Skin Care Tips that Work

So the fact is that you're stuck with your skin. You'll have it for your whole life, and no matter how often skin cells flake off and repair themselves, you're ultimately stuck with the same skin - the same wrinkles, freckles, skin damage; whatever you do to it is going to be yours forever afterward. On that cheerful note, here are some key tips for keeping your skin healthy.

• The most damaging thing you can do to your skin is expose it to the sun too much. Not only does the permanent skin damage caused by UV rays increase your risk for skin cancer, but it can also just cause your skin to look leathery and unhealthy. Whenever possible, avoid peak damaging hours (between 10 am and 4 pm), wear protective clothing and use sunscreen - even if it's just the sunscreen in your moisturizer or makeup.
• Amazingly, smoking is extremely damaging to your skin (and everything else). Smoking causes surface blood vessels on the surface of your skin to contract, and the decrease of blood flow makes it hard for the skin to get all of the nutrients it needs, causing it to lose strength and elasticity. Add to that the fact that smoking means your face is constantly exposed to smoke and heat, and you have a recipe for major skin damage.
  
• Your skin needs to be washed gently. Use warm water instead of hot water and use gentle soaps that would strip your skin of all of its natural oils. Remove makeup gently rather than trying to scrub it off, and pat your skin dry instead of wiping it.
  
• Moisturize your skin regularly. Not only does a moisturizer keep your face from drying out with regular washing, it also works as a seal that hold moisture in. Choosing a moisturizer with at least SPF 15 helps you to take care of the first thing on this list as well as this one.
• Shave gently, using water and some kind of gel or cream to protect your skin as much as possible. Make sure your razor is sharp and clean - not old or rusty. (Throw away that dull, rusty razor!) Soothe any razor burn with lotions that don't contain alcohol, no matter how good they might feel at first. Alcohol will ultimately dry skin out and won't help you to maintain good moisture and healthy skin.