The habits that make prematurely-aging skin

Many of the external causes of aging skin are determined by the health and lifestyle decisions you make every day. Making unhealthy choices can cause prematurely aging skin, and this makes you look older, faster.

An important part of any anti-aging skin care program is to know what you may be doing that is harming your skin and speeding up your skin's aging process.

1. Cigarette smoke: Whether you smoke, or you spend time with a smoker, cigarette smoke is damaging -- and aging -- to your skin. Research has shown that exposure to cigarette smoke significantly increases skin wrinkles and dryness. This is partly due to the behavior of smoking, and also because cigarette smoke depletes your body of vitamin C, which is a key ingredient for keeping skin plump and moist.

   Some researchers believe that exposure to cigarette smoke (whether you smoke or not) is as damaging to aging skin as exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays.

2. Sun exposure: Sun exposure is very aging to skin. Unprotected skin that is exposed to the sun becomes more mottled in appearance. Freckles can turn into brown sun spots, the skin takes on a dry, leathery appearance, and wrinkles and sagging increase. The risk of skin cancer is significantly increased by sun exposure.

   The good news is that sun damage is avoidable, and if you start now, you can improve the condition of sun damaged skin.

   • See your health care provider to assess the amount of sun damage you may have, and to rule out possible skin cancers. He or she may be able to prescribe medication that can help to reduce existing sun damage.
   • If you want to avoid aging skin but don’t want to avoid the sun, make sure you use sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB rays. Choose sunscreen with SPF of 15 or higher, and use it all year-round, even on cloudy days. Clouds do not protect you from ultraviolet ray exposure.

3. Lack of exercise: Living a sedentary life contributes to aging skin, because exercise helps to tone your muscles and get your blood flowing. Exercise should be an important part of every anti-aging skin care program. Researchers have also discovered that sedentary older adults are at higher risk for dementia.

   In addition to the physical benefits of exercise, the benefits of a regular exercise program will show on your face. Having a bright smile and lots of energy will help you look and feel younger, at any age.

4. Exposure to cold weather: Cold winds and low temperatures contribute to aging skin by making skin dry, so if you venture out in the cold be sure to use a good moisturizer.

   It’s important to use moisturizer indoors too, as heated rooms can be very drying to skin. Consider using a humidifier to help keep your skin more comfortable and reduce the aging skin effects of heated rooms.

5. Alcohol use: Alcohol contributes to aging skin by dilating small blood vessels in the skin and increasing blood flow near the skin's surface. Over time, these blood vessels can become permanently damaged, creating a flushed appearance and broken vessels on the skin’s surface.
6. Stress: Maybe you’ve heard this expression: “Don’t frown, your face could stay that way.” Stress and worry cause frowning, and over time the muscles in the face actually conform to that movement.

   To help reduce aging skin due to stress, be aware of your stress level and try to vary your facial expressions during the day. A good anti-aging skin care program should include meditation, yoga, gentle exercise or other relaxation techniques. Keeping stress in check -- and frown lines and aging skin wrinkles to a minimum -- will help you look and feel younger.

7. Lack of sleep: Too little sleep makes you look and feel tired. One of the first places lack up sleep shows up is on the face, with dark circles and bags under the eyes, and sagging skin. Lack of sleep is also a major factor in memory loss and symptoms of depression that include low interest in daily activities and negative thinking.

   Research has shown that most adults function best with 8-9 hours of sleep each night. Reduce caffeine during the day (with none in the evening), avoid eating at least 2 hours before bedtime, and maintain a sleep routine that includes going to bed at the same time each night.

How to make natural facial masks

Here is several natural aids have been found useful in promoting healthy and beautiful skin.

Lime Juice

Lime juice is an important natural aid for healthy skin.

1. To cure pimples

Squeeze lime into a bowl. Add a glass of boiled whole milk and a teaspoon of glycerin to it. Stir well and let it stay for half an hour. Apply this mixture on the face, hands and feet before going to bed at night. This treatment every night will help you to look young and beautiful. It will also help cure pimples.

