Your skin and antioxidants
Air pollution, as well as the growing number of chemicals in our food, release what are called "free radicals" into our bodies. Free radicals break down the collagen and the elastin (a protein) in your skin. This leads to wrinkles and sagging skin. Using antioxidants in your facial products, or in food or vitamin supplements will help protect the collagen and elastin, and help keep the skin firm and flexible.
A word about AHA (Alpha Hydroxy Acid)
AHA is available today in many forms. You can get AHA in over-the-counter creams, or in dermatologist-applied formulae. AHA sloughs off, or peels away, skin. The treatment is commonly referred to as a "peel." Mild formulae designed for home use can effectively treat fine lines, but stronger peels should be performed by a qualified dermatologist or fully trained and certified technician.
Nutrition affects hydration
We are what we eat. We've heard that a thousand times, and it's as true this time as the first time you heard it. This axiom includes what we drink. A proper diet of healthful, fresh foods and plenty of liquid are essential parts of a good skin care program. Healthy foods provide the vitamin C and E that are so rich in antioxidants. Supplements available at health food stores and drug stores are also effective. Also, you should know that both alcohol and caffeine cause dehydration, and as such, are bad for your skin. Moderation is to be considered for both beverages. Caffeine-free coffee is a relatively easy adjustment to make, as far as taste goes. It doesn't do much in the way achieving the 'buzz' many coffee drinkers like. Alcohol is a different matter.
As simple as it sounds, drinking plenty of water every day will improve the elasticity and texture of your skin. If you'd like to see something rather amazing, and it will surely motivate you to drink more water, try this simple demonstration. The air in Tucson, both outside in the desert, and inside you own home, is arid almost year around. This will show you how drying the air is.
The Demonstration:
Fix yourself a normal-sized glass of water – just like you would if you were going to drink it. Instead of drinking it, pour off two thirds – leaving a drink that's about one third the size you normally consume. (This is done to moderately compensate for the difference in the size of your body's surface area, and the surface area of the coming facecloth.) Take a completely dry facecloth and slowly put it into the glass, allowing it to absorb all the water in the glass, without spilling any. Now, hang up the soaking wet cloth by two corners in a bathroom, or the kitchen. Now, make note of the time. Keep checking on the cloth to see how quickly it dries. Your skin will be losing water at such a pace! Now, if you really want to be amazed, try the same thing, but hang the cloth outside during the day. Makes you want to drink water.
Another simple thing to do is get a good night's sleep every night. Sleep is essential to everything about our bodies, and our skin's health and condition are no exceptions.
This is really a very basic primer about desert skin care. There's a lot more to skin care, for those who want to know about it. Your dermatologist is your best source of information about your skin, and the ways to care for it. If nothing else, however, protect your skin from the sun, and stay hydrated. After all, we all live in Tucson, and Tucson is in the desert. And a desert is, by definition, dry.
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