Younger Looking Skin A Lovelier Complexion for a Younger Looking You!

The older a person gets, the more their age shows. There is a natural aging process we can’t do anything about. However, there are things we can do to keep ourselves looking our very best; to look as young as we can, for as long as we can.

By religiously following a good health and body-care regimen, we help pave the way to a longer, happier, healthier midlife. With the added bonus of a lovelier complexion for a younger looking you. But even if you haven’t always followed a good skin care regimen, it isn’t too late to start.

Well-known author and skin-care expert, Constance Schrader, agrees. Through her seminars and Younger Skin in 20 Days program, she has helped thousands of women and men improve the quality and texture of their skin.

As a person ages their skin becomes increasingly delicate, dry, sensitive, and more easily irritated. Texture begins to lose its velvety feel, and dark spots often begin to appear. As the pores shrink and oil glands become smaller, cells clog the tiny pores and blackheads and white heads become more of a problem.

A drop in female hormones further contributes to the change in skin texture. The skin loses its smooth and glossy appearance. The outer layer of skin, the epidermis, becomes thicker, while the inner layers of the dermis and the subcutaneous tissue become thinner. Collapse of the skin becomes more and more noticeable as the skin’s connective tissue becomes weak and loses elasticity. Hereditary factors also come into play.

Older skin has unique needs and requires a special skin-care regimen specifically formulated for older persons. Although the skin’s natural aging process is inevitable, it can be slowed down when simple precautions are taken.

The key is to address the problem when it first becomes noticeable. By incorporating a skin care program specifically for older skin, altering the plan to offset new age-relevant problems that develop, your skin can look years younger.

The two basic principles in Schrader’s younger skin program are ridding the skin’s surface of old cells, and stimulating a vigorous blood supply in the skin, encouraging new skin cells to grow more rapidly.

Both goals are accomplished through “skin sanding,” followed by gentle but firm pats and taps called “stimuslaps,” used to flex facial muscles and fill the skin with oxygen and nutrient-rich blood.

When we are young, old skin cells naturally slough off the surface and new cell growth is stimulated daily. But as we get older the process slows to about once every two days.

To rid the skin of old cells use one or any combination of the following methods: abrasive grains (such as crushed apricot pits), abrasive sponges (such as a Buf-Puf), dried plants (such as loofahs or hemp), natural brushes (made of goat or other animal hair), and clay or peel-off masks.

Using any one of these methods to help rid the skin surface of dead cells is beneficial only when not overused, and when properly performed without such harsh abrasion that the skin becomes damaged. Be especially careful around eye area.

Be cautioned that older skin is thin and especially tender. Over-scrubbing can result in broken capillaries. Some skin types may be extra sensitive or allergic to some of these exfoliating methods. Over-zealous rubbing can also stimulate overactive oil glands and trigger an acne breakout.

These methods can be beneficial in the removal of old skin cells, and the stimulation of new cell growth, when properly administered. That is because they slightly irritate the skin. When skin is irritated, new cell production is increased. Any one of these methods can increase new cell growth by as much as 30-percent.

Schrader recommends exfoliating around the eye area carefully once weekly, the upper lip and throat twice a week, and all other areas of the face once every day. Rinse face well; pat dry, do not rub. Adjust the schedule to match your unique skin needs, weather, and day’s activities.

Follow this routine by stimulating the skin with the use of pressure, stroking, and massage using stimuslaps. This will help improve circulation. The basic rules are to never apply it to cool or dry skin. Before patting or slapping, apply cream or oil to prevent pulling or dragging of the skin. The best oil for use on the body is vegetable oil.

Do not use stimuslaps if you suffer from acne, an infection of the skin, or if you have a tendency to broken capillaries.

Using a firm, sure touch with clean, softened hands, use a series of pats, taps, and gentle kneads. Avoid harsh treatment of the skin, which could otherwise become damaged. Use special care on and around the facial area.

Skin glows and looks younger because old skin cells are opaque and do not reflect light. They pack together and look dull. New skin cells are translucent, and feel smooth.

Also eat a healthy diet, and exercise. Skin is part of our complex body structure. Our tissues, organs, and body systems must all work together to keep us feeling and looking healthy. The following play a vital role in the appearance and quality of our skin.

