Seven Deadly Skin Sins
All the skin care in the world won’t help if you don’t tackle the factors that destroy your skin. Here are the seven deadly skin sins and solutions to help you beat them.
Sun
Did you know that if you protected your skin from the sun you wouldn’t get a wrinkle on your face until you were 60. Exposing your face to sunlight is the fastest way to age your skin. When ultraviolet light hits the skin’s surface it produces molecules called free radicals which destroy healthy cells. They’re particularly fond of collagen and elastin the two ingredients that help keep skin firm and elastic. The further the collagen and elastin degrade, the faster wrinkles appear on your skin in peak sunlight, collagen and elastin damage can occur in as little as three minutes. The good news is that you can prevent sun damage quite simply by wearing sunscreen when ever you leave the house for day-to-day wear SPF-15 is enough, but if you’re on the beach or sightseeing on holiday, wear SPF-30 or above. Australian research has shown that this does more than just protect against further damage. Wearing high-factor (SPF 30+) sunscreen every day also helps reverse past damage, as the skin gets the chance to repair itself to really protect your skin, you need to use enough to fill a shot glass to cover your body and about a teaspoonful on your face. Apply this at least half an hour before you go into the sun, as it takes this long for the ingredients to be absorbed, and then reapply every 90 minutes. Finally, stay out of the sun or at least stay covered up between the peak hours of 11 to 3 PM even the strongest sunscreen only filters out 99 per cent of rays and sunbathing in these hours can still cause damage to your skin.
Smoking
After exposure to sunlight, smoking is the next most damaging thing you can do to your skin. First, the nicotine in cigarettes constricts the blood vessels of the face, making your skin look grey or sallow. Next, an ingredient called acetaldehyde goes to work, attacking the fibres in your skin that hold it together. Finally a chemical reaction occurs which creates a protein that causes the destruction of collagen and elastin. Add to this the constant creasing and wrinkling of the eyes due to smoke irritation (you might not even realize you do it, but you do) and the pursing of the lips as you inhale and it’s easy to see why the average smoker looks around 10 years older than a non-smoker of the same age. The solution is simple quit. Studies show that quitting before you are 30 returns your body to the level of a non smoker within 10 years, and this goes for your skin as well as your lungs. Now we know that quitting smoking isn’t as easy as one, two, three, but it is possible with dedication, perseverance and a methodical approach. Our top tips should help you crack it.
Choose a day
The day before, throw away anything that reminds you of smoking cigarettes, matches, ashtrays. It will also help to wash curtains and hoover carpets and furniture to get the smell from your house.
Change your Routine
Avoid activities you associate with smoking, or do them differently. If you always light up with a glass of wine, for example, drink lager or diet cola instead. If you smoke in front of your favorite soap, record the episodes for a couple of weeks to stop your need to habit-puff.
Eat lots of Fruit and Vegetables
This helps neutralize the nicotine in your system faster and reduces withdrawal cravings. If cravings do strike, sniff black pepper. Studies have shown that it stops them in their tracks.
Alcohol
While nicotine constricts blood vessels, alcohol dilates them and in sensitive skins this can lead to broken veins and high colour. Alcohol also contains acetaldehyde which attacks skin fibres, reducing firmness and elasticity. It dehydrates the skin as little as two drinks a day have been shown to dry the skin enough to make wrinkles more prominent finally, alcohol destroys vitamin C, one of the most important nutrients for healthy skin functioning, alcohol-related problems can occur after two drinks, so try not to drink more than three days, aim for three alcohol-free days a week and try to drink at least two glasses of water for every glass of alcohol.
