STRESS causes a chemical response in your body that makes skin more sensitive and reactive. ... This is because stress causes your body to make hormones like cortisol, which tells glands in your skin to make more oil. Oily skin is more prone to acne and other skin problems. Foods high in sugar and white carbohydrates can actually age you faster by breaking down glucose.
SMOKING makes your skin look older and contributes to wrinkles. Smoking narrows the tiny blood vessels in the outermost layers of skin, which decreases blood flow and makes skin paler. This also depletes the skin of oxygen and nutrients that are important to skin health. Smoking also damages collagen and elastin — the fibers that give your skin strength and elasticity. In addition, the repetitive facial expressions you make when smoking — such as pursing your lips when inhaling and squinting your eyes to keep out smoke — can contribute to wrinkles. In addition, smoking increases your risk of squamous cell skin cancer. If you smoke, the best way to protect your skin is to quit. Ask your doctor for tips or treatments to help you stop smoking.
SUN There is no such thing as a healthy tan, according to dermatologists, who look at a tan and see a sign of injury. Tanned skin will forever contain cells whose genetic structures have been permanently damaged by the sun.
The sun gives off invisible rays of ultraviolet light. Ultraviolet B (UVB) rays are short, high-energy wavelengths that are absorbed by the epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin. When you burn, the skin responds to UVB rays by producing chemicals called inflammatory mediators, some of which seep down into the dermis, the skin's middle layer. These chemicals irritate the tiny blood vessels in the dermis, which swell and create the surface redness of the burn. At the same time, the UVB rays affect the genetic material of the epidermis, which causes the damage that may lead to skin cancer. Other UVB rays can affect the immune system and interfere with the skin's ability to repair itself. Finally, UVB radiation attacks the skin's melanocytes (pigment cells). The melanocytes react by stepping up production of melanin and sending melanasomes to the skin's surface to act as a filter against the sun's rays actually damage the DNA of the pigment cells. This kind of genetic damage causes both freckling and the mottled brown of age spots. More seriously, it contributes to the development of melanoma and other skin cancers.
HEAT Don't just watch out for the sun — getting too close to heaters and fireplaces can also wreak havoc on your skin as it causes inflammation and collagen breakdown.
BLUE LIGHT Long-term blue light exposure to concentrated sources of blue light energy can cause skin damage, including color changes, inflammation, and weakening of the skin's surface. Simply put, blue light promotes stressors in skin that cause photo-aging; that is, aging from exposure to light. On your iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Display & Brightness. At the Display & Brightness screen, tap the Night Shift setting. This feature alters the screen temperature of your device to a warmer color, thereby filtering out the blue light.
Drinking enough water can help you combat a variety of skin issues. It does this by helping your digestive system flush out toxins from the body. This, in turn, will improve your complexion for healthy and glowing skin. A 2000 review published in JAMA Dermatology found green tea possesses anti-inflammatory properties that are incredibly soothing and can possibly even help with skin disorders. House plants can do your complexion a favor as well. Having greenery in your home is a great way to improve air quality, and when the air is clean, pollutants can't affect your skin as much. Most importantly make sure the plants you add to your home are not harmful to your pets. It's a quick way to give your skin a boost and help with some of the stress!
