Our skin is the largest organ in the human body and yet the most abused and neglected. We eat low-fat foods for a healthy heart; eat fiber to help out our colon but what do we do for our skin? We burn it, strip it, slather it with pore clogging crèmes, irritate it with chemicals and then wonder why it looks the way it does.

Adopting a skin care regimen that benefits your skin is not so complicated and time consuming as it may seem. All it involves is using products appropriate for your skin type, dropping some bad habits and adopting some new ones. The great thing about skin is that it usually shows a result quickly when you begin doing the right things but remember that also goes the other way around.

I call this “10 Points to Better Skin”

1. Drink 6-8 glasses of water a day.
Water purifies the body and moisturizes skin at the cellular level. It’s a great remedy to plump up dry skin and to control oil secretion in oily skin.

2. Eat at least three servings of fresh fruit and vegetables a day.
Cantaloupe, melon, berries and dark green leafy vegetables are rich in anti-oxidants and have been proven in a study to improve elasticity, impart a healthy glow and erase the signs of aging. Want to know more about this study and his findings read The Wrinkle Cure: Unlock the Power of Cosmeceuticals for Supple, Youthful Skin by Dr. Nicholas Perricone.

3. Don’t put your hands in your face.
Aside from the pulling being bad for the delicate skin on our face but our hands and nails can transport bacteria that can cause breakouts.

4. Cleanse your face day and night.
Start off the day with a fresh face before applying makeup and wash away the dirt and pollution from your face at night before going to bed. Toning is not always necessary for every skin type. Moisturize your dry areas.

5. Never go to bed with makeup on.
Skin goes through a rejuvenation and cell renewal process at night while we sleep. Don’t impede this process by leaving on your makeup.

6. Don’t use soap on your face.
Especially deodorant soap you would ordinarily use on your body. These soaps contain ingredients that can be irritating to your skin. If you have no idea what to use some inexpensive facial cleansers are Cetaphil and Phisoderm.

7. If you smoke take extra care with your skin.
Smoking constricts blood vessels, decreases vitamin absorption, contributes to wrinkles, damages the gene repair process our skin undergoes while we sleep and the smoke dries out your skin. Skin care for smokers needs to be intensive and consistent to counter act the affects of smoking.

8. Use sunscreen.
Yes even people of color need to use sunscreen. The tanning process we undergo may not always produce painful sunburn but the damage can show itself as an uneven skin tone. And if you have been working especially hard to get your complexion even keeping it that way will require the use of sunscreen especially during the summer. Something with an SPF of 30 is great for the body. Many moisturizers and even foundation have some sun protection. Try to find products that have at least an SPF of 15 for your face. I recommend: Ambi Even & Clear Facial Moisturizer, SPF-30 - 3 Oz

9. If you like to use a washcloth when washing your face always use a clean one.
One reason is that bacteria have the tendency to grow in moist places like our washcloths and you don’t want to put that on your face. And second a used then dried washcloth can get stiff and scratchy and can even cause tiny tears and abrasions on your skin.

10. Engage in toxin-eliminating activities.
Exercise helps to eliminate toxins from our bodies through the act of sweating. So get moving! I know this is going to sound gross but everything we encounter environmentally and orally gets stored in our colons. If you’re not eliminating (and I mean number 2) at least twice a day it can show in your skin; so you might want to try a good colon cleansing

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