Everyone wants beautiful skin, and contrary to what some believe, beautiful skin is not hard to obtain and obtaining it does not have to be expensive. Here are some ways to have beautiful skin fast:
Be Careful of the Sun
This applies to people of color as well as fair-skinned people. The sun is necessary for the body to make vitamin D, and it simply feels good to be out in it. But the ultraviolet light is also dangerous.
There are three types of ultraviolet radiation, but humans only have to be worried about two of them.
- Ultraviolet B radiation dries out the skin, and as it dries out the skin it also cooks it, resulting in sunburn. Sunburn would merely be painful and unsightly save the fact that it comes with mutations and damage that can lead to skin cancer. UVB rays promote free radical molecules, which damage cells by stealing electrons from their molecules. The damage from free radical cells persists even after the person gets out of the sun.
- Ultraviolet A rays cause the skin to age as well as to burn. These rays have a shorter wavelength than UVB rays and can penetrate deeply into the layers of skin and cause cells to give off free radicals. The body makes enzymes to combat them, but instead of combating the ultraviolet rays they attack the skin’s collagen and elastin, two proteins that keep it springy and youthful.
Part of the remedy for this is to cover up when going out into the sun, or putting on a broad spectrum sunscreen that blocks out both types of UV radiation. Some sunscreens are also fortified with antioxidants such as vitamins A, C and E. Some dermatologists recommend sunscreen with sun protection factors, or SPF of at least 20. This means that if a person’s skin starts to burn after about 20 minutes, an SPF 20 sunscreen can protect them for nearly seven hours.
Drink Lots of Water
Another simple way to keep skin beautiful is to drink lots of clean, fresh water all day. Skin is hydrated from inside and outside, and water fulfills this need.
Cleansing the Skin
Cleansing the skin successfully depends on what type of skin a person has. The skin can be oily, dry, normal, sensitive or combination. Interestingly, soap isn’t the best cleanser for some people. This is especially true if they live in an area with hard water—which is most of the United States—if they wear makeup or if their skin is dry. Regular soap doesn’t remove makeup well, dries out the skin and is alkaline while most skin is acidic. Specially formulated cleansers like those offered by companies such as Nu Skin are preferred by many people. These cleansers are made to dissolve makeup, and remove dirt and excess oil easily. They are easy to rinse away completely with plain water, but leave enough fats in the skin to make it supple without clogging up the pores. People often find their best cleanser through trial and error.
Moisturize
Moisturizing the skin soothes it and keeps it hydrated. Again, the type of moisturizer depends on the type of skin. There are two basic kinds of moisturizers: oil-in-water or water-in-oil. In the first, oil is held within water. In the latter, the water droplets are held within the oil. In both types, the water hydrates the skin, and the oil locks it in. People with dry skin need to moisturize considerably more than people with oily skin, and people with oily skin may not need to moisturize at all.
Skin care experts suggest that moisturizer be put on clean skin before the person takes a hot shower, as the steam keeps the water inside the skin. People should buy the best moisturizer they can afford for the winter. This type of moisturizer keeps skin from being damaged by cold wind.
Having beautiful skin is easy. A healthful beauty regime not only keeps skin good to look at and touch, but slows down the effects of aging.
