Skin Protection Explained

The importance of healthy skin cannot be emphasized strongly enough. In addition to promoting attraction; healthy skin eradicates the embarrassing and unsightly appearance of skin complaints, and their associated discomfort.

Skin is perhaps one of the most important parts of your body, protecting you from a host of diseases that may pose a threat to your existence.

It is our body's main line of defense. It guards you against infections and insulates your body from the ever-fluctuating external environment in order to keep a relatively stable body temperature.

As a sensor of the outside world, the skin is always relaying vital information bout pain, heat, texture, cold, etc to the brain. If this function is impaired you can be at increased risk, for instance, of burning.

With these functions in mind, there is no doubt that proper skin care and staying away from skin damaging activities is important.

SPFs, Lifestyle and Diet

One of the most important steps you can take to protect your skin is to minimize unnecessary sun exposure and tanning. Unavoidable sun exposure such as recreation or as part of occupation is one of the hazards of everyday life but without protection sun exposure increases your risk of developing skin cancer later in life. There are misconceptions about skin color. People believe that the fairer you are, the more you are likely to suffer burns caused by exposure to sunlight. That may be partly true, but overexposure to UV light can cause serious skin problems however fair or dark your skin is.

Small doses of sunlight can in fact be beneficial to our well being; to completely avoid sun exposure, you would have to live in a cave. (Vitamin D production) However, when exposing yourself to the sun's rays, the following recommendations will help prevent excessive exposure:

Wear Protective Sunscreen - May people now understand that it is advisable to use a product incorporating a Protective Sunscreen, and that it is vital to check out the Sun Protection Factor level (SPF). High rated SPF sunscreen lotions are effective in blocking UV rays from penetrating your skin. Increasing SPFs means increasing protection.

Intensive application should be made on exposed spots of the body such as the lower arm and legs, ear lobes, nose, feet and the face. Check out the contents of your sunscreen product; select a product with a generous content of: titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, benzophenone, oxybenzone, sulisobenzone and/or butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane known as avobenzone (Parsol 1979).

Wear Protective Fabric - Tightly woven clothing are effective in warding off unwanted UV rays. Today, some fabrics are even labeled according to how effective they are in intercepting UV rays. Hats with wide brims also offer protection. The back of the neck can be a particularly vulnerable spot.

Cosmetic tanning is unnecessary and poses the same kind of risk as the sun, due to UV-induced damage. It uses UVA rays and does not always cause obvious burns, which makes it particularly dangerous. The extent of damage can be likened to UVB rays, resulting in obvious tanning and skin damage.

Other damage can occur from exposure to cigarette smoke, either as an active or passive smoker. Avoid smoky atmospheres and if you, or someone whose company you keep regularly smokes, it's time to quit!

Eat Healthily - Maintaining a well-balanced diet is critical to the care of a healthy skin. You've heard it before, but bear in mind that fresh fruits and vegetables contain anti-oxidants such as vitamins C, D and E, which are excellent skin rejuvenating ingredients. Studies on skin care show that Vitamin D can help the body combat skin cancer.

These organic foodstuffs bind with highly reactive free radicals and neutralize them. They protect the body against damage caused by these injurious chemicals.

Whole grains, seeds, nuts, fish such as tuna and salmons are excellent sources of fatty acids and essential oils that keep the skin hydrated. The harmful effects from deep skin penetration of UV rays can be countered by the presence of fatty acids.

Fluids such as water and juices also keep your skin dehydrated and minimize the effect of sun exposure. Alcohol will dehydrate it. Scientists have proven over the years that dehydrated skin can expose the individual to a higher risk from the adverse effects of burns and structural damage.

As well as keeping you looking young and healthy, your skin is designed to protect and shield you from the threats of the environment. For the optimum chance of success, give it the best possible care.