Summer is a great time to get outside and rejuvenate your mind and body. But for your skin, summer means extra exposure to the sun, heat and sweat. This summer, give your skin a little TLC with these tips for healthy, refreshed skin.

It’s never too early in the year to think about applying sunscreen. The sun’s UV rays can damage your skin all year long. Even on a cloudy day, your skin can be exposed to up to 40 percent of the sun’s UV rays [source: Skin Cancer Foundation]. Be sure to take the necessary precautions to keep your skin safe.

Choose a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) rating of at least 15 [source: Mann]. For those with lighter, fair skin, try a sunscreen with a rating of SPF 30. Apply your sunscreen 20 to 30 minutes before going outside. To be the most effective, sunscreen needs time to absorb into your skin.

Don’t be frugal — apply sunscreen liberally and reapply sunscreen every two hours or after getting out of the water, since towel drying strips away sunscreen [source: Mayo Clinic]. You’ll also want to reapply lotion after exercising, as sweat can water down sunscreen, making it less effective.

Whether you have dry skin, oily skin or normal skin, don’t forget to moisturize it. Simple daily activities such as perspiring, shaving or washing your face can disrupt the skin’s natural oil and moisture level. To counteract any skin stress your daily routine causes, apply a moisturizer appropriate for your skin type to keep things soft and supple.

Now that you have added sunscreen and moisturizer to your shopping list,check tomorrow to discover how to deal with those oily patches of skin that leave you feeling greasy.

Some interesting tips and facts you should know

Your skin is more than just your face, although that’s what most people pay the most attention to. Your skin is actually the largest organ in your body and weighs probably more than you think. Below are some interesting facts and tips that may surprise you about your skin.

To get more skin care tips and facts, click on www.dermatologycare.ca.

Skin Care Tips and Facts:

• Your skin is your body’s largest organ! The skin of the average woman weighs three kilograms, while that of the average man weighs five kilograms.
• What’s the secret to great skin? Not surprisingly, the state of our skin is affected by genes, nutrition, general health, emotional well-being and exercise. How you care for your skin also plays an important role in ensuring you look your best.
• You’ve probably heard that skin is made up of skin cells. But did you know that you have approximately 19 million skin cells on every square inch of skin!
• Eat your veggies! Eating a wide range of vegetables – particularly those high in vitamins C and E (such as spinach, carrots, red bell peppers and tomatoes) – will ensure that your diet is rich in antioxidants, compounds that are believed to play an important role in maintaining the health of both your body and your skin.
• We’re all thin-skinned, in certain areas! The thickness of our skin varies considerably, depending on its location and the role it plays: it’s thinnest on our eyelids and thickest on the palms of our hands and soles of our feet.
• Not sure of your skin type? Try this simple test. About 15 minutes after washing your face and patting it dry, press lens-cleaning paper on different parts of your face. In those areas where you produce a lot of oil, the paper will stick or pick up oil. If it doesn’t stick anywhere, you have dry skin. If it only sticks on your forehead, nose and chin, you have normal or combination skin. If it sticks everywhere, you have oily skin.
• Need to look after your skin? A dermatologist is a medical doctor who specializes in treating diseases and disorders of the skin. Your family physician may refer you to a dermatologist, who can help you select the treatment options that are best for your particular condition.

For more tips on healthy and beautiful skin, visit www.dermatologycare.ca/signup/signup.html

Taken from skincareguide.com

Fine lines and wrinkles tend to occur on virtually every male and female at a certain age. Certain physical changes occur within the body that cause wrinkles to form. A majority of fine lines and wrinkles occur as a result of collagen depleting under the skin’s surface. Fortunately, those concerned with removing the physical signs of aging will get to choose from a number of treatments to rejuvenate their skin; those with even the driest skin have multiple options.

Dry Skin and Rejuvenation Treatments

Patients with dry skin who receive skin rejuvenation treatments generally notice similar results when compared to patients with normal to oily skin. Many treatments serve each patient in a similar matter with little to no variance on a procedural basis. Though, some product developers create products that match each individual’s specific skin condition in order to provide the best possible rejuvenation results.

