Healthy, glowing skin doesn’t require an expensive or complicated beauty regime. To get your skin ready for summer, here are simple, do-it-yourself tips from Jennifer Ashton, senior medical contributor for ABC News and author of Your Body Beautiful.
Sleep more. Many adults get by on four to six hours of sleep, but Ashton says adults—especially busy women in their 30s and 40s—need at least eight hours each night. Proper rest can lessen dark under-eye shadows and repair and rejuvenate skin cell structure.
Be sun savvy. A daily application of a broad-spectrum sunscreen can protect skin from harmful ultraviolet radiation. Just as you brush your teeth each day, add sunscreen to your morning routine. Reapply after sweating, swimming and every two to four hours spent outdoors.
Be gentle. Take warm showers and baths, use mild soaps and, instead of rubbing your skin, pat it dry with a clean, soft towel. Washing with harsh detergents and hot water strips skin of important natural oils. Apply moisturizers both morning and night.
Nourish skin. Eat a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins for taut skin, fewer pimples and an overall healthy glow. The adage “you are what you eat” is especially true for your skin, the largest organ of your body.
Don’t smoke. Smoking depletes skin of oxygen and other vital nutrients and damages its ability to store collagen and elastin, the protein that gives skin its elasticity and ability to fend off wrinkles.
