5 Tips for healthy skin

1.Sun Protection
   Avoid the sun during high intensity hours: the sun's rays do the most damage between 10 am and 4 pm, so limit the time you spend outside during this period.
   Wear protective clothing: wear long sleeved shirts, long trousers or pants and a hat with a wide brim. Remember that tight woven fabric  offers better protection than loosely woven fabrics like knits.
   Use sunscreen: go for a broad spectrum sunscreen with an SPF (sun protection factor) higher than 15 and apply generously about 20 minutes before you go out and then every two hours. You will need to apply more frequently if you go in the water or sweat a lot.

2.Get enough quality sleep.

     Sleep is essential for healthy skin. Not enough quality sleep will make your skin look tired and older, especially with bags under your eyes. Poor quality sleep can become a vicious cycle because lack of sleep makes you irritable, anxious and depressed, and that makes it harder to get good sleep.     

    Make sure you have plenty of physical exercise as this reduces stress and creates a healthy tiredness that helps sleep. Yoga and swimming are also good ways to improve sleep.

 Aerobic exercise increases the oxygen circulating in your body which helps the skin stay vibrant and healthy.

                                                  
 3.Moisturize
    Check the dryness of your skin by scratching a small area on your arm or leg with your fingernail. If it leaves a white mark, your skin is indeed dry and needs both moisture and exfoliation (removal of the outermost layer of dead skin cells).

  Treat your neck and chest like an extension of your face. Your neck and upper chest area is covered by very sensitive skin, making it a prime spot for telltale signs of aging such as dryness, sun spots and wrinkles. To keep this area youthful, use facial cleansing creams that hydrate and cleanse gently rather than deodorant soaps, which can be drying. Top it all off with a good facial moisturizing cream. If this area is extra dry, use a facial moisturizing mask twice a month.

    Run a humidifier every night to moisturize the air in your bedroom. Not only will it ease itchy, dry skin, you'll be able to breathe the moist air more easily.

 4.Eat healthy food.

    A healthy diet can help you look and feel your best. Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins. The association between diet and acne isn't clear - but some research suggests that a diet rich in vitamin C and low in unhealthy fats and processed or refined carbohydrates might promote younger looking skin.

 5.Wash your face properly. 

    Wash two or three times a day with a face wash and, sparingly, follow-up with toner applied directly to the affected areas. When washing your face, especially when washing off make-up, splash on cold water first as it helps to tighten the pores. Then apply cleanser or mild soap and rinse with warm water. Follow with a quick cold water splash. Warm water opens the pores of your skin, exposing your face to a build-up of bacteria, dirt and make-up. Open pores let foreign matter into your body where it can sit close to the surface or be absorbed deeper into the pores. If your face is not washed properly, the foreign matter-- dirt, oil and bacteria-- can get smudged across your skin during washing process. Improper washing way only spreads the germs and does not effectively eliminate unwanted dirt and build-up. Splashing the face first with cold water contracts the pores, sealing them off from further contamination, thus facilitating the complete removal of dirt and build-up without contributing to the spreading of dirt and bacteria. Rinsing with cold water after washing tightens the pores to seal them off from further exposure.