Treatment Options

Patients with dry skin who choose to reverse the signs of physical skin aging will select one or multiple treatments. Treatment types range from the simplest creams and lotions to highly advanced laser based procedures.

Moisturizers and creams tend to fluctuate in results due to skin texture and tone. Those with dry skin will often require an extended amount of treatment in order to notice desirable results. Even some more advanced treatments, such as chemical peels, provide less desirable results to those with severely dry skin.

The most advanced skin rejuvenation procedures tend to provide optimal results to those with dry skin as well. Fractional resurfacing will provide patients with a hypoallergenic, precise rejuvenation choice.

Dermal fillers also work well on patients with dry skin. These solutions work beneath the skin’s surface so that skin texture has no effect on the procedural results.

Dry skin tends to be itchy, scaly and flaky, with the most affected regions being the lips, the area around the eyes, chest, lower arms, abdominal sides and thighs. If you have this condition, it also predisposes you to serious skin diseases such as dermatitis, eczema and psoriasis. Over the counter skin products like lotions and moisturizers sometimes do not work and may even aggravate existing skin conditions. In treating dry skin, however, you need not spend money on high-priced cosmetics or medications. Just look around the kitchen and you will find natural and inexpensive ways to deal with your dry skin.

1. Drink Water

Keep your skin hydrated by increasing fluid intake. While it is a norm to drink 8 to 10 glasses of water and juices daily, it may be necessary to drink even more for adequate hydration. Lessen your intake of caffeinated and alcoholic beverages, because these only reduce oil secretion by the skin’s sebaceous glands.

2. Watch Your Diet

A diet rich in meat may hamper the skin’s ability to detoxify. In fact, toxins that have accumulated within the dermis aggravate dry skin. Instead of meat, eat more oily fishes, such as salmon, trout, herring and tuna. The omega-3 fatty acids in these fishes help to repair, nourish and hydrate damaged skin. Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables containing vitamins A, B and C, because these will help in nourishing and repairing dry, damaged skin.

3. Open Pores

One reason for dry skin is because the skin pores remain closed or are clogged with congealed oil and dirt. To open up skin pores, exercise daily. A good workout will help open up the pores, causing an increase in secretion of skin oils. You can also add some spices, such as cumin, turmeric and coriander, to your diet to induce the pores to open up and increase skin oil secretion.

Always wash your face or take a bath using lukewarm water. The warmer water will promote an increase in secretion of oils by the sebaceous glands.

4. Exfoliate

Because dry skin can be scaly and flaky, it is good to exfoliate regularly. Excellent natural exfoliants include pastes made from oatmeal, avocados or bananas. Cook oatmeal, and mash avocados or ripe bananas, and then massage gently on your dry skin.

5. Moisturize before Bath Time

Honey and peanut butter are effective pre-bath moisturizers for the skin. Just massage honey or peanut butter all over your body, and leave it on for 5 to 10 minutes. Make sure to wash it off while bathing.

6. Pamper Your Skin

A milk bath once a month has been found to be effective in hydrating and nourishing the skin. To retain skin moisture, rub on a soothing aloe vera gel after bathing.

7. Moisturize before Sleep Time

Massage dry skin with natural oils, such as almond oil, olive oil, grapeseed oil or coconut oil, before bedtime. Coconut oil has been found to be particularly helpful in relieving skin irritation, including itchiness. For severe skin dryness, use avocado oil or castor oil.

Dry skin gets even more dry in winter leading flakiness, irritation and in exteme conditions eczema. An article tips about keeping dry skin as soft as possible during winters. They are as follows:

1. Keeeping the environment humid with humidifier.

2. Keep your skin hydrated with regular intake of fluids.

3. A good shielding lotion will maintain skin’s natural moisture without clogging the pores.

4. Wash your face as less as possible to avoid dryness on the surface of skin.

5. Consumt a dermatologist in case of extreme skin irritation or red bumps.

taken from skincareblog.org by Esther | Mar 1 2007