Healthy Skin Starts Within

Got healthy skin? Like what you've got? Take some time to think about it if you need to, and come back when you're ready. I'll be waiting for you.

What use is skin anyway? And how deep does it go?

Well, whoever first came up with the saying, beauty is only skin deep couldn't really have known how important skin was. Heck, that saying is downright disrespectful of skin. There's more to the skin than meets the eye.

For starters, here are a couple of facts about skin. It's the body's largest living organ and you couldn't survive without it. Plus skin cells replace themselves faster than any other cells in the body and they do most of their self-repair at night. Amazing, right?

If you're a smoker and you think skin care is important, then click here to read about how smoking affects the skin.

Finished? OK, so what does healthy skin really mean to you? Some folks would say it's good skin, beautiful skin and all of that, and I'd agree...

...But that's kinda vague, you know. So let's be more specific. We tend to assess skin health based on attributes we can see and feel, like tone and texture. So we associate a radiant complexion, softness and smoothness with healthy skin.

It's probably easier to define unhealthy skin or problem skin so let's do that now.

Problem skin may be blotchy, under- or over-pigmented or inflamed. There may be dark circles under the eyes, enlarged pores and other features.

And what about skin texture? You may see lots of lines, wrinkles or scars. Sometimes, you'll see pimples, spots and other blemishes. But wait, there's more - problems like acne, eczema, psoriasis, rosacea... OK, you get the picture.

Unhealthy skin may be dry, scaly or flaky, maybe ashen. There may be burning, stinging, itching or other sensations. Ouch! If you've experienced any of this, you'll know it's no fun.

How would you rate your skin? Truth be told, many of us have a mix of healthy and unhealthy skin. How much of the skin is affected, how often the problem occurs, and how long it lasts - now, that's different for everyone. There are steps you can take to improve your skin and minimize the problems, flaws or episodes of not-so-healthy skin.

First off, if you haven't already, you'll need to follow a basic skin care routine. This involves cleansing, toning and moisturizing the skin every day. And you can give your skin a head start by using vitamin-enriched products.

Go here to read about the benefits of vitamin skin care.

You'll also need to protect your skin from the sun. No matter what skin type or color you are, sun protection is essential to good skin health.

And healthy skin really begins from within. It's not enough to care for your skin from the outside - it needs to be nourished on the inside. Some people say the food you eat has no effect on your skin, but I believe my skin improved seriously after I cut out a lot of junk from my diet. It was as if someone had said to my spots and pimples, "hey, your days are numbered!"

I invite you to find out about a diet for healthy skin.

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