Regardless of our age, we all want to look the best that we can. Our skin responds to extreme self care as much as our bodies. If we neglect our skin, that will also be obvious. The habits that affect our bodies for good or bad will do the same for our skin.

Get some sleep. Have you ever noticed how rough textured your face looks when you don’t sleep? Our skin repairs itself while we sleep. If we don’t get enough, it continues to degrade. During waking hours all of our energy is used for conscious activity. When we shut everything down for the night our energy can be used for repair.

Make sure to wash your face and deeply moisturize before sleeping and get your 8 hours and you will awake with a dewy glow. It’s imperative to remove all makeup and dirt before sleeping because your skin is an organ of elimination and it can’t do it’s job if it’s full of pore stopping debris.

Avoid alcohol. Alcohol dehydrates your complexion by releasing acetaldehyde into the skin. It causes premature aging. There’s nothing attractive about an alcohol lined face and it will dehydrate body skin the same way.

Make sure to use sunscreen regardless of the weather. Not only does sunlight cause premature aging, it also exacerbates skin cancer. Slather on a good sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 every day.

Avoid cigarettes. Besides depleting Vitamin C and destroying collagen, it also creates expression lines that are quite unattractive.

Remember, you are what you eat. Eat a healthy diet that is rich in protein and vitamins. Vitamin C is a known collagen builder. Essential fatty acids give you a natural moisturizer from the inside out. A low sugar diet stops the process of glycation wherein the waste products of sugar metabolism are deposited in the skin making it look old old, tired and murky.

Get regular exercise with your doctor’s permission. Exercise revs your circulation which carries life giving oxygen to the surface of your skin. As your circulation increases waste products are swept away leaving a clarity to your skin. There’s nothing like the glow from a good workout.

Hydrate! When you are well hydrated, your skin will be plumped up. Dehydration causes a drawn, tense look and accentuates every expression line. Drink up.

Keep your skin on a regular schedule of care. Our bodies are programmed to perform best on specific rhythms. If you have a regular skincare regimen your skin will naturally do it’s job much more efficiently.

Avoid stress as much as possible. Stress causes an increase in cortisol which causes an increase in oil production. This can cause breakouts at any age.

Remember to smile! It’s estimated that a smile takes ten years off of your face. It also tones the muscles of the face and prevents that tired, drawn look associated with aging.

With just a bit of discipline, you can look great for a lifetime!