Circulatory System:

Your circulatory system is important to the health of your skin. Trillions of skin cells are invigorated with every breath. Every living cell in our body needs air; it is required for the proper production of new skin cells. Your skin will show when too little air is being taken into the body. Skin tone becomes ashen and shallow, and lips have a bluish caste.

Air is almost as important as moisture when it comes to keeping skin looking its best. So important, in fact, you can enhance the appearance of your skin just by routinely performing deep-air exercises. Not only will you feel more energetic and alert, but the health of your skin will be improved by the higher blood oxygen levels. Follow the simple steps below:

1. While outside in clean fresh air, away from crowded rooms or places where smokers are present, take a few minutes to relax.
2. Close your mouth and breathe deeply through your nose.
3. Hold the air in your lungs for as long as you comfortably can or until you have slowly counted to five, in your mind.
4. Force the air out of your lungs, breathing out through your mouth. Do this as slowly as possible, releasing air a little at a time until your lungs are emptied.
5. Repeat steps 2 to 4 five more times.
6. Relax, breathing normally.

Other deep-breathing exercises that benefit air circulation and skin include blowing balloons. Leave a bag of balloons in a visible area of your home, so you will be reminded to blow up a balloon every day.

Aerobic exercises are also beneficial. About 2-percent of the air that enters the body comes through the skin’s surface. Not only will the increased air circulation enhance skin health, but the perspiration caused by aerobic exercise releases toxins, and helps to cleanse the skin, from the inside out.

Excretory System:

Although we don’t usually think of it in that way, the skin plays a key role in ridding the body of wastes and toxins. While food is being converted into energy to be used by the body, waste materials are also being produced. When retained in the body, they act as poison.

The skin comes into play by eliminating salts and fluids through perspiration, releasing harmful toxins and helps keep our bodies at a stable temperature. Covering the body with paint, plastic, or even a very thick coating of cream impedes perspiration and is not only uncomfortable, but dangerous.

Fiber speeds the food’s passage through the digestive tract, and helps in the elimination of waste from the intestines. While some studies indicate that a high fiber diet can help prevent certain digestive diseases, too much fiber can inhibit the absorption of calcium and zinc — two minerals vital for skin health.

Water is another essential component of the excretory system. Water is also vital for healthy skin. Because our bodies are two-thirds water, adequate amounts are critical to prevent dehydration and damage to tissues — and skin. Without adequate amounts of water, skin looses elasticity and vitality.

Medical experts recommend drinking a full six to eight glasses of water a day, more if you exercise regularly. This not only helps to replace moisture lost through perspiration, but helps to flush harmful toxins out of the body. But what type of water is best?

Tap water is inconsistent and can contain unusable minerals and additives. Rainwater, once thought to be the best of all water sources, is no longer a good choice because of contaminates and pollutants. Even bottled mineral water might not be a good long-term choice.

While the body does require essential minerals, proper food sources remain the best choice for obtaining them. This is because the body can only use organic minerals. Some found in mineral water are sources the body cannot effectively use.

For instance, calcium can only be used by the body when it is in milk or dairy products. When it is in the form of “dolomite,” a calcium clay mined as a mineral, it cannot be used by the body. There are other such unusable minerals found in mineral water. Retained by the body, they can cause health problems, some serious, such as kidney stones.

The overall best choice when it comes to drinking water, as well as for cosmetic use, is distilled. Distilled water is pure, free of inorganic minerals. In addition to water, eat plenty of water-rich fruits such as melons, and vegetables — both also rich sources of important vitamins and minerals for healthy skin.

Nervous System:

Because nerves affect every other system in the body, skin health and quality is also affected. Your skin is covered with sensory cells; one square inch of skin contains more than 19,000 of these cells. They carry messages about touch, taste, pain, smell, cold, and heat to the nerve centers in the brain.

By stimulating sensory cells through a series of stimuslaps, using pressing, (gentle but firm) slapping, stroking, pressing, and massaging, muscles and blood vessels expand. When expanded, a greater supply of blood flows to the skin, improving nourishment and color.

In addition to all the above, lack of sleep not only makes a person feel sluggish and grumpy. It also affects their appearance and the quality of their skin. A person’s skin tone and texture are adversely affected when deprived of adequate sleep.

While we mid-lifers cannot stop the inevitable natural aging process, we can slow it down considerably. A more youthful, glowing complexion truly is within our grasp. All it takes is the desire for more healthy skin, proper skin care techniques, responsible life-style choices, and a few minutes each day.