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To lower the speed of ageing, there is a need to protect the skin. Here are some skincare habits that should be followed.
Skin is the largest organ of the body. It gives protection to the internal organs and allows for the sensation of touch. Skin comes in direct contact with the outside world as various elements interact with it. Basis how these elements affect the structural components and integrity of the skin, reactions like dry skin, acne, boils, zits, black-heads, white-heads, rashes, etc. can occur.
Though we cannot touch our internal organs, we certainly do our bit to keep them healthy, by making consciously good lifestyle choices. Similarly, we should give our skin the same level of focus and devotion consistently. This school of thought is an ancient one and has paved way for various skincare regimes to take root in our modern society.
There are dime a dozen skincare regimes today, which offer all sorts of benefits to make skin look younger, healthier and fresher. However, there are five essential but easy to-do tasks that we need to inculcate in our daily routine to make our skin shine and glow without relying on make-ups. Such skincare habits are as follows:
- Sunscreen: Sunlight carries various types of UV rays which can damage different levels of skin. In combination with pollution, it can have very damaging effects on the skin, which is not limited to any particular season. Whether it is raining or clear skies, winter or summer, ivory white skin or a dark complexion, your skin is always susceptible to sun damage in some form. This is where sunscreen comes into the picture. Sunscreen has proven to be really effective against preventing skin damage when applied as directed. When you go for buying a sunscreen, look for one that offers broad-spectrum protection and water resistance.
- Moisturize your skin: It is essential to moisturise your skin to maintain its suppleness. Otherwise the skin tends to dry out and flake. The best times to moisturize are right after you get out of the shower, because the pores are open and the lotion can seep into the skin, and then right before you go to bed.
- Using a mild exfoliant: We shed about 50 million skin cells each day which need to be sloughed away by exfoliating. A mild exfoliator cleans out the pores and other impurities on the skin without being overly harsh. One doesn’t need to exfoliate the skin everyday but it is good practise to do it at least a couple of times in a week for a healthy skin.
- Cleanse correctly: When choosing a facewash, make sure that it is gentle on the skin, pH-neutral, non-soap and a cleanser.
- Sleep well & drink enough water: Research has shown that sleep deprivation is linked to increased signs of aging, as well as a reduced ability of skin to recover after sun damage. So be sure to sleep to least 7-8 hours every night. Drinking enough water is the key to good health of the skin. It's necessary for healthy renewal of cells to make it look young, hydrated and radiant.
This article is authored by Dr. Bharti Magoo, Aesthetician and Anti-Ageing physician, who owns Golden Touch Clinic, a two-time winner of Anti-Ageing & Beauty Trophy for the Best Clinical Case in Nutritional Medicine at Palais de Congres- Paris, France. These opinions are of the author’s and does not reflect GlobalSpa’s views.
