Skin and Lip Care: Make Them Touchable
Skin Care
Skin care is very important because the skin is the largest organ in the body, on average it covers 21 square feet. As we age, our skin gets dry and thin because of less estrogen. Sometimes the skin will take on a crepey look which is usually caused by excessive sun. That is what I am reading but for me it arrived overnight during menopause. (I looked in the mirror one morning and said OMG, I look like my mother) For small amounts, a therapist can lessen it by laser. The laser heats the area and encourages the growth of collagen.
I showed my dry skin to my doctor, she told me to put more lotion on. She said to really grease them up before bed. Dr. Amy recommended CeraVe. She also told me to start wearing rubber gloves to wash dishes. That is a real pain, I know but I really should listen to her.
Lip Care
The lips, those oh so kissable lips. Oh wait, they’re not? Oh dear, I will start off by say your lips do not contain melanin, that is the natural sun protection that the rest of your skin has. They become dry, they chap and even split especially when they are exposed to cold, dry and windy elements.
There are so many lip balms out there, I notice that many natural ones don’t contain petroleum and don’t have the sun protection factor (SPF). My favorite is Burt’s Bees, it can be found on Amazon. As far as the lip balms with SPF, there are so many to choose from. Apply these before bed to avoid cracked lips in the morning. Avoid licking your lips especially with lip balm on, although it is hard to not do it with all those yummy flavors. It goes without saying to remove lipstick before bed.
8 Tips to Help Your Skin Care Routine
- Drink lots of water, at least 8 cups
- Wear Sunscreen at least SPF of at least 30 that protects against UVA and UVB waves and avoid the sun at least from 10am to 24 pm, no tanning salons
- Don’t smoke
- try not to strip your skin of oil, use cleanser instead.
- Moisturize Skin
- Manage stress
- Plenty of sleep
- Check your skin regularly all over, any trouble spots check with doctor
8 Best Foods for Healthy Skin Care
When I was researching the best foods to eat for healthy skin, I came up with the following helpful tips.
Fruits and Vegetables: You have to eat them!
- spinach-iron, folate (known as vitamin B9 which contain antioxidants), chlorophyll (wound healer that fights acne), Vitamin E, magnesium (reduces cortisol to prevent acne), Vitamin A, fiber, plant protein, and Vitamin C.
- Red or yellow peppers and tomatoes- vitamin C helps the body produce collagen as well as carotenoids which act as antioxidants that prevents oxidation (think rust), to help prevent wrinkles
- Celery-sodium and potassium that help prevent hydration
- Papaya-Vitamins c and E and beta-carotene (this changes to vitamin A)
- Avocados- vitamin E, vitamin C, healthy fats to keep the skin flexible
- Sweet potatoes and carrots – beta-carotene which the body converts into vitamin A and is a natural sunblock
- Soy-contain isoflavones which can reduce fine wrinkles and promotes elasticity
Other Foods Good for the Skin:
- Dark Chocolate- again antioxidants, fatty acids, flavanols which promotes healthy blood circulation of oxygen and nutrients
- Coconut oil-fatty acids and vitamin E (protects against ultra violet damage from the sun)
- Fat fish-salmon or mackerel has omega-3 fatty acids, one is EPA that block the substances that erode the very important collagen when it is exposed to the harmful rays of the sun
- Walnuts-protein, omega-3, omega-6 (too much can cause inflammation but that is equaled out by the omega-3), antioxidants, vitamin E and C and selenium which protects against free radicals that can cause wrinkles.