15 Rules for Fabulous Skin!

Our skin is our gift. It is beautiful yes but how can our skin become fabulous?

1- Use Broad-spectrum Sunscreen:

I know it is winter and we skip using the sunscreen. The sun is still out there. It can still affect your skin. This habit is something we should do all year long. To keep your skin wrinkle and sag-free we should use broad-spectrum sunscreen that will protect against both UVA and UVB. A new sunscreen active Mexoryl XL/XS (against UVA) [1]  has longer protection and low skin penetration compared to older generation sunscreen actives. You can prefer to use a sunscreen with titanium dioxide and zinc oxide against UVA and UVB [2-3]. The amount and reapplication of the sunscreen is important as well. Apply around a tablespoon of sunscreen to your face. For the days you are outside under the sun for a long time don’t forget to freshen your sunscreen every 2-3 hours for maximal protection.

2- Quit Smoking:

Smoking decreases the oxygen availability to the skin, which could lead to faster aging of the ski [4]. Smoking also decreases the collagen production, that would result in sagging of the skin [5]. Furthermore, a scientific study showed that people smoking more than 10 years looked 2.5 years older than the nonsmokers of same age [6]. What does these mean? If you are smoking you will have deeper and more wrinkles, sagging, blotchiness of your skin and you will look older than your friends of same age. To look younger: Stop smoking today.

3-Drink Responsibly for Your Skin:

Too much alcohol intake could dehydrate your body and also alter the immune responses in your body [7-8]. This could influence the quality of your skin and enhance sagging of your face in time.

4- Use the Right Products:

If you have oily skin you wouldn’t use the products for dry skin right? Sometimes we pick up the wrong products without reading the ingredients and the reviews. Whether you have oily, combination, dry or mature skin, please pick the right product suitable for your skin.

5- Your Skin does not Stop at Your Face:

The skin of the neck and chest is as delicate and as thin as the facial skin. They are also exposed to sun and other external factors. If you do not want to have an wrinkled neck with your fresh looking face, please apply the anti-aging products, sunscreen and exfoliating products to your neck and chest as well.

6- Protect Your Eyes:

The skin around your eyes is the thinnest skin of your body and it is very delicate. So please stop constantly rubbing your eyes, remove your makeup every night, and always use good quality anti-aging eye cream.

7- Leave your Pimples Alone:

Oh, those blackhead and zits call for us to squeeze them. Please don’t. Squeezing will cause more inflammation, infection and most definitely with ugly scars. It will also decrease the healing time. Don’t give into temptation and keep your hands away from your zits. Still having problems, visit your lovely dermatologist! ;)

8- Clean your Phone:

If you are breaking out constantly on the jawline and chin area, maybe your cellular or just regular phone could be the reason. Resting your chin or face could trigger breakouts due to friction or because it is dirty. New year resolution: Clean your phone with alcohol and try not to rest your cheek/chin on your phone.

9-Stop Exfoliating too Much:

Everybody likes a clean face, but if you are exfoliating your face too much (for instance every day), it could enhance the oil production. This could lead to irritation or even more breakouts. Overexfoliation is no different then scrubbing your face with a brush everyday. So exfoliate per the needs of your skin type as needed. You just need a small dollop of exfoliant for your face.

10-Your Makeup Regimen:

Please pay attention to the last use date on your products. For instance, if your old mascara starts smelling funny, it is time to toss it out. Don’t forget to clean up your makeup brushes. Besides ending up weird colors on your face, they may cause bacterial infections, acne or clogged pores. Please clean your brushes with a brush cleaner or wash every 2 to 3 weeks (depending on your use) and dry them really well before use.

11- Not Sleeping Enough:

Lack of sleep results in stress, which weakens the immune responses and could worsen inflammatory conditions like acne. During sleep, your body repairs the damage received during the day. Interupting the repair procedure during sleep, could disrupt the skin barrier function. Overall, staying up late makes the skin look sallow and tired [9-10].

