If you want smooth, pretty, age-defying skin, who better to learn from than the pros who think about caring for dermal health all day long? From the food you eat to when you wash your face, here are 7 small changes that can make a big difference in the tone, texture, and overall glow of your skin.
1. Wash Your Face Nightly
“The most important time to wash your face is before you go to bed at night,” says a Winter Park–based dermatologist. All the dirt, bacteria, and makeup that get left on overnight can irritate your skin, you’re your pores, and trigger nasty breakouts.
Remove this top layer of grit with a gentle face wash (your skin should feel pleasantly tight for 10 to 15 minutes after washing), which also allows the anti-agers to penetrate deeper for best results.
Because oil production decreases with hormonal changes in your 40s, cleansing twice a day can dry out your face and make your wrinkles look even more visible. To refresh your skin in the morning, splash your face with lukewarm water.
2. Get Sunscreen Savvy
Nothing is more important to protecting your skin than wearing sunscreen (at least SPF 30) each and every day if you want to maintain younger-looking skin. Even 10 minutes of daily exposure to UVA “aging” rays can cause changes that cause ugly wrinkles and sunspots in as little as 12 weeks. If your moisturizer doesn’t contain a built-in broad-spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen, be sure to apply one every day to block both UVA and UVB rays.
Dermatologist in Winter Park, FL
3. Stop Stressing Out
Emotional stress can make your skin look 5 years older than you really are, according to a prominent Winter Park, FL dermatologist. Constant anxiety increases the stress hormone cortisol, which can lead to inflammation that breaks down collagen. It also triggers a chain reaction that can lead to facial redness and acne outbreaks.
To stop the inflammation, eat antioxidant-rich foods such as berries, oranges, and asparagus. When you’re feeling under pressure, try a few minutes of deep breathing exercise (inhale through your nose, hold for 3 seconds, and exhale slowly through your mouth).
4. Use A Retinoid
Skin research shows that these vitamin-A derivatives speed cell turnover and collagen growth to smooth out fine lines and wrinkles, as well as diminish the appearance of brown spots.
Prescription-strength retinoids such as Renova provide the fastest results–you’ll start to see changes in about a month. To help skin recover from any redness and peeling, apply just a pea-size drop to your face every third night, slowly building up to nightly usage. Milder OTC versions (look for retinol) are gentler, although with these weaker formulations it can take up to 3 months to see results.
5. Change Up Your Skin Care Routine
Altering even one thing in your skin care routine every 6 to 12 months jump-starts more impressive progress in tone and texture. “When you apply products consistently, your skin goes into maintenance mode after about a year,” says a prominent Winter Park, FL dermatologist.
To keep your skin ready for renewal, substitute a cream that contains alpha hydroxy acids for your prescription retinoid twice a week to boost the skin clearing benefits. Also consider upgrading your OTC retinoid to prescription formula.
Winter Park Dermatologist Sun Care Tips
6. Eat Omega-3 Fatty Acids
These “good fats” are found in foods such as salmon, flaxseed, and almonds and boost hydration, which helps keep your skin supple and firm. The same isn’t true of the saturated fat in dairy products and meats, which increase free-radical damage that makes skin more prone to aging. Limit your saturated fat intake to about 17 g each day – the less the better.
7. Exercise More Often
Studies find that women who work out regularly have firmer and healthier skin than those who do not exercise. The reason is that exercise infuses skin with oxygen and nutrients needed for collagen production. To keep your skin toned, exercise at least three times per week, for 30-minutes per session.
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