2014 Blogger Challenge | Skincare...what about it?

Hello my Dears,

Here I am with the second post under the 2014 Blogger Challenge. This second topic is supposed to be about skincare...wide open like that! I have been thinking on what to write about and I decided to start from the beginning...why the hell do we care so much about it? And why does it seem so complicated?

And...by the way...what is skin?

Skin is the organ responsible for giving our body a homogeneous face to the outside world. Besides that, skin has a huge role in our health. Its 2 parts, which are the dermis and the epidermis, work together in protecting the organism against diseases (parasites)/radiation/heat, in balancing levels of water and temperature, in producing vitamins D and detecting external danger by reacting with body signs such as heating up/cooling down/feeling of thirst and pain.

Although the dermis and the epidermis work together, they have different characteristics. Dermis is the outer skin layer that supports the epidermis, and it is comprised of collagen, elastin, proteins and water. We are normally more concern about this part, as it is the dermis that we see in the mirror. Not less relevant, we have the epidermis, which  is the inner and deeper layer of skin, composed of keratin, melanocytes and immune cells.

What is hydration?

A hydrated skin is more elastic and soft. In this condition, it is capable of playing its role of protecting our body. When well hydrated, the skin does produce – in average – 1250 cells per body cm², each cell living around 311 hours. If we do not keep our skin in a good condition via hydration, it is not capable of producing so many cells for its own renewal.

Hydration is supposed to happen naturally, when the sweat goes through the epidermis and the dermis giving to it the needed quantities of water and minerals. Given the strong outside conditions, such as sun, wind, cold, pollution…we need to appeal to cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. 

This is the reason why a good skin requires good products but also good diet. It does not matter using the best products on your skin, when you eat stuff that will make you breakout or you do not drink enough water to hydrate your skin.

How can we manage these elements together?

To avoid the premature aging of our skin, there are some simple things we can do by just changing our lifestyle. If you are like me and you work several hours a day outside your house, and you have no time or energy to take deeply care of your skin on an everyday basis…then I guess you will like these tips.

Tan is healthy but brownies is just for cookies!

Sun is one of the most relevant elements when talking about skin aging. Long exposure to the sun can dry your skin, cause wrinkles, age spots, and can also contribute to other serious health problems such as skin cancer. To help you on this, you can use hydrating products with SPF, avoid direct sun, use protective clothes and remove death cells when washing your skin.

Is smoking sexy? No, not really! And sure it isn’t good for your skin!

Apart of what we already know about tobacco, smoking narrows the small blood vessels in the outer layer of skin, which, by decreasing the blood flow, will deprive the skin of oxygen and nutrients. On the other side, smoking is also responsible for damaging collagen and elastin, which are the elements responsible for giving to your skin strength and elasticity. What the point of buying expense creams with collagen if you are just killing it yourself?

Let’s go on the age of healthy food!

Eating fresh and nutritive food will give you more energy, and will also give your skin a more flawless look. Fresh vegetables and fruits will give you water, nutrients, natural sugar and fibers. Whole grains will give you the essential oils your body needs, while proteins will play their role in the production of keratin. Drinking a lot of water will just complement what I have said before.

Love your skin

Of course that all the elements referred above would already make a huge improvement on how your skin looks. However, we need to take care of it and understand that skin is something very sensitive. Using appropriate products to the different skin areas will give your skin that special touch. On the other hand, limiting the negative impact of hot water, shaving and showering everyday (which removes the natural oils from skin) are simple cares that can make the difference.

Relax and give your skin a chance to glow!

I do not know about you, but you can tell when I am stressed just looking at me. I loose weight, the dark cycles under my eyes get more and more difficult to cover with concealer and my skin...well my skin looks sad. Actually I did not know this skin sadness was related to my stress until I found out that uncontrolled stress is indeed related to making our skin more sensitive and lead to acne breakouts. So, just control yourself, put it together and have a perfect skin ;)

Sources used for this article: Brasil Escola, Mayo Clinic and About.com.

Because this article is getting so long I decided to stop here. But I have other ideas. So let me know if you want a second part talking about types of skin, special care and general daily routine for skin care.

I had a lot of fun writing this post, as I learned a lot by reading so much before. I hope you are still awake on that side and that you enjoyed it as well as I did - or even more ;) eheh

Xoxo,LifeLover