2. For very oily skin

Squeeze lemon juice in a bowl of iced water. Splash this over the face, massage for five minutes and then wash off with water.

3. To improve a dull and greasy complexion

Mix half teaspoon of lime juice with one teaspoon of cucumber juice and a few drops of rose water. Apply on the face and neck and leave on for 15 minutes. Remove with water.

4. To improve a dry and rough skin

Take an egg yolk and mix in a few drops of lime and olive oil. Spread on the face and leave it till the skin feels dry. Wash off with ordinary water and splash on cold water.

5. To relieve tired eyes

Take four tablespoons each of lime juice and iced water. Saturate cotton pads in this water and place over your closed eyelids for 10 minutes.

6. To remove freckles

Blanch and grind two almonds. Mix it with white of an egg to which half teaspoon of lime juice has been added. Spread on the face and leave it on till the skin feels dry. Then, wash off first with warm water and then with cold water.

Peach Treatment

The skin of the peach is useful in improving the complexion.

Gently massage the inside of peach peelings on the face every night for a few minutes. Don't rub off the moisture afterwards. This will cleanse the skin thoroughly and free the pores. It also has an astringent action and tightens the muscle of the face slightly, thus preventing sagging tissues.

Honey

Combine 1 egg yolk, 1 teaspoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of honey. Smooth over your face and rinse after 15 minutes. Honey is popular in facial treatments for dry skin.

Strawberry

Mix 1 cup of over-ripe strawberries and 1/4 cup of cornstarch to make a drawing facial mask for deep-cleaning the skin. Leave on for 30 minutes and rinse thoroughly.

Orange Tonic

Blanch and grind a couple of almonds to a paste and mix in two tablespoons of milk and one tablespoon each of carrot and orange juice. Apply thickly on face and neck and leave on for half an hour. Removes scars and blemishes from the face and makes it soft and smooth.

Watermelon Juice

The juice of water-melon is useful in the removal of blemishes on the skin.

Prepare a lotion by grating and squeezing the juice of a small slice of water-melon. Apply this lotion over the face and neck for fifteen minutes. Wash with hot water. Follow this by a splash of cold water.

Tomato

Tomato, used externally, is good for getting a good complexion.

Apply the pulp of a tomato liberally on the face. Leave this for an hour. Then wash off with warm water. Repeat this daily. You will have a good complexion. It will also remove ugly-looking pimples in a short time.

Cucumber

Grate or blend a cucumber. Apply this over the face, eyes and neck for 15 to 20 minutes. It is a great tonic for the facial skin. Regular use of cucumber prevents pimples, blackheads, wrinkles, and dryness of the face.

Almonds

Make a paste of almonds with mild cream and fresh rosebud paste. Apply it daily over the face. This softens and bleaches the skin and nourishes it with the choicest skin-food. Regular application of this mixture prevents the early appearance of wrinkles, blackheads, dryness of the skin, pimples. It also keeps the face refreshed.

To improve rough and dry complexion:
Take a teaspoon of almond oil and mix it with half a teaspoon each of milk cream and lime juice. Apply every night before going to bed both on the face and on the neck.

Yogurt

Yogurt is a very important natural beauty aid.

Apply yogurt on the face every morning. Wash it off after a few minutes with cold water. This will keep the complexion smooth, healthy and fresh. A mixture of yogurt and lemon juice is ideal for softening hands.

A paste of lentil and yogurt, applied as a mask, cleanses the skin and gives it a glow. Let it dry. When dried, remove it with fingertips and wash off with water.
Honey, olive oil and a mixture of turmeric and sandalwood paste are all very effective in rejuvenating dry , parched skin.

Apple Tonic

Mix one tablespoon of apple juice with one-fourth teaspoon of lime juice. Leave on for 20 minutes. Makes excellent tonic for combating oily skin.

