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We have all heard the term ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’. Perhaps not when you are staring at yourself in the mirror and the person looking back leaves a little to be desired.
When you are looking your best, it is often because your skin is looking great. Is it pure luck, genetics, or can you actually get control of your skin and look great all (well, most) of the time?
Fortunately, we are very much the ‘masters of our own destiny’ when it comes to the look of our skin. Let’s look at the top 10 tips for healthy, happy, glowing skin. |
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| 1. Protect yourself from the sun |
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| Up to 90% of all non-genetic ageing is caused by the sun. If you do nothing else for your skin, protect it from the sun. But beware, an SPF sunscreen alone can actually be accelerating your skin ageing! How? Well, there are two types of UV radiation - UVB which is responsible for skin burning and UVA which is responsible for skin ageing. An SPF (Sun Protection Factor) relates only to UVB, so you could well be spending more time in the sun, protected from getting burnt, but accelerating your skin ageing if you have no UVA protection. |
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| 2. Do not smoke |
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| If you are a smoker, you will not want to read this! Studies have shown tobacco smoke is a major contributor to skin ageing. Tobacco smoke decreases capillary and arteriolar blood flow and damages the connective tissues that produce collagen and elastin. The good news for smokers, however, is that studies have also shown that after smokers quit, their skin shows less facial wrinkling and improved skin tone. |
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| 3. Avoid the plastic surgeon |
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| Statistics released by the Cosmetic Medicine Conference this year revealed that Australians spend $300 million on Botox, face plumping and other non-surgical, anti-ageing procedures. This figure is up 30% from last year, with the biggest growth been in Botox. However, although many women are considering the procedure, Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration has listed 46 different side effects that can result from the use of Botulinum toxin type A (Botox), one of which is birth defects. Plastic surgery is not the only option. The advances in skin care technology can provide noticeable improvement in minimising wrinkles, sagging skin and other skin ageing concerns. |
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| 4. Choose products with natural ingredients |
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| Today many of our skin care products contain cheap, chemical-based ingredients that have potential safety concerns. Some ingredients to avoid include parabens, petrochemical derivatives and synthetic fragrances, which studies indicate cause adverse health effects. Look for products whose companies practise the precautionary principle. This is the ‘common sense’ notion that caution be practised where there is uncertainty. Unfortunately, in the beauty industry, it is not until an ingredient is absolutely proven unsafe that it is banned - a little too late for those that have suffered in the meantime! |
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| 5. Cleanse morning and night |
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| Did you know that the majority of dust in your home is from your dried skin? Not really pleasant, but imagine the microscopic pore-clogging, dried skin on your face together with dirt and pollution, most of which you cannot see with the naked eye. It is important to cleanse your skin morning and night with a gently cleanser. A tip - if your cleanser makes your skin feel tight after use, it is probably not suitable for you. Try a cream cleanser instead to leave your skin clean and moisturised. |
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| 6. Touch your face less and wash your hands more |
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| I know it is tempting, but try hard not to pick, poke, squeeze and scratch in front of the mirror. The more you traumatise the skin, the greater the risk of scarring. Apply treatment products and let them work. |
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| 7. Protect yourself from stress |
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| When you become stressed, the body increases the production of the stress hormone Cortisol. This in turn increases oil production that can lead to oily skin, acne and other related skin problems. |
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| 8. Choose skin care with the latest advanced ingredients |
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| If you have been using the same computer for the last 10 years, chances are there is a newer model that will give you a better result. The same is true for skin care. There have been remarkable advances in the last few years that can truly make a noticeable difference to your skin. For example, an Africa plant called Okuru has been found to contain peptides that minimise expression lines in a similar way to Botox. |
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| 9. Healthy diet and exercise |
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| Your skin is your body’s largest organ and is one of the body’s eliminatory pathways. If you feed your body a diet full of toxins, do not be surprised if your body kicks in and starts to eliminate these toxins through your skin. Free radical damage not only causes degenerative diseases in the body, they also attack the skin, causing it to sag and wrinkle. A diet rich in antioxidants is a great way to ‘soak up’ the free radicals that cause these problems. There is no surprise for guessing foods high in antioxidants - fruits and vegetables! Blueberries and strawberries are two of the best. |
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| 10. Avoid sleeping on one side |
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| Do you sleep mainly on one side of your body? Sleeping with one side of your face against the pillow for years results in wrinkles. The lines on your face caused by long periods of contact with your pillow eventually become etched into your face and no longer disappear. Women will normally notice these lines appearing on their chin and cheeks. The solution is to lie on your back or buy a satin pillow cover so that there is less friction between your face and the pillow. H |
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Peter Vranes is the founder of lapureté skin care – the world’s first natural Botox alternative range. He is a Chemical Engineer who is passionate about clinically proven natural skin care that works.
www.lapurete.com.au | peter@lapurete.com.au | phone 03 9383 7555. |
