Now that summer is here, you need to protect yourself from the environment. Since your skin is the largest organ, it is affected rather quickly. Your skin acts as a barrier from outside elements. It helps to protect your body from bacteria, pollution and other things. You have to try and protect it as much as possible.
One way to protect your skin is by drinking plenty of water. Moisture can evaporate through your skin, especially while doing summertime outside activity. You don't want to get dehydrated. Food can affect your skin. Certain foods can cause an allergic reactions, acne, and other things. Stress can affect your skin too by causing breakouts, rashes and other things as well. Smoking affects your skin by causing it to appear older than what it actually looks like. It can damage collagen and elastin fibers, which helps the elasticity of your skin, per the Mayo Clinic website. These are just some of things that can affect your skin.
You can help your skin by taking good care of it. Wear sunscreen when your outside, even if you have melanated skin. African Americans can get skin cancer, not as quickly or as often as other races that have lighter skin, but it does happen. Also, sun screen and sun block helps to reduce wrinkles and age spots.
Try and reduce your stress level. Stress can have a strong affect on your skin. Stress can cause breakouts, rashes, and other skin issues. It can cause you to lose sleep, which will affect your skin and can cause your skin to appear dull. Keep your skin moisturized as well. Dry skin, untreated, can cause little fissures in the skin which can allow bacteria in and it might affect your skin or health. Use lotions, body butters, creams, moisturizing body sprays to keep the skin hydrated.
Creating a basic skin care routine can help you with the care and maintenance of your skin. Cleanse and moisturize your skin daily. Seek an esthetician, skin therapist, or dermatologist to assist you with creating a skin care routine that will work with your lifestyle and schedule so that it is convenient for you to implement on a daily basis. Once you do that, you are on the right path to beautiful, healthy, glowing skin!