Amaranth Juice Treatment

The juice of amaranth, applied over the face with a pinch of turmeric powder, bleaches the skin, prevents it from drying and wrinkling, cures pimples and makes one look fresh.

Add to this mixture milk and lime juice. Massage the mixture delicately over the face and neck for half an hour. Wash it off with lukewarm water. Do this every night before going to bed. This is an effective skin tonic that increases and retains its beauty.

Mint Juice

Application of fresh mint juice over the face every night, cures pimples and prevents dryness of the skin. The juice can also be applied over eczema and contact dermatitis with beneficial results.

Cabbage Mask

Grind a couple of cabbage leaves and extract juice. Dissolve one-fourth teaspoon of yeast in it and stir in one teaspoon of honey. Mix well and apply thickly over face and neck. Keep it for 15 minutes. Remove with cotton-wool soaked in water. This mask will counteract any tendency towards wrinkles and dryness and give your skin a flower-like bloom.

Tangerine Juice Treatment

The use of orange or tangerine juice has also been found valuable for a glowing complexion.

Dip your fingers in fresh tangerine or orange juice. Apply it liberally over your face, chin, neck, and forehead. Make a paste from the powdered sun dried pips of unripe oranges. Use this paste on the pimples and acne at bed time.

Cleansing Lotion

To one-fourth teaspoon of lime juice stir in one teaspoon each of milk and cucumber juice. Apply on the face and neck and wash off after 14 minutes. This lotion cleanses and purifies the pores of the skin.

Anti-wrinkle cream

Mix a teaspoon of olive oil with an egg. Smoothen the face and neck with it. Let it remain till the skin gets dry.

To Remove The Cream:
Add a teaspoon of soda bicarbonate to hot water. Stir. Dip a piece of cotton-wool to this mixture and use it to remove the cream.

Natural Beauty Mask

Ingredients
1 tablespoon of gram flour
1/4 teaspoon orange peel powder
1 tablespoon beaten yogurt
1 teaspoon olive oil

Mix the ingredients well and apply the paste to your face and neck. Let it remain till the skin starts feeling a little dry and then rub your face with your hands till it glows.

Wash your face first with warm water and then with cold water. This will remove all the embarrassing blemishes from the skin and make the skin soft and smooth.

To improve a dark and dull complexion

Ingredients
1 teaspoon of gram flour
pinch of turmeric powder
few drops of lime juice
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon milk

Mix the ingredients together. Apply the mixture to your skin. Leave it on for half an hour. Wash off with water.

Tips for your healthy skin

SLEEPING BEAUTY

I don’t care what else you do to your skin, if you are sleep deprived your skin will look sallow, dull, tired, and saggy; with your puffy eyes, you will resemble a frog prince or princess. And of course, your energy level will be less than desirable

Your skin, which is prone to damage during the day, is repaired as you sleep.

Some people require as much as eight to nine hours of sleep every night; others can make do with just five.

Remember, there is so substitute for sleep if you want great skin.

Sleep is the best-kept skin care secret

YOU MUST DRINK A LOT OF WATER

What goes in must go out, and water helps move everything along. Impurities not disposed of in a timely manner via the internal organs of elimination (such as the kidneys, liver, lungs, and large intestine) will find an alternate exit, namely your skin, sometimes referred to as the “third kidney.” Pimples and rashes may develop as your body tries to unload its wastes through your skin. Consciously make an effort to have at least eight to 12 glasses daily will help cleanse your body of toxins and keep your colon functioning as it should. Water also keeps your skin hydrated and moisturized, so drink up!

DO SOME EXERCISE

Try to exercise outside, to help oxygenate your cells with fresh air and facilitate waste removal through your skin. Exercises such as walking, biking, in-line skating, and weight lifting improve cardiovascular fitness and muscular endurance, which translates into increased energy and a rosy complexion. If you live in a city, try to find a green space—a park or a greenway—in which to exercise. If city streets, with their attendant pollution, are your only outdoor option, exercising in a gym may be a better alternative.

