Sunny Side Up Please?

Just a few minutes of exposure to the Sun each day for a year leaves noticeable changes to the skin. Most if not all skin problems that plague our skin can be traced to sun exposure.

The term that is used to describe this type of aging is called "photoaging" - an aging caused by exposure to Sun's rays. The amount of photoaging that will develop is based on your skin colour and history of sun exposure. People with fair skin and have been exposed to the sun constantly before develop more signs of photoaging compared to those with dark skin.

What repeated exposure to the sun over a period of years, photoaging occurs and causes our skin to lose the ability to repair itself, resulting in the accumulation of the damage wrought by the sun. The repeated UV exposure impairs the synthesis of new collagen and causes existing collagen to break down. when this happens, our skin will lose its elasticity, start to wrinkle and form fine lines.

To make matters worse, the damage is irreversible as once a small amount of damage has occured, repeated exposure to the sun will only increase the effect!!!

SOLUTION??!!

One of the main solution is prevention!!! Apply sunscreen on our skin for protection against UV and sun rays.

Skin-Aging: Causes & Effects

Like the great sages once said, if there is a cause, there is always an effect. This holds true for everything, raging from skin care all the way to skin-aging. What you do sow will affect what you reap. There are various things that we do every day, not knowing the danger, be it slight or big.

A. FACIAL EXERCISING IS A NO-NO!!!

If you perform facial exercises for whatever reason, it is high time to stop. Repetitive facial movements will lead to fine lines and wrinkles, as each time we use a facial muscle, a groove forms beneath the surface of the skin. This is why a line forms with each facial expression we make. As our skin ages and loses its elasticity, the skin stops springing back to its original state and eventually these grooves become permanent on the face, creating wrinkles and fine lines!

B. ROCK-A-BYE-BABY

As you rest your face on the pillow in the same position every night for years and years, wrinkles will start to form. Identified as sleep lines, these wrinkles are eventually etched on the surface of the skin and no longer dissapear when you are not sleeping. People who sleep on their side are likely to see lines appearing on their chin and cheeks. For those that sleep with the face pressed down on the pillow, lines will appear on the forehead.

C. THE THINGS THAT HOLD US DOWN

Gravity, as it constantly holds us down, also pulls at our body and skin. As we age, the changes related to gravity become more pronounced and this is more apparent when we are around our 50s as our skin elasticity declines. Gravity will cause the tip of our nose to drop, ears to elongate and the upper lip to disappear while the lower lip becomes more prominent.

D. THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL

Cigaratte smoking causes biochemical changes in our body which accelerate aging. A person who smokes 10 or more cigarrates a day for at least 10 years is more likely to develop wrinkled skin than a non-smoker!

E. STRESSING WILL STRESS YOUR SKIN!!!

When you were a kid your parents always said,"Don't frown. or your face will stay that way". As stress causes frowning, over time, muscles in the face will conform to that movement. So try to relax, do not frown and take some meditation, yoga or other relaxtion techniques to keep your stress at bay...

Elixir of Life!... Slowing down the skin aging process

Like it or not, that extra wrinkle sneaking up on us under the eye is going to stay there. But are there any preventive measure that can be taken to slow down aging? Surprisingly enough, there are quite a number of things that can be done to slow down skin aging and make a person look younger! This of course does not include cosmetic surgery or anything with similar effects. I will unrevealed the elixir of life to create our very own anti-skin aging potion.

Before that, let me get some things straight.. There is no way to stop time, which is an intrinsic factor of aging. But thank goodness of other external factors can be avoided! These include sunlight, cigarette smoke and pollution.

COLLAGEN (collapse!)

The protein that helps our skin look young and taut is known as Collagen and it is quite susceptible to attacks from free radicals and over time, these attacks will lead to chemical changes which cause signs of aging. Collagen molecules which healthy slide over each other and give way to soft young skin, but when they are damaged, the Collagen become "cross-linked", making your skin look wrinkly.

ELASTIC (elastin)

Elastin is a protein in connective tissue that is elastic and allows the tissue in our body to resume their shape after stretching or contracting. Elastin helps return our skin to its original state when it is poked or pinched. When we start to age, the elastic fibre will slowly degenerate and fragment. When this happens, lines and wrinkles starts to appear. The damage to our elastic tissue cannot be avoided and it is part of our natural aging process.

VITAMIN C (the Superman for skin care!)

Vitamin C boosts our skin immunity system, giving us energy and is essential to our nervous system by boosting collagen production. The production of arachidonic acid which causes inflammation, aging in our skin and crow's feet also be hindered by vitamin C. So do consume Vitamin C to boost your system in its preventive measures against skin aging!

ALPHA

Alpha lipoic acid is in all of our cells. It is an antioxidant molecule that our bodies produce. Alpha lipoic acid is also a type of fat and it is water soluble which means that it can protect the fatty plasma membrane and the watery interior of our cells, ensuring protection for every part of our cells.

