Lovely skin all the way!

CEBU, Philippines - Efforts for beautiful outward appearance have certainly gone on high gear these past days, especially among young people. Both the health- and the beauty-conscious recognize the appeal of radiant, young-looking skin. They recognize, too, that vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other nutrients can help give it to them.

Especially now that Valentine’s Day is approaching, the desire to look beautiful has all the more intensified. It’s a curious fellow who would go on a romantic date looking dry and withered.

There are those who settle for the quick fix. For them, skin creams and lotions are enough. But the more serious about beauty want to be true-to-form. They want to be beautiful inside out; to be healthy, to glow from within.  

These people are careful not only of what they put on their skin but, more particularly, what they put into their body. Vitamins and minerals in all forms play an integral role in a healthy complexion, health experts say. Proper nutrition is important; balanced diet, food supplements etc.

More than being a basis of physical attractiveness, the look of the skin is often telling of what is going on inside the body. Dermatologists and other skin specialists agree that a body that is suffering from an ailment or nutritional deficiency is not likely to have nice looking skin.

Proper skin care can even slow down the ageing process, experts say. They add that Vitamins C, E, A, K, and B complex can all help improve skin health. In certain forms, some of these vitamins may be applied directly on the skin.

But, to the ordinary person, this talk about vitamins can sound highly technical. Some complain that it requires obsessive watching of food intake and can lead to paranoid shunning of skin creams altogether, including medicated balms and liniments that treat common skin problems. This objection may just be too far-fetched. 

In the first place, keeping a meticulous record of our vitamin intake may not really be necessary. The great majority of us are okay to just keep our diet fairly in balance, to just have modest amounts of meat, chicken, fish, vegetables and fruits in our meals; not necessarily all at the same time.

But those with delicate, problematic skin types may have to be more careful and must take heed of their doctor’s advice. Which need not be complicated still, since the doctor gives very specific instructions; all they need to do is follow.

We’ve been told that the sun is considered to be the foremost enemy of the skin. That we shall avoid exposure to the sun between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. During this time the ultraviolet rays of the sun supposedly strike more directly and, thus, can be very damaging to the skin. This is not hard to understand, is it?

The wind is another big threat. It can blow away moisture, leaving the skin dry. And dry skin can easily yield to wrinkles or turn flaky. This is where skin creams and lotions can come handy, as they help lock moisture in; and, fortunately, they are not at all hard to find.

Smoke is something to avoid, too. One who is not a smoker may still be exposed to smoke. There’s smoke from smokers that non-smokers can get just the same. The fumes from motor vehicles – most probably even smoke from burnt leaves to drive away mosquitoes – can cause some damage to the skin.

Drinking water helps – between 8 to 10 glasses a day, depending on the ambient temperatures and one’s level of activity. Many swear by its good effects on the skin.

The important thing is to make it a habit to be reasonably conscious about our diet and take precautions when necessary. And let’s listen to skin professionals; it need not cost anything. The Freeman runs a column by Dr. Jennifer Toledo-Tan, a Board-certified dermatologist who gives free advice and useful tips on proper skin care and on dealing with common skin problems.

Dr. Jen’s column, “Skin Republic,” comes out today and every Monday. Check her out; she may have something for you in time for your Valentine’s date – for you to have lovely skin all the way!

(Reference: http://www.webmd.com/beauty/skin/nutrients-for-healthy-skin-inside-out) (FREEMAN)