Anti-Aging Skin

At Dr. Katie’s Beautiful You Aesthetics we have a slogan: BEAUTIFUL YOU, INSIDE AND OUT.

How can we achieve that? Our skin is a reflection of our inner health and along with our eyes and smile, it’s one of the first things people will notice about you.

The skin is our largest organ and it is vitally important to us but we often tend to take it for granted. We may forget about taking a little time each day to keep it looking it’s best. Life happens. We get busy.. We’ve all gone to bed on occasion without following a good skin care routine. Or, when we’re young we may just take our good skin for granted and think it will always look radiant, even as we age. But, alas, the sun and stress and some poor diet choices over the years do add up to dull, sun-damaged problem skin. At that point we might wish to have a magic pill or potion that would fix all of our skin problems and keep us in optimal health to boot. But we all know it’s not that simple. But did you know it does not have to be too complicated either!

So how can we keep our skin looking as radiant, young and as healthy as possible AT ANY AGE??

It starts from the inside out. It won’t happen without good internal health. That means getting enough rest, eating a healthy diet with good, nutritious food that will feed your whole body with plenty of protein, vitamins and minerals. It Also means doing some form of regular exercise; walking and stretching are good starters. Avoid excesses of alcohol, sugar and fatty, salty foods. Try to eat organic, non-GMO vegetables and fruits as much as possible. Try shopping at your local farmer’s market or the organic section of your local grocery store. (stores like Sprouts, Whole Foods and others now have organic and grass fed options.) Avoid unnecessary antibiotics and foods from animals that have been treated with hormones. They give the animals hormones to make them fatter/faster. Guess what? It makes us fatter faster too! And the excess hormones disrupt our own hormones, leading to many problems with our metabolism and endocrine system as well as possible skin breakouts or rashes. Instead, choose wild caught fish, grass fed beef and free range, organic eggs and poultry. The initial cost may seem to be more but your good health is foremost and in the long run your overall health will improve, leading to fewer medical problems and prescription drugs. That should also mean less money spent on healthcare and insurance premiums.

You ALSO NEED to get enough sleep, pace yourself, breathe deeply,…relax your body and your mind. And don’t forget to DRINK LOTS OF WATER–STAY WELL HYDRATED!
OUR BODIES ARE MORE THAN 70% WATER! EVERY DAY WE SHOULD DRINK ½ OF OUR WEIGHT IN OUNCES OF WATER. IF YOU WEIGH 120 LBS. YOU SHOULD BE CONSUMING AT LEAST 60 OUNCES OF WATER DAILY. (Thick or sugary drinks and sodas do NOT count but about a third of your hydration may have some electrolytes!)

I have noticed that aging is a slow process of dehydration.
Hair, skin & nails all get drier…we may get dry mouth, dry eyes, many of us will lose an inch or so in height because the fluid in the spinal discs is decreasing. We accept that it is all just a part of aging…but we want to reverse it. Staying hydrated is one very important thing we can all do to help our bodies operate at full capacity.

Regarding WATER and the cells of your skin…have you ever looked at a cross section of the skin? At the junction between the dermis and epidermis, the tissue looks like a wave. Keep that wave going with plenty of hydrating fluids. When the cells dry out they deflate…that’s the beginning of fine lines and wrinkles.

We can also protect the skin when we are out in the elements with moisture barriers. (we have a great Medical Barrier Cream from Epionce for active outdoor protection). wear hats, protect yourself from strong winds and don’t forget the spf 30-50 on at least on your face, neck and decollette’. (More about sunblock in a separate blog…)

You will also need a good, regular home care regimen with products that cleanse, repair, rehydrate and also help to hold that moisture in the skin. Keep it simple: a good cleanser, +/- a toner to balance the pH, a serum to hydrate and carry healing molecules deep into the skin, followed by a moisturizer with antioxidants and sunblock for daytime. A similar regimen starting with make-up remover and skipping the sunblock should be used at bedtime.

(Note: Serums can penetrate into the skin and carry in tiny molecules which can help repair damaged DNA dimers. Molecules of hyaluronic and peptides help retain moisture and add firmness to the skin. Each molecule of hyaluronic holds 1000 times it’s weight in moisture for your skin.) Anti-oxidants, such as vitamins C , A and glutathione help to reduce free radicals that break down your skin’s support system. Vitamin C is also an important building block for new collagen in your skin.)

So here’s a Dr. Katie’s Healthy Skin Tip: Anti-oxidants are important for all of your body’s cells. They can be ingested in your diet and with supplements and can also be applied topically for maximum effect on your skin. Both oral and topical forms of anti-oxidants are also a more natural way to protect your skin from sunburn.