Daily Skin Care Tips to Keep Skin Looking Healthy

Posted by moviegoer from the Beauty category at 01 Aug 2010 12:22:40 pm.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. In 2006, the most recent year for which statistics are available, 53,919 people were diagnosed with melanomas of the skin in the United States alone.
Those statistics have clearly caught the eye of American lawmakers, who recently passed legislation that makes it more expensive to visit tanning salons. Regardless of where individuals stand on the issue of taxing tanning salons, it's clear more and more people must place a greater emphasis on skin care and skin cancer prevention. Those concerned about their skin can heed the following tips to reduce their risk of skin damage and, ultimately, skin cancer.

* Don't ignore SPF. In recent years a nearly society-wide shift in the perception of tanning has taken place. Once popular primarily in just the summer months, nowadays tanning salons thrive in winter as well. While it can be nice to have a good tan, it's also potentially very dangerous, and sun worshippers must weight the benefits of golden skin versus the potentially lethal side effects of overexposure to the sun.

When going out in the sun, even if only for a short time, apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a minimum sun protection factor of 15. When spending a significant period of time outdoors, choose a higher SPF sunscreen. But for those who spend most of their time indoors, an SPF 15 should be sufficient.

* Cleanse the skin daily. Another way to keep skin healthy and looking good is to include skin cleanser in the daily cleaning routine. Simple soap won't be enough. Instead, individuals should look for a skin cleanser that fits their skin, be it a cleanser tailored to dry skin or one meant for use on oily skin. Those with dry skin should avoid cleansers that contain alcohol and look for something more on the mild side. Those with oily skin should look for a product that removes oil. Also, those with more oily skin should consider cleaning the skin more than once per day.

* Exfoliate the skin. Exfoliating helps remove dead skin cells that give skin a dull look. While some people exfoliate each and every day, it's possible to still get the desired effect, removing dead skin cells, when exfoliating just 2 to 3 times per week. Still, for those especially concerned about how their skin looks, a microdermabrasion home kit will completely remove the uppermost layer of dead skin. While this isn't necessary for most people, it is an available option.

* Moisturize. Moisturizing is an important part of keeping skin healthy and looking young. One common misconception among people with oily skin is that their skin is already moist enough and they don't need to moisturize. In fact, oily skin is the result of the body's effort to compensate for skin that is not moist enough. An oil-free moisturizer can help control the oil and give the skin a younger, healthier look.

Even those without oily skin need to moisturize. Moisturizer helps keep the skin hydrated and should be applied after each cleansing, both in the morning and before an individual goes to sleep at night.


CAPTION: Protecting the skin and maintaining its health and appearance goes beyond wearing sunscreen.

Tags: skin care tips, skin care

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