Looking younger is big business. It seems there’s a cream or a serum for every line and wrinkle on our bodies. Sure, you can slather on a cream or two, but there are also some simple things you can do every day to keep your skin looking its best.
The foods you eat and even the sleep you can get help your body fight cell damage. When you eat the right foods or take the right vitamins, the nutrients you take in will help your cells replicate, leaving you looking fresher and younger!
Here are a few simple things you can do to keep your skin healthy:
- Drink Enough Water: Dehydrated skin can dry out and look saggy and dull. Drinking enough water each day will leave your skin firmer, hydrated, and give you a glow! Most adults should be drinking about 2 liters of water per day, which is roughly eight 8-ounce glasses.
- Get Enough Sleep: When you’re not rested, your entire body suffers. Your brain feels foggy, you’re grouchy, and your skin looks sallow. You’ll see dark circles under your eyes, casting a pall over your entire face. Your skin rejuvenates and repairs itself overnight. Shoot for eight hours a night if at all possible.
- Add Antioxidants to Your Diet: Eat the rainbow! Make sure your plate is loaded with lots of different colors throughout the day. Fruits and vegetables supply your body with the antioxidants it needs to fight inflammation and free radicals which will damage your skin cells. There are also a number of skin products on the market that contain antioxidants.
- Drink Green Tea: Studies show green tea can be good for our skin. They say drinking green tea can ward off aging and even help prevent skin cancer. Why? Because of those antioxidants again! Green tea contains both catechins and antioxidants, both of which can help keep our bodies healthy.
- Buy Organic: Organic foods have fewer pesticides, hormones, and toxins, which helps curtail the damage done to our bodies. In fact, if you choose organic meat and dairy, you’ll bypass the hormones and antibiotics given to the animals. This can help reduce acne.
- Stay Out of the Sun: Small amounts of sun each day help our bodies produce vitamin D, which is beneficial. But you only need about 10 to 15 minutes in the sun to achieve this benefit. Too much sun, especially if you forget to put on sunscreen and wear a hat and sunglasses, can damage your skin and your eyes.
- Choose Natural Skincare: When you do shop for your skincare products, choose those without parabens, sulfates and other harsh chemicals. Do your homework and research the ingredients in the products you choose.
- Decorate with Plants: Indoor plants help purify the air you breathe. They function as an air filter. Keep one on your desk, near your bed or anywhere in the house where you spend a lot of time.
- Limit Sugar: If you eat a lot of sugar, it can actually age your skin. Wrinkles brought on by sugar are becoming more common since Americans’ diets seem to be full of the sweet substance.
- Relieve Stress: It’s no joke; wrinkles can be brought about my stress. Exercise, meditate, do yoga, get a massage, talk to friends, get out and take a walk (with your sunscreen on, of course), whatever you need to do to alleviate stress. It will help both your mind and your body!