Rufus R. Noble You don’t have the time to do intensive skin care. You can pamper yourself by learning the basics. Healthy lifestyles and good skin care can delay the natural aging process and help prevent skin problems. Start with these five simple tips.
Sun protection is important.
Protecting your skin from the sun is one of the best ways to care for it. Sun exposure over a lifetime can lead to wrinkles, age marks, and other skin issues — as well as an increased risk of skin cancer.
The most comprehensive sun protection:
- Wear sunscreen. Choose a sunscreen that has an SPF of at least 15 and is broad-spectrum. Use sunscreen liberally and reapply it every two hours or more frequently if you are swimming or sweating.
- Find shade. Avoid sun exposure between 10 am and 4 pm, when sun rays are at their strongest.
- Protect your skin by wearing long sleeves, pants, and wide-brimmed caps. Consider using laundry additives that provide an extra layer of protection against ultraviolet rays for a limited number of washes or sun-protective clothing.
Don’t smoke
Smoking can make your skin appear older and cause wrinkles. Smoking causes the blood vessels to narrow in the outermost layers, causing the skin to become paler. Smoking also depletes the skin of nutrients and oxygen that are essential for skin health.
Smoking damages collagen and elastic fibers in your skin. Smoking can also cause wrinkles due to repeated facial expressions, such as squinting and pursing lips to inhale smoke.
Smoking also increases the risk of developing squamous-cell skin cancer. Quitting smoking is the best thing you can do to protect your skin. You can ask your doctor about tips and treatments to help you quit smoking.
Treat your skin gently.
The daily cleansing and shaving of your skin can be very damaging. To keep it gentle:
- Limit your bathing time. Long showers and baths with hot water remove oil from the skin. Use warm water in your shower or bath rather than desirable.
- Do not use strong soaps. They can remove oil from the skin. Choose mild cleaners instead.
- Shave with care. Apply shaving lotion, cream, or gel to lubricate and protect your skin before shaving. Use a sharp, clean razor to get the closest shave. Shave against the direction of hair growth, not in it.
- Blot or pat dry your skin after washing.
- Moisturize your dry skin. Use a moisturizer suitable for your skin type if your skin is very dry. Consider using a daily moisturizer with SPF.
Eat a healthy diet.
A healthy diet can help you look and feel your best. Consume plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein. It’s not clear whether the diet is linked to acne, but research has shown that a diet high in fish oil and fish oil supplements combined with a low-fat diet and processed or refined carbohydrate intake may promote younger skin. Water helps to keep skin hydrated.
Manage stress
Stress that is not managed can cause your skin to become more sensitive, causing acne and other skin issues. Take steps to reduce stress. This will promote healthy skin and a healthy mind. Set reasonable limits, reduce your to-do lists, and find time for the things that you love. You might be surprised by the results.
Signs of Ownership
In the two rooms, families expressed themselves in different ways.
The family arranged their photos, artwork, and stuffed animals in the newly renovated room. The children played dress-up in front of the reflection. Both are territorial actions that confirm and define identities.
The mother of the family who occupied the bedroom that was not altered displayed very little art. She felt it was an insult to ask the shelter staff to provide tape for attaching items to the walls.
Her 3-year-old son tried to play with cars on the carpet, but his mother told him that it was dirty. He would paint the wall next to his bed when he was bored.
She reprimanded her son for his behavior, which led to arguments. They also had frequent discussions with each other.
Home is what you call it.
After the study, I asked the mother, who lived in the newly renovated space, what she would have thought if her family stayed in their original bedroom. Her response reflected how housing is important in maintaining a healthy family.
She replied, “I’m not sure if I could say that I was depressed but I had a different emotion.” “Sometimes, you just want peace and silence” – and that’s what the Dutch doors and bed curtains offered.
She thought that her children might also have “cracked” because they could not act like they would “in a regular home.”
The mother told her daughter that “my older girl would pull the curtain and read to her sister now.” She feels that she owns something.
They could customize the new bedroom to suit their family’s needs. Such actions could help to combat feelings of helplessness.
The results of this small study, which was only partially controlled, are not conclusive in terms of shelter design.
Shelter design could help homeless families by providing a calm and positive home base to plan their future.