FOODS FOR YOUR HEALTHY SKIN

Most people do not consciously realize that what they eat affects the health of their skin and eat the wrong things which cause all these problems. They get skin care products that never work because the root problem is still present. Diet is probably one of the more common causes of skin problems, so eat well and you may even be able to dump your skin-care products in the bin forever.

Eating foods rich in anti-oxidants is one of the keys in having great skin. This slows down cell-damage and as you may have already heard a million times, fights free radicals. Berries such as cranberries and blueberries are one of the richest sources of bio flavonoids, antioxidants that destroy free radicals which destroy tissue and reinforce the cells that make up blood vessel walls, increasing blood circulation and giving you those beautiful rosy cheeks. Bright colors on vegetables and fruits signify richness in antioxidants, so eat more of these as well. They include plums, apricots, strawberries, spinach, broccoli and other leafy vegetables.

Chicken, fish and other seafood are also great foods that will benefit the skin. These are good sources of high-quality, low fat protein which helps make your skin more elastic and toned. An additional advantage of eating these is stronger, shinier hair. Also, try to avoid red meats as these will cause less desirable effects on the skin. You have to eat about 60 grams of these a day for a difference in your skin.

Foods with Omega-3 fatty acids are also great for the skin. You can get these as daily supplements, or you could find them in fatty fish like Salmon, Cod and other foods including ground flaxseeds, walnuts, cauliflower, brussel sprouts and cabbage.

Vitamin E rich foods will help to prevent dry skin and also helps in the repair and reduction of scars and stretch marks. These foods include hazelnuts, almonds, broccoli, spinach, mango, kiwi, peanuts and sunflower seeds.

Poultry, red meat, fish, bananas, peanut butter and eggs are a rich source of Vitamin B. Eat foods with a low glycaemic Index as they are absorbed very slowly by the body and not cause a sudden rush in blood sugar level. When the blood sugar level increases too rapidly, the pancreas will produce excess insulin that will cause cell-damaging chemicals which cause inflammation. This causes premature aging, among other illnesses such as cancer.

THE THINGS YOU MUST AVOID

Avoid your sugar

This may hurt, but try to avoid sugar as much as possible. Sugar has been known to weaken the collagen fibres of the skin and also cause them to lose their elasticity. Brown discolouration marks and age spots are caused by this, and no wonder even the middle-aged people nowadays have skin that look decades older. Sugar is hard to avoid, especially now where it is used in many of our processed foods that we don’t even realise contain this sweet substance. Soft drinks and alcohol are one of the most notorious for having plenty of sugar and should be avoided as much as possible.

Control your carbohydrate intake. Eating too much of carbohydrates will cause a hike in your blood-sugar level. Bread, corn, white rice, peas, pasta, potatoes and all refined pastries are high GI carbohydrate foods which you should avoid.

Cut back on caffeine

Caffeine makes it very unlikely that the skin cells will ever pick up enough water, even if you drink a gallon of water a day.

Avoid cigarette smoke

Cigarette smoke exposes you to damaging free radicals that will accelerate the aging process by damaging the microcapillaries in the skin.

Say good-bye to stress

Stress and tension accelerate the formation of lines around your eyes and can even produce abnormal skin conditions like eczema (where the skin gets dry and itchy; it can even result in broken skin and bleeding).

The way to have a healthy and beautiful skin

Your skin portrays your health and holds the key to your overall beauty

Your skin, especially the skin on your face, is probably one of the last things you want looking terrible with pimple scars, acne and an oily appearance.

The skin is the organ that determines most of our appearance and how good we look, so taking care of it to make sure it is always at its most pristine state is vital for a great image. No one likes acne-infested faces or skin with age spots. They simply look unpleasant and sometimes leave the impression of contagiousness, which leaves people afraid of even going near you.

