Protect Your Skin When You are outside

People are all affected by the aging process in varying degrees. The loss of skin tone as we age is influenced by genetics, diet, and the management of environmental factors such as exposure to the sun and smoking. It is up to you to decide how much of your personal resources of time, effort, money, and relaxation.

You can certainly tail the difference between skin that has been exposed to a lifetime of sun and skin that has been protected from the elements, such as the skin on the breasts and buttocks. Some tourists would appear each winter eager to work on their tan. Returning home with a dark glow spoke volumes about luxury and leisure. Unfortunately, many visitors also suffered burned and peeling skin m the process. To respect the sun's dam aging rays predictably, the smooth, tanned skin of a twenty-year-old will prematurely sag.

Although many young women choose to ignore the warnings—when we boomers were young, most of us didn't know that the glow of a deep tan wasn't healthy.

Physicians tell us that there is no safe tan; any tan means your skin has darkened due to the damaging, excessive ultraviolet rays. Caucasian people are about twenty times more likely to get skin cancer than African-American people, but no one is immune. Sunscreen helps but is not foolproof. In addition, the increasing depletion of ozone m the atmosphere is allowing in more UV rays. And the truth is that tanning booths can be more damaging to the skin than the sun because they use pure ultraviolet light. It is worth repeating that sun damage is one of the leading causes of prematurely saggy skin and facial wrinkles. A regular program of exercise and stretching is definitely beneficial for maintaining vibrant health and a youthful appear­ance—except in regard to the appearance of your face

Protect your skin from unnecessary trauma, wearing long-sleeved, sun protective clothing during outdoor activities (such as gardening) protects against sunburn as well as unsightly cuts and bruises. (Sun Precautions' clothing offers a 30* SPF that blocks 97 percent of UVA and UVB rays.

The epidermis (the out­ermost layer of skin) creates new cells more slowly, and damage to the skin by the sun thins the skin Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), found In many over-the- counter skin creams, work by Increasing the turnover of skin cells. Use creams with AHAs on the entire body for skin that has an all-over healthy glow.

Drink at least eight full glasses of water a day to flush away toxins and to keep your skin soft and healthy, and don't smoke. Avoid smoking at all costs. If you are currently a smoker, do whatever you can to quit smoking actively increases the signs of aging and is counterproductive to all healthy pursuits.