Your skin is amazing! Take a minute to think about it. Your skin is a large, complex organ that is constantly changing as you age. In order to obtain beautiful skin (no matter how old you are) you will need to get to know the skin you are in! For example, did you know that each square inch of skin on a normal size body contains 65 hairs, 650 sweat glands and 9,500,000 skin cells! Wow! Just because the skin is a complex organ does not mean that it can’t be beautiful! Yes, there is work involved if you want beautiful skin. However, nothing beats the look of fresh, plump, clear beautiful skin…so any work involved is well worth it!
For those of you wondering how to get beautiful skin, you need to understand a little bit about what skin is. Because the skin is such a vast and complex organ, it should come as no surprise that there are over 900 diseases and conditions that can affect it. For this reason alone it is very important that you know and understand your skin type so that you can implement a DAILY skin care routine that best fits your skin’s needs.
As previously mentioned your skin is complex and made up of many parts. In order to get beautiful skin, it is important that you understand your skin and what it needs in order to be healthy. The epidermis, for example, is the top layer of skin (that you actually see). Within the top layer there are six layers underneath. Each under lying layer has a specific function. The Dermis is beneath the epidermis and its main job is to maintain the structure of the skin. Within the dermis you will find sweat glands, sebaceous glands, hair follicles and lymphatic vessels. The dermis is much thicker than the epidermis and is made up of collagen and elastin fibers (for more on the importance of collagen and elastin, read our post on Retinol Wrinkle Cream). Finally, beneath it all lays the subcutaneous layer. This layer is very important as it serves as a shock absorber and heat insulator (which helps to keep you warm and toasty during the cold winter months!). Understanding how your skin functions is very important. The more you know the easier it will be to get the results you want!
As you age, your skin will change. The good news is that beautiful skin is attainable at any age as long as you know how some of the secrets to beautiful skin so you can care for it properly. Obviously, individuals who implemented a skin care routine as a teen (and actually stuck with it) will have a head start. DNA also plays a major role when it comes to the look and type of skin that you have. Some people are born with fantastic skin genes (you know, the people that never have break-outs and always look fresh and vibrant!). The good news is that even if you weren’t born with perfect skin DNA, you can always take advantage of the many skin care products and procedures that are available today (and trust me, there are MANY!). Anyone can have beautiful skin; some just have to work a little harder than others.
No matter what your age may be one of the most important skin care rules to follow is AWLAYS WEAR SUNSCREEN! Did you know that just ONE serious sunburn as a child can cause skin cancer twenty or even thirty years later? That is an amazing piece of information and certainly worth noting! No wonder mothers lather their babies and toddlers with sunscreen! Speaking of toddlers, their skin is superbly resilient and quick to heal. One washing a day is usually all it takes to keep a toddler’s skin clean and fresh. It is very important to teach good skin care habits early in life. You should place just as much importance on skin care as you do on proper diet and bathing! Children are like sponges. They soak in everything that you say. If you can put your child on the path to good skin care habits early they will thank you later in life when they have fresh, young looking skin well into adulthood!
Ahh, the teenage years, such fun! The baby soft skin that was once perfect and blemish free will begin to face several challenges. For one thing, hormonal changes that signal the beginning of adulthood can wreak havoc on a teen’s skin. This is the best time to talk to your teen about skin care and encourage a daily skin care routine. Most teenagers will welcome the advice as the pressure they often feel to have beautiful skin can be great (most teenagers I know do everything in their power to avoid getting pimples!). Now is the time to invest in quality skin care products. If you are not certain as to what type of skin your teenager has or what products (if any) they should use, it might be a good idea to make an appointment with a dermatologist in order to get some advice. A dermatologist can give beautiful skin care tips and recommend the skin care products that best fit the needs of your teen’s skin. It is also important to discuss diet with your teenager as many foods can cause oily skin and break-outs!
Speaking of diet, unfortunately, as we age, we tend to gain weight. It is very important to eat a proper diet due to the fact that weight loss and gain can contribute to our skin care woes (think stretching and sagging!). Just remember, what you put into your body is just as important as what you put on it. There is NOTHING in a bottle that you can buy that takes the place of good nutrition and hygiene!
It is a fact that your skin changes with each decade of life. No matter what age you may be it is very important to KNOW the type of skin you have in order to care for it properly. Make it a habit to clean and moisturize DAILY and exfoliate regularly (every few weeks should be fine). Whether you are ten, twenty, thirty or even eighty, sunscreen is a MUST! the type of skin you have in order to care for it properly. Make it a habit to cleanse and moisturize The older you get the more skin care challenges you will face. Obtaining plump, moist and wrinkle free skin will become more and more difficult. The good news is that you CAN have beautiful skin well into your later years as long as you take action NOW! So figure out what skin type you are (normal, oily, sensitive, oil-dry, or oily-acne prone), arm yourself with the appropriate skin care products and implement a permanent skin care routine. Before you know it, you will be on your way to healthy, beautiful skin!
Thanks for reading!
-K