ALCOHOL

Drinking alcohol in moderation is no problem for our skins – moderation being a glass of wine, particularly red wine with its abundant antioxidants can be stress relieving and have some minor health benefits. In excess, alcohol is no friend to our skin, dehydrating our skin and therefore losing an adequate water and nutrient supply to the skin cells due to poor blood circulation. Overtime, dry skin predisposes us to wrinkle more easily.

Alcohol can also rob the body of vitamins and minerals that are essential to good health.

Try to keep consumption low and rehydrate frequently and have a few alcohol free days a week.

SMOKING

Smokers often have the lined faces of those many years older than them. The skin can have unhealthy pallor with characteristic deep vertical lines around the mouth and around the eyes from squinting. A greyish cast can be from lack of an adequate supply of oxygen as nicotine is a vasoconstrictor, reducing the flow of blood, nutrients and oxygen to the skin.

Vitamin C is used at a more rapid pace in smokers as the smoker’s body tries to neutralise the abundance of free radicals caused by the cigarette smoke and with less Vitamin C available collagen production also is not taking place.

The mix of chemicals in tobacco and cigarette smoke are poisonous to our body and our skin cells – so toxic that even passive smokers can suffer the same damage if their exposure is sufficiently high.

Smoking as shown in studies of identical twins also causes the skin to thin by as much as 40%. Free radical production is increased, speeding up the time that skin cells age at and breaking down the collagen and elastin that give the skin its smoothness and structure.

Obviously giving up has the most benefit to the skin but if you are unable to do this for now, skincare with antioxidants and taking anti oxidants orally will help protect your skin.

SUN

Sun is the number one cause of damage to the skin as is evidenced by the ffact that our hands and face which are constantly exposed to the elements are the first to show the signs of aging. Not only does excess exposure cause wrinkling it also causes pigmentation and skin cancer. And yes sun damage from UVA rays occurs all the year around including cloudy days in winter.

Daily application of a sun block ,avoiding unnecessary sun exposure and using skincare products with antioxidants will be helpful in prevention and helping with damage to the skin that is sometimes damage we can see like sunburn and damage that is not evident to see in the mirror but does add up over time.

FREE RADICALS

Free radicals are formed naturally in our bodies every day but rise when we are stressed, smoke or drink to excess, sunbake or live in polluted areas and ingest chemicals in our food and water.

Peroxidation is immediately triggered leading to oxidation and eventually breakdown of the cell.

Our natural defence systems are unable to cope with the onslaught of free radicals that modern life generates and working out ways to reduce this load and using skin care products with the antioxidants AC and E green tea and other antioxidants such as in skinsaviour moisturiser will help to preserve the integrity of our skin cells and the appearance of our skin.