by Edna Sousa
For a radiant skin there are a few key things you must do: cleanse your skin, add a nutrient skin tonic, moisturize, and maintain a healthy diet. But first, there are a few things that are important to NOT do. Talking about beauty from the inside out…all that alcohol, soda and cigarettes can cause damage to anybody’s beauty — inner or outer. Cigarettes affect the oxygenation of the skin, decrease the nutrients and destroy collagen. Alcohol and bad sleeping conditions increase wrinkles and stress hormones that cause aging. Over exposure to the sun is another thing to avoid, but not too much–because sunshine in moderate amounts is essential for skin health.

Now back to the do’s: Cleaning your skin is the first key. Besides lubricating your skin, cleaning helps  maintain a balance between your skin’s water (hydration) and fat (the natural protection barrier). Ideally, you should cleanse the skin both morning and night and the products you use should be pH neutral and be matched to your skin type.

Choose soap that contains vitamins and/or antioxidants, such as Vitamin C, which helps hydrate the skin and preserve the collagen and elasticity. Products that contain pomegranate extract are excellent choices, as this botanical ingredient is full of antioxidants that protect the skin — including against sun’s rays.

For skin spots, products that contains Vitamin K, Uva Ursi, Cucumber (Vitamins K, zinc and silica) and/or Licorice are best, but need to be used at night due to their sensitivity to light. These ingredients are great in any kind of cosmetics, including soaps and night creams — but they’re even better fresh.

A nutrient tonic can be used instead of soap for make-up removal and general cleansing. Witch Hazel is an excellent ingredient for lifting and firming (tightening) the skin. It’s anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, astringent, and reduces puffiness around the eyes.

For moisturizing, one the most recommended ingredients is Vitamin C. It’s a natural moisturizer and adds nutrients and protection to your skin. Vitamin E and CoQ10 work to protect the cell membranes and neutralize free radicals…always a good thing for age management. Choose Aloe-vera for its excellent moiturizing and soothing qualities…for a variety of skin discomforts.

Finally, Hyaluronic acid (HA) is becoming a popular addition to moisturizing products. It’s derived from poultry products and is an excellent hydration agent and a key for revitalized skin. It’s now being used in high-end spas in age management treatments, and is being used as an alternative to breast implants to firm and tighten the breasts without surgery.

There you have it…the keys to keeping your skin healthy and young. There is a lot more to it, but this is a good overview of the main do’s and don’ts to get you started.