The Importance of Protecting and Nourishing Your Skin

Your skin is the LARGEST organ of your body, and it is the only organ that is simultaneously on the inside and outside of your body. If you want to have healthy looking skin as well as slow down the process of intrinsic and extrinsic aging, you must nourish it on the inside with proper diet and supplementation, and on the outside with a proper skin care regimen that includes a cleanser, a toner and a moisturizer.  You must also strive to protect your skin from damaging personal-care or skin-care products, from the sun, from the damaging effects of smoking, and from stress.


With that said, let's take a closer look at that statement in detail. Let's begin by talking  about a healthy diet and its importance in creating healthy looking skin and in slowing down the aging process.

* EAT A HEALTHY DIET:

Many people don't think about the skin being INSIDE the body, but skin is exposed to damage on the inside and on the outside (which, over time, can lead to disease). Our skin must be nourished from the inside out. When we talk about nourishing skin on the inside, we are talking about giving the body the nutrients it needs to be healthy, or proper diet and proper supplementation.

According to an October 2007 article in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, "Nutritional factors play a key role in normal functioning of the skin. Recent research indicates that higher intakes of vitamin C and linoleic acid and lower intakes of fats and carbohydrates are associated with better skin-aging appearance."

Understand that the foods that promote healthy skin also promote good health overall. In fact, healthy foods appear to reduce inflammation which is one of the key factors in improving health and slowing down the aging process.

But rather than focusing on specific foods for healthy skin, try concentrating on a healthy diet in general which includes:

- Drinking plenty of water--Water helps hydrate your body and leads to plump, healthy skin. Adequate hydration also helps flush out toxins that can cause skin problems. Water is also essential for skin metabolism and regeneration.

- Eating more fruits and vegetables.

- Trading red meat for fish.

- Choosing low-fat or fat-free dairy products.

- Including nuts, seeds and beans into your meals.

- Opting for whole-grain breads and pasta.

- Limiting sweets.

- And striving for variety as you're making healthy choices.

An unhealthy diet can promote unhealthy skin and speed up the aging process, but also keep in mind that LACK OF EXERCISE also has a damaging effect on skin health.


Now let's discuss what you put on your skin or don't put on your skin and why this might be a problem.

* WATCH WHAT YOU PUT ON YOUR SKIN AND FOLLOW A GOOD SKIN CARE REGIMEN:

Your skin protects you from environmental damage, but have you ever thought about what gets absorbed through your skin? By now, you have probably heard about drugs that are available in skin patches to treat such things as nicotene withdrawal and heart disease. So your skin can absorb things very well.

The reality is that your skin does a lot!  Besides protecting you from damage and absorbing things, your skin also expels toxins from your body through your pores. From this perspective, you can see why it's important that you protect your skin.

But let's spend a little more time examining what might be getting absorbed into your body.

According to the best-selling book The Healthy Home, "A 2004 survey of 2,300 American men and women found that the average adult uses nine products--containing around 126 individual ingredients--every day. That's a lot of fragrances, preservatives, and other chemicals!  And worst of all, we assume these products are SAFE!  Do you ever think about how many chemicals are being absorbed through the skin and into the body when you use makeup removers, body washes, shaving foams, shampoos, conditioners, antiperspirants, moisturizers, lipsticks, foundations, powders, liquid liners, pencils, hair gels, mousses, sprays, toothpastes, rinses, whiteners, perfumes, nail polishes, sunscreens, spray-on tanners, and bug sprays? You don't have to wonder.  A recent study found more than two hundred chemicals present just in the umbilical cord of newborns."

Does that cause an alarm to go off in your head? It should!

Somewhere around 10,000 different chemicals are used in cosmetics, skin-care treatments, and other personal products...chemicals such as nitrosamines, lead, and other heavy metals, parabens, phthalates, hydroquinone, and 1,4 dioxane--all of which are VERY BAD for you!

Preservatives, which you find in many personal-care or skin-care products, are designed to extend the life of a product.  But they are also designed to kill cells. The problem is that human skin is also made of cells, so preservatives pose a risk to skin cells. And when absorbed into the bloodstream, preservatives also become a hazard to the rest of the body.  Formaldehyde is one of the more common preservatives, but it is toxic to cells and can cause cancer.

If you truly want to maintain, or improve, the health of your skin and the rest of your body, then start cutting down on products that contain toxic preservatives like parabens, phthalates, and formaldehyde. You can start by replacing products that sit on your skin all day with more natural, preservative-free alternatives. You can identify products with formaldehyde in them by looking to see if they contain quaternium 15, [2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol], diazolidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl urea, or DMDM Hydantoin. Check with me if you are interested in finding SAFE and EFFECTIVE preservative-free products.

Also, avoid using products that have the following ingredients listed on their labels, especially if the products will be used by children:  parabens (methyl, propyl, butyl, and ethyl), mercury (thimerosal), lead acetate, diethanolamine (DEA), synthetic color pigments, propylene glycol (PG), coal tar, toluene, phenylenediamine (PPD), and petrolatum.

Now when it comes to your underarms, use deodorants instead of antiperspirants since deodorants don't use aluminum compounds. The concern with aluminum in antiperspirants is that it accumulates in the body over time. It poses a health risk because so many products on the market today have aluminum in them.  If you feel you must use an antiperspirant, then wash it off in the evening.  You don't need it while you're asleep.  Also, don't use an antiperspirant during cooler months or on weekends when it doesn't matter if you sweat a little.

NOTE FOR PREGNANT WOMEN:  Cut back on ALL product use because your unborn baby will be subjected to the same products you use on yourself.