Sugar, which is essential to our body, can also be toxic in excessive amounts as sugar attaches itself to the proteins that make up our collagen, causing them to "twist". This will result in our skin becoming saggy and stiff which creates wrinkles! Alpha lipoic acid will block sugar from attaching to our collagen proteins which prevent the skin from being damaged. So if you desire younger looking skin, consume less sugar!

WHAT? (food again?!!)

Indeed, there is just not enough emphasis that what you eat is what you get. Applying anti-aging skin care treatment is only one of the first steps in the quest for smoother and younger skin. So keep skin young and healthy, ensure you consume lots of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetable. Also drink lots of water!!!

Natural Skin Care Tips

Skin, the largest human organ is often overlooked as we busy ourselves with the hustles and bustles of life. We actively take care of our heart, muscles, lungs and joints with exercising regimens and extremely careful eating habits, but more often than not, our skin is neglected! Wrinkles, premature skin aging and acne are just some of the few things which can create trouble if we do not care for our skin properly! Some are quite ignorant on how to care for their skin, but fear not and follow us as we take you through 5 steps on how to care for your skin.

Dry Brush Exfoliation

Dry Brush Exfoliation is done using a soft, dry brush to gently brush the skin. It is recommended to remove dead skin cells, improve circulation of blood and lymph while enhancing detoxification through skin! Dry brush exfoliation can be done in the morning before showering.

What goes in must come out!!!

Having a good digestive system will give you healthier looking skin. More often than not, people with skin disorders often suffer from constipation and various digestive conditions. The two most sluggish digestion culprits are:

• Insufficient water - Water in your body bathes cells and eliminates waste products, thus preventing constipation.
  
• Lacking in fibre - Most people lack fibre in their diets as an average person only consumes 12 g of fibre a day. It is recommended that men aged 10 to 50 take fibre amounting to 38g and for men over 50, 31g of fibre is recommended. For women aged 19 to 50, 25g of fibre is recommended. For women over 50, consuming 21g of fibre is ideal.

Below are some suggestions of what you should eat:

• Whole grain instead of refined products.
  
• An apple a day keeps the doctor away, so start consuming the apple!
  
• Consume more cauliflower
  
• For a simple fibre boost, sprinkle some ground flaxseeds on rice, salads, oatmeal or any other meal.

Get that body Moving!!

The best thing you can do for your skin, stress level and health is to get moving. Inactivity may affect skin and promote bloating, puffiness, acne, cellulite and loss of muscle tone. So do take the time to do some light exercise. Especially if your job requires you to sit at your desk for hours and only getting up to go to the bathroom!

Sugar is BAD

The main cause of premature aging is sugar and many people do not realize this! The more sugar we consume, there will be more sugar entering our bloodstream. And as time goes by, this will result in something known as glycation where glucose(sugar) molecules damage protein molecules by bonding to them! These new molecules are identified as ADVANCED GLYCATION ENDS or AGEs. AGEs damage collagen in cartilage, skin and ligament which promote loss of elasticity. When this happens, wrinkles are formed and your skin begins to sag!

The good fat!!!

Essential fatty acids are simply fats which are vital for your well-being. Fatty acids make up cell membranes, hormones and other body chemicals. This fat keeps your heart healthy, fight inflammation and can also possibly prevent cancer! Essential fatty acids are particularly important to people with conditions such as eczema, dry skin and acne. So to get more essential fats, follow the tips below:

• Flaxseed oil or walnut oil with balsamic vinegar is ideal to accompany salad dressing, providing the essential fats. But its, not suitable for Muslims.
  
• Sardines and salmon are also good sources of essential fats.
  
• Fish oil supplements are one of the simpler supplements that can be taken for essential fats.

Skin Care Starting Young

After a few day rested, I dont know what to wrote in this blog... so Today, after I have done some research i want to spoke about Age Defiying...

Many of us nowdays tend to ignore the importance of caring for our skin. It is crucial to start nurturing the habit of at least taking the 3 simple steps to keep our skin healthy.....cleanse, tone and moisturize. There are many dermatologically tested product in the markets that cater for men and women of various age groups; teenage years, 20s, 30s, and 40 above which differs by range to suit skin types and requirements of respective ade groups.

Apart from that, many of us are not aware of the effects of global warning on our skin and forget that sunscreen is indeed one of the essentials for face and body care to protect our skin from premature aging besides blocking harmful UV rays. The effects of aging will appear on our skin as we age but it goes unnoticed until we reach a certain age. As we mature, biochemical change occur in elastin and collagen; this is when our skin starts to lose its elasticity and firmness, thus making our skin drier. This will cause our skin to sag and look less supple which will ultimately lead to wrinkles!

Skin-aging can be slowed down. This furtehr works well if you do your part to pamper your skin at a younger ade and go on practising the habit as you mature. All it takes is a little bit of effort but it requires you to start young!