Beauty,
the saying goes, is only skin-deep. But the importance of skin goes a lot
deeper. Most of us think of skin as just our body’s visible outer layer, but
doctors consider skin an organ, meaning that it is very much alive and charged
with many important duties.
In
particular, the skin is the first layer of your immune system, serving as a
shield between you and legions of germs such as viruses and bacteria. It also
protects your insides from sun, cold, scrapes, cuts, and moisture. And, of course,
your sense of touch is crucial for everyday function.
Like
any part of your internal body, your skin can be healthy or ill. It can be well
nourished or malnourished. It can be exercised, and it can wear down with age
or abuse. In particular, as we age, our skin becomes thinner and drier. Plus,
other, more unpleasant things happen to our skin. Things like wrinkles, age
spots, dark circles, and large pores, which tend to turn up like uninvited
guests at a wedding.
While
you can’t control your age, you can control numerous other factors that
accelerate this aging process, including excessive exposure to sunlight, loss
of estrogen during menopause, poor dietary habits, stress, and cigarette
smoking.
Unlike
the other organs of your body, you can apply medicines, moisturizers, and other
healthy potions directly to the skin. For that reason alone, there is
absolutely no reason you can’t have healthy, attractive skin throughout your
life. To keep your skin and face young and healthy, and to maintain its
natural, protective moisture, follow these tips.
1.
Skip the long, steamy showers and opt for shorter, cooler sprays. Long,
hot showers strip skin of its moisture and wash away protective oils, says
Andrea Lynn Cambio, M.D., a New York City dermatologist. So limit showers to 10 minutes and keep the water cool.
2.
Check the dryness of your skin by scratching a small area on your arm or leg
with your fingernail. If it leaves a white mark, your skin is indeed dry
and needs both moisture and exfoliation (that is, removal of the outermost
layer of dead skin cells).
3.
Treat your neck and chest like an extension of your face. Your neck and
upper chest area is covered by very sensitive skin, making it a prime spot for
telltale signs of aging such as dryness, sun spots, and wrinkles, says Susie
Galvez, owner of Face Works Day Spa in Richmond, Virginia, and author of Hello
Beautiful: 365 Ways to Be Even More Beautiful. To keep this area youthful, use
facial cleansing creams that hydrate and cleanse gently rather than deodorant
soaps, which can be drying. Top it all off with a good facial moisturizing
cream. If this area is extra dry, use a facial moisturizing mask twice a month.
4.
Run a humidifier every night in the winter to moisturize the air in your
bedroom. Not only will it ease itchy, dry skin, you’ll be able to breathe
the moist air more easily.
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