12-Wash your Face at Night:

Sleeping in with the makeup, the dirt of the day and all the oil produced during the day could clog your pores, acne and also sallow looking skin. Especially if you have acne-prone skin you could be sure that your skin will protest you in the morning with a huge zit on your face (somewhere you can not hide for that matter). During your sleep your skin is trying to repair itself, so why not wash your face aand put on your night cream for a younger fresher looking skin in the morning? Wash your face every night, no matter what!

13- Stay away from Junk Food:

Yes, you are what you eat. A scientific study clearly showed that people who consumed high-protein food and whole grain had %50 less acne compared to people eating processed carbs, thus junk food. Why? High-glycemic foods such as junk food increased your blood sugar and insulin. Increased insulin would enhance the production of hormones, which stimulates oil production and acne formation [11-12].

14- Go to the gym:

Exercise increases the blood flow and decrease stress. Result: healthy and fresh looking skin.

15- Avoid using tons of products:

Using a lot of products is not always good for you. Please read the ingredients to see if you are not overloading your face with the same ingredient coming from different products. Reading the ingredients is always the key.

The lovely Coco Chanel famously said “Nature gives you the face you have at 20, life shapes the face you have at 30, but at 50 you get the face you deserve.” I believe this to be true. As far as caring for your skin goes, we can keep looking amazing from head to toe. All we need is a little effort.

Coco Chanel, 79 years old (or young! :) )

References

1- Deflandre A, Lang G. Photostability assessment of sunscreens. Benzylidene camphor and bibenzoylmethane derivatives. Int J Cosmetic Sci 1988; 10: 53-62.
2- Anderson MW, Hewitt JP, Spruce SR. Broad-spectrum physical sunscreens: Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. In: Lowe NJ, Shaath NA, Pathak MA, eds. Sunscreens development, evaluation, and regulatory aspects. New York: Marcel Dekker, 1997: 353-397.
3- A mineral sunscreen affords genomic protection against ultraviolet (UV) B and UVA radiation: in vitro and in situ assays. Cayrol C, Sarraute J, Tarroux R, Redoules D, Charveron M, Gall Y. Br J Dermatol. 1999 Aug;141(2):250-8.
4- Fan GB, Wu PL, Wang XM. Changes of oxygen content in facial skin before and after cigarette smoking. Skin Res Technol. 2012 Nov;18(4):511-5).
5- Knuutinen A, Kokkonen N, Risteli J, Vähäkangas K, Kallioinen M, Salo T, Sorsa T, Oikarinen A. Smoking affects collagen synthesis and extracellular matrix turnover in human skin. Br J Dermatol. 2002 Apr;146(4):588-94.
6- Guyuron B, Rowe DJ, Weinfeld AB, Eshraghi Y, Fathi A, Iamphongsai S. Factors contributing to the facial aging of identical twins. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2009 Apr;123(4):1321-31.
7- Waldschmidt TJ, Cook RT, Kovacs EJ. Alcohol and inflammation and immune responses: summary of the 2006 Alcohol and Immunology Research Interest Group (AIRIG) meeting. Alcohol. 2008 Mar;42(2):137-42.
8- Poljšak B, Dahmane R. Free radicals and extrinsic skin aging. Dermatol Res Pract. 2012;2012:135206.
9- Orzeł-Gryglewska J.Consequences of sleep deprivation. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2010;23(1):95-114;
10- Altemus M, Rao B, Dhabhar FS, Ding W, Granstein RD. Stress-induced changes in skin barrier function in healthy women. J Invest Dermatol. 2001 Aug;117(2):309-17.
11- Smith R., Mann N., Braue A., Mäkeläinen H., Varigos G. “A low-glycemic-load diet improves symptoms in acne vulgaris patients: a randomized controlled trial.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2007); 86: 107-115.
12- Smith R., Mann N., Braue A., Mäkeläinen H., Varigos G. “The effect of a high-protein, low glycemic-load diet versus a conventional, high glycemic-load diet on biochemical parameters associated with acne vulgaris: A randomized, investigator-masked, controlled trial.” Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (2007); 57 (2): 247-256.

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