7 habits of young looking people

Source: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Like it or not, aging is a rite of passage that everyone goes through. With every birthday, we get wiser, but it also comes with a few more fine lines, or wrinkles. We've all met the lucky guy or gal who's in their 50's but looks 30. Are they just born with fountain of youth skin? Or do they know some secret that we don't? It turns out, there are some simple ways to prevent premature aging. No, I'm not talking about some $100 per bottle magic elixir. Here are some tips to get you started on the road to fabulous skin and looking good today and 10 years down the road!

1. Wear sunscreen and avoid tanning salons. UV rays are the number one cause of skin aging. Both UVA and UVB rays contribute to cell damage, protect yourself from both by wearing a natural non-toxic full-spectrum sunscreen. This means inside the car and in the winter too. And don't forget to apply on hands and necks, those are the most often overlooked spots for sunscreen, and first places to show signs of aging. 

2. Don't smoke. It's proven beyond a shadow of doubt that smoking causes wrinkles, oh, and cancer and heart disease too. Nicotine causes narrowing of the blood vessels so skin is starved of oxygen and nutrients. Also the facial expressions when you smoke can contribute to wrinkles.

Sunscreen Safety

Photo by Sujin Jetkasettakorn

Summer is here and we all love to spend time outdoors. Some sunshine is good for us, we all need Vitamin D. But how much is too much? And how do we protect ourselves with safely and effectively? To select the best sunscreens, first we should understand the sun's radiation. There are two types of ultraviolet radiation we need to protect our skin from, UVA and UVB.


What's the difference between UVA and UVB?
UVA is ultraviolet radiation between 400-320nm wavelength and UVB is between 320-290nm wavelength. The shorter the wavelength, the higher the energy of radiation. UVA rays account for 90 to 95% of UV radiation that reaches the earth. While UVB makes up only 5-10% of solar radiation, its high energy damages surface epidermal layers and causes sunburn. UVB is strongest between 10AM and 4PM, from April to October and do not significantly penetrate glass. UVA is present equally throughout the daylight hours and throughout the seasons, and can penetrate cloud and glass. UVA penetrates deeper layers of skin and causes tanning. However, both types of UV rays can cause skin cancer because they damage skin cells and alter their DNA. Both types of rays also contribute to premature aging of skin.