Beauty is Truly Skin Deep

Have you ever heard the term Beauty is skin deep? well, it is actually true. your skin is THE largest organ of your entire body. our skin is unlike most of our internal organs. it’s our external organ that we wear on the outside of our bodies that people view each time they see us. our skin is the protective covering of our bodies. In addition, our skin prevents germs from entering our bodies and damaging our internal organs.  people tell me all the time that I look younger than I am. I am in my mid 50’s and I have been told I look like I am in my late 30’s to mid-’40s. but a lot of how old or young we look has a lot to do with the lifestyle behaviors that can affect and impact our skin.

Unhealthy behaviors include Alcohol, smoking,  stress, and sun exposure. a lot of these things affect our skin in major ways. and they also affect the process of how our skin ages.

 Alcohol  

Drinking alcohol enlarges a person’s blood vessels, which can temporarily redden or flush the cheeks. Chronic drinkers develop larger oil glands and blood vessels. This process results in the enlargement of the skin’s pores, particularly of the nose and chin.

Smoking

 Smokers have more wrinkles around their eyes and mouths, especially since they’re continually tightening their lips around cigarettes. Tobacco and cigarettes can cause the skin to turn an unhealthy, unnatural color. My mother, God rest her soul, was an advent smoker since her young teenaged years. She had developed premature wrinkles in her late 20’s.  As the nicotine from cigarettes can discolor your teeth it can also cause discoloration in your skin. I remember my mother constantly smoking in the house and seeing all the paint and wallpaper turn yellow. Imagine that being your skin.  We have all seen pictures of what it does to the coloring of a person’s lungs who smokes.  Our lungs are an internal organ being affected by this unhealthy habit as our skin, being the external and largest organ being affected outwardly.  The same occurs with drinking alcohol. As alcohol consumption affects internal organs such as the liver and the kidneys it too affects the outward organ of the skin.  I myself am not a drinker or a smoker, which plays a huge part in my staying younger looking. 

   Stress 

 Stress plays a role in skincare, especially because many habits associated with stress hurt the skin. stress can lead to many different skin conditions such as acne and skin discoloration. Though I have never been a smoker or a drinker I have dealt with excessive stress in my life. During my late 20’s and early 30’s, I suffered from adult acne.  Acne and other skin conditions can be brought on by stress.  

And then there is 

Sun Exposure

Limiting your exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation while protecting your skin is the single most important thing you can do to maintain healthy skin.  I was a sun worshiper in my younger years, and though I was always able to manage to achieve a gorgeous tan without burning most of the time, I could still notice the sun damage to my face.  Today people are more aware of the damaging effects of the sun and there are a lot of products on the market that can give you that golden glow without the sun.  I can hardly find any sunscreen available that is lesser than an SPF 8. and even that is too low. Most dermatologists recommend an SPF of 15 for non-burners. Most skincare products contain a certain level of SPF. Today, being in my mid 50’s and living in Florida I avoid the sun as much as possible. This also helps to maintain a youthful appearance.

all of the above are chronic unhealthy behavior patterns that cause the skin to age drastically.

 there are some very healthy behavior patterns we can develop in our lives to maintain and keep our skin healthy, youthful and radiant, that include, Exercise, Nutrition & Water. 

Not every beauty routine is in a bottle or a jar..our best beauty regimen should be in our behavior patterns, and how we take care of our skin from the inside out. 

 Exercise,  

 getting the heart rate up and improving blood circulation, can help to deliver oxygen and nutrients to the skin which keeps the skin healthy, promotes collagen production, and promotes new skin cells which keep the skin looking glowing and is also helpful for anti-aging. 

 Nutrition  

 Eating a well-balanced diet helps ensure that your body gets all the vitamins it needs to maintain healthy skin. And last but not least and yet MOST important is  

 WATER. 

Water is the most important nutrient we should consume. The human body is anywhere from 55 to 75 percent water. Without water, we could not survive. It is recommended that people drink 8 glasses of water a day.

As there are many unhealthy and healthy behaviors we develop. The term beauty is skin deep is truly a statement that describes that beauty starts from the inside out.