Now let's take a moment to talk specifically about your face, which makes up about 10% of your skin.  To properly care for the skin on your face, you must adjust to the idea of cleansing, toning, and moisturizing your face every day.  These are the three fundamental steps involved in protecting and nourishing the outer layer of skin on your face. A good CLEANSER will wash away surface dirt and impurities (without drying your skin). A good TONER will remove any lingering impurities, balance your skin's ph levels, and prepare your skin for the moisturizer. A good daytime moisturizer will hydrate your skin and protect your skin from environmental damage. And a good nighttime moisturizer will restore your skin's moisture levels overnight while assisting cell recovery. Again, use products that are free of the chemicals described above.  If you would like help in choosing a SAFE and EFFECTIVE line of products, feel free to send me your request.

Also be aware that daily cleansing can take a toll on your skin, so pay attention to water temperature and the length of your bath or shower. Hot water and long showers or baths remove oils from your skin. So limit your bath or shower time, and use warm, NOT HOT, water.

And wash products off your face as soon as you get home instead of waiting until bedtime. A few additional chemical-free hours each day could add up to more than six years over a lifetime.

Here's a rule of thumb:  When purchasing a personal-care or skin-care product, ask yourself if you would drink it. If you won't drink it, don't put it on your skin! It has the potential of getting absorbed into your bloodstream.

And lastly, the normal pH range for skin and hair is 4.0 and 5.5, respectively. Maintaining a normal pH range is an important part of maintaining healthy skin and hair. Use skin and hair products that have been specifically designed to maintain the pH balance of both.  (NOTE: pH is a measure of acidity or alkalinity.)

NOTE FOR DIABETICS: You should always consult your doctor if you develop signs and symptoms of dry skin (or any other skin problem), as diabetes can cause serious skin conditions.


And now let's turn our attention to the potential damaging effects of the sun on your skin!

* PROTECT YOURSELF FROM THE SUN:

It is very important that you protect yourself from over-exposure to the sun. A lifetime of sun exposure can cause wrinkles and age spots, which speeds up the aging process, and promote freckles and rough, dry skin. Over-exposure can also cause more-serious problems, such as skin cancer. That being the case, limit sun exposure by wearing protective clothing. You can even find special sun-protective clothing, which is specifically designed to block ultraviolet rays while keeping you cool and comfortable. And use sunscreen when you're in the sun, BUT DO NOT OVERUSE IT. More on that in a bit. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen (one that blocks UVA and UVB rays) 30 minutes before going outdoors and reapply every two hours, after heavy sweating or after being in water.

Understand that while it is important to protect your skin from over-exposure to the sun, you also need to be aware that sunscreen blocks the ability to absorb vitamin D. The principle source of vitamin D is produced in the skin upon exposure to the sun. And to receive maximum benefit from sunlight, you should try to spend 15-30 minutes in DIRECT sunlight every day (especially between 10 AM and 2 PM). You might be asking yourself, "Won't I receive too much vitamin D from the sun (being that it is fat soluble)? It is not possible to overdose on vitamin D synthesized by the sun. Our body has mechanisms to inactivate vitamin D.

Also consider the fact that vitamin D from strong sunlight is responsible for preventing cancers of the breast, ovaries, colon, prostrate, bladder, uterus, esophagus, rectum, and stomach. The further you live from the equator, the greater your risk of dying from cancer.

So keep this in mind:  The overuse of sunscreen has contributed to the vitamin D deficiency we now see worldwide. As soon as you put on a sunscreen with an SPF of 15, you eliminate over 90% of your body's capacity to make vitamin D. So again, DO NOT OVERUSE SUNSCREEN. Spend 15-30 minutes per day in DIRECT sunlight, and use sunscreen if you are going to be in the sun for any longer period of time. The sun provides you with one of your most important nutrients, but you must protect your skin as well. And if at all possible, just limit the additional time you spend in the sun beyond the 15 to 30 minutes needed daily to obtain a health benefit.


Next, let's talk about the effect smoking has on your skin.

* DON'T SMOKE:

Simply put, smoking makes your skin look older. If you smoke, you can essentially add another year on to your life for every 2nd birthday. As an example, if you are a 40 year old, you would look like a 50 year old if you started smoking at the age of 20.

Smoking also contributes to wrinkles. Smoking narrows the tiny blood vessels in the outermost layers of skin, which decreases blood flow. This depletes the skin of oxygen and nutrients, such as vitamin A, that are important to skin health. Smoking also damages collagen and elastin — fibers that give your skin its strength and elasticity. In addition, the repetitive facial expressions you make when smoking — such as pursing your lips when inhaling and squinting your eyes to keep out smoke — may contribute to wrinkles.

And worst of all, smoking wreaks havoc on your body by destroying cells and leading you down a path toward disease. The damage that smoking does to your health is much greater than you think!

If you smoke, the best way to protect your skin, and more importantly your overall health, is to QUIT. Ask your doctor for tips or treatments to help you stop smoking.


And last, but not least,

* MANAGE YOUR STRESS LEVEL:

I know this is easier said than done, but uncontrolled stress can make your skin more sensitive and trigger a host of skin problems. To encourage healthy skin, and a healthy state of mind, take the necessary steps to manage your stress.

Work on changing your mindset to appreciate the things you have--like great health, a great family, and the things you have worked hard to acquire. Focus on seeing the good in everybody. Set reasonable limits and deadlines. Scale back your to-do list. And make time to do the things you enjoy with the ones you love. The results may be more dramatic than you expect.


Well I hope you learned something in this article about the importance of protecting and nourishing your skin. As I stated earlier, if you would like help in finding a safe and effective skin care line, or like help determining whether your personal-care or skin-care products are safe, feel free to send me a message.

I would like to know who is going to take action now to ensure they are protecting their skin?  And I would also like to know who is going to say "that's interesting", and not do anything?  :-)  If you don't make a decision, your health will make a choice for you.