It's never too late to start caring for your skin; of course the earlier you start the better. 'Prevention is better than cure'. A good cleansing routine is important for looking after the skin externally, but a balanced nutritious diet, plenty of water and another factors is a combined effort to have a beautiful skin

Caring for your skin

The skin naturally produces sebum (oil), sweat and grease naturally build up on the skin and can block pores and follicles and lead to infection. But that's not all, on top of that we love to layer on the make-up, 'cosmetics here we come', which can also cause congestion and irritation, especially if not removed properly. Not to mention all the pollutants in the air, especially if you work in a city. Dust and dirt in the air land on your skin and build up a healthy layer throughout the day and rubbing or touching our faces with grubby mitts just adds to all the congestion. As you can imagine by the end of the day there is quite a collection of yuk built up on our skin and consequently blackheads and spots can fester…

Cleanse your skin twice daily using a mild, natural, inexpensive cleanser designed for your skin type. Add a couple of drops essential oil of rose, spearmint, or orange to your cleanser to boost its cleaning effect and aromatic quality. Cleansing your skin is especially important before going to bed, because your body excretes toxins through your skin as you sleep. If facial pores are clogged with makeup and dirt, breakouts can occur. If you perspire a lot in your line of work or exercise heavily, then rinse off and massage your body with a coarse cloth or loofah before retiring to remove salt and dead-skin buildup. Your skin needs to breathe while you sleep !

This is 4 steps to keep your skin look young and healthy :

CLEANSING
There are lots of different products on the market for cleansing the skin. I would generally recommend a cleaning milk, lotion or cream. They should state on the packaging which skin type they are most suitable for, but generally, if it says it's a lotion, its for combination or greasy skin; if it says its a cream, its for dry or mature skin; and milk tends to be for dry skin prone to sensitivity or sensitive skin.

TONING

Toners not only balance the skins natural pH, they are recommended to remove all traces of cleanser and grease. They cool the skin, creating a tightening effect and closing the pores, so reducing the flow of sebum and sweat onto the skins surface (so great for oily skins).

EXFOLIATING

Exfoliating encourages cell regeneration - so brilliant for mature skin - and with no dead skin cells and grease to block its absorption, means moisturisers can be soaked up more easily into the skin. As with all products, there are lots of different types of exfoliants; on the face make sure you use a facial exfoliator (they are more gentle)! The granules in them are either chemical or vegetable origin. I don't think that is terribly relevant, it's a matter of personal preference, which you go for. I'd recommend exfoliating once to twice a week, concentrating on areas like the nose and forehead where you get the most congestion.

MOISTURISING

It is important to moisturise even if you have an oily skin. When the skin is exposed to cold, less sebum is produced; this means the skin has reduced protection, allowing moisture to evaporate. The loss of moisture from your skin is affected by the water content in the air around you (humidity). In hot dry weather humidity is low - the amount of water in the air around you is low - so the air, as such, absorbs the water out of your skin. In mild conditions humidity is high - there's plenty of water in the air - so water loss from your skin will be low. With central heating we create a humidity similar to that in a desert environment - it is very drying on your skin. In very hot weather your skin sweats and you loose lots of moisture through this perspiration. Extremes of weather or alternating hot and cold, for example going into a heated building in the winter or going into an air conditioned office in a hot summer can lead to broken capillaries. All of these damaging effects caused by the climate can be reduced by using moisturisers and facial oils - these spread a protective layer of oil on the skin, pushing nourishment and moisture into the skin while reducing evaporation of water from the skin. In a building with central heating humidifiers can be used to moisten the air.
Moisturisers also plump out fine lines, and provide a protective barrier between your skin and cosmetics and pollutants. They often contain additional ingredients and nutrients, the most common being vitamin E. A lot of moisturisers these days also sensibly contain some UV filter to protect against the age-accelerating effects of sunlight. They protect, soften and nourish the skin and are, I would say, the most important part of your skin care routine. I often suggest my clients use a moisturiser and a facial oil, especially if they have a dehydrated skin or are concerned about aging.