great skin is a healthy lifestyle and diet regimen. If you put unhealthy foods in your body, your skin will show it. It's best to eat a balanced diet of vitamin enriched foods such as leafy, green vegetables and fresh fruit along with leaner meats. Try to stay away from sugar and fatty fried foods as those foods tend to have no nutritional value. You must also be hydrating your body properly by consuming more water and less soda and alcohol. Water will help rid your body and skin of harsh chemicals and toxins.
5. Cleanse your face properly. Another great way to take care of your skin is to cleanse your face properly with the right kind of cleanser for your skin type. It's best to go with a gentle pH balanced formula that is gentle on the skin but strong enough to wash away the dirt and grime of a hard day's work. Cleansers with a gentle glycerin ingredient is best for almost all skin types.
6. Moisturize. Unless you have super oily skin, you should be using some sort of moisturizer to restore the natural oils in your skin after cleansing your skin. You can find a multitude of men and women's moisturizers at your local drug store. These can be an inexpensive product that can save you a lifetime of trips to a dermatologist or professional skin treatments. By simply keeping the skin moisturized and hydrated, you will forever have beautiful skin.

Tips and tricks:

Never pull or tug on skin. This can damage the elastin in your skin and cause premature aging as well.

Avoid very strong soaps that can strip natural oils from the skin.

Always pat your face dry, and never scrub or pull the skin.

Manage stress levels. When you are stressed, your skin will show it, as the frown and worry lines form along with stress.