Seven Ways to Prevent Aging With Good Skin Care

People are always looking for the fountain of youth. That one magical product that will make you look like you are in your 20s even when you are in your 50s. To keep your skin healthy, you have to take care of it. Good skin care is important no matter what your age is, but it is especially important as we age. Here are some ways to ensure you keep your skin healthy as you age.

Treat Adult Acne -- Hormones can cause skin to break out in acne

even after you have gone through puberty. For women, the menstruation cycle and pregnancy can bring flare-ups on your face and back. For men, testosterone will make you have acne. You can use benzoyl peroxide and retinol or Retin-A to treat your adult acne. You also can soothe eczema by using gentle, fragrance-free cleansers. You might have to get a prescription for a topical corticosteroid.

Take Care When Pregnant -- Although you might not have acne due to the high levels of estrogen inside your body, you might have to deal with dark spots on your face, called melasma. The pregnancy also will do other things to your skin. If you want to treat the melasma, you might be prescribed a cream with lightening agents to fade the spots. Pregnant woman also can develop an itchy rash called pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy , which may show up in the third trimester. Take cool baths and moisturizers to relieve itching. If they aren’t successful in reducing your scratching, you might need a steroid cream or oral antihistamine.
Check Your Skin -- After age 40, you will want to do monthly checks for moles or other things that are showing up after years of damage done to your skin. You want to look for anything that you think might suggest skin cancer or something bad. However, if skin cancer is caught early, it is 99 percent treatable. In front of a mirror, examine your entire body, from your scalp (use a handheld mirror) to the soles of your feet.
Use Products -- When you reach 40, you should be using products on your skin to keep it healthy. Consider a prescription for a retinoid like tretinoin to minimize signs of aging such as uneven skin tone, wrinkles and age spots. You also can use skin-care products with botanicals, such as feverfew or licorice root: Make skin care a daily routine to prevent aging . Use products featuring natural ingredients as much as possible. Choose your skin care products wisely. Although doctors recommend taking care of your skin when you hit your 40s, you should get in the habit of doing it much earlier. Then, it won’t be a problem when you get older.
Eliminate Redness -- If you see redness on your skin, spider-like blood vessels and small bumps on your face, you might have rosacea. This is a common skin condition often triggered by sun exposure, stress, alcohol, spicy foods and hot weather. Experts recommend you purchase sensitive-skin products for this. Also, you should use green-tinted makeup to camouflage redness and over-the-counter antiredness serums with caffeine.
Take Care of Problem Areas -- It’s not uncommon for older women to develop actinic keratosis, which is visible in dry, red and flaky spots, often on the forehead, cheeks or nose. You should visit your dermatologist if you see these. Two other common problem spots are seborrheic keratosis (warty, yellow-brown growths, usually on the back and chest) and skin tags (often on the eyelids, underarms, neck or groin). These two may look unpleasant, but they’re benign and can also be removed in the doctor’s office.
Drink Water -- Drinking water is a treatment for a number of problems, including dry skin. As you get older, you get dehydrated more easily. Keep your skin healthy by drinking plenty of water a day. You also want to watch for long baths, too hot water and hyperthyroidism.