Take care of ur skin.!!!!! SkinCare Skin is the largest organ of the body, it forms the protective covering over our body and bears the brunt of all that we do and all that we consume. So, care of this protective covering is as essential as taking care of your cholesterol or your blood pressure though the ill effects of not doing so, are not fatal. The condition of the skin also reflects about the general health of a person. When a person is happy and healthy you find people commenting on how glowing they look and similarly a person who is sick, they can be seen to have dry dull lifeless skin. Basically, there is not much that it asks you to do for it and most of the time it looks after itself. Even in the ancient times all major civilizations have had their own methods of skin care, which have been written down in their texts. But going down to it, the basics have always remained the same. But firstly we have to understand the different skin types. Normal skin is clear, soft, supple, uniformly textured & pigmented, neither too oily nor too dry. Normal skin is not too sensitive to climate, cosmetics or the body’s own internal environmentDry skin is dull, feels tight on washing, even with the mildest of soaps flakes, scales and chaps easily. Oily Skin feels relaxed and supple,but thicker,looks shiny and is much more prone to outbreaks of spots. Mature Skin is leathery and has wrinkles and folds, loss of elasticity. Understanding the factors which damage or affect the skin will go a long way in understanding the care which has to be taken. External factors most important of which is the sun, which causes photodamage to the skin because of UV rays and the next being pollution and dust. Apart from these, are air conditioning which causes dehydration of the skin, smoking , stress, late hours, etc all of which harm the skin. Internal factors like diet which forms the major form of insult, not enough intake of water, minerals, vitamins and taking too much of junk food and alcohol. All these damage the skin or inhibit its reparative capacity, hence there is no time for the skin to recover from one insult before another is added. Skin care can be divided into generalized care and then local care. Generalized care- being in the form of eating healthy, drinking plenty of water at least 3 liters a day, eating plenty of green vegetables and fresh fruits, which have antioxidants. Avoiding smoking goes a long way in getting healthy skin because, apart from the fact that smoke harms the skin it also produces constriction of small blood vessels in the skin. Vitamin C is very good for the skin as it is important for regeneration as well as the fact that it is the most natural sun block one can get which acts from within the body. Local care- basically consists of cleansing, toning and moisturizing. Cleansing and toning - Wash the face with a mild unperfumed soap, lather briefly and rinse thoroughly. Because soap is an alkaline substance, washing will temporarily raise the ph of the skin, which is normally slightly acidic . Most skins have an inbuilt ability to readjust the balance within 20 minutes of washing, though sensitive skin types take longer. If the skin is oily, citrus based toning lotions or astringent can be used after cleansing. If the skin feels dry and tight after washing, try using a super fatted soap that incorporates emollients such as lanolin or mineral oil into the soap base. Other causes of dryness are over washing, incomplete rinsing, hard water (calcium and magnesium salts in the water combine with the soap to form a drying scum on the skin) or sensitivity. In case of very dry skin try a cream cleanser. Moisturizing - Moisturizing cream is used for dry skin and lotion for oily skin. All moisturizers can be made to work more effectively by dampening the skin first The use of exfoliating agents to peel the epidermis & superficial dermis dates back to ancient Egypt. Sour milk baths were used by ancient Egyptians to soothe the skin. This helps by removing the dead cells which are clogging the new skin giving you a new glow to the skin. It can be either mechanical or using various agents commercially available in the market. This need not be done everyday. Sun Protection- Dark skinned people have natural pigment which acts as protection but even then sun block will help prevent damage to the skin as has been proven by studies. Sun block or sunscreen with an SPF(sun protection factor) 20 to 30 should be used, unless you are planning to go to the beach or swimming when a higher SPF would be useful. The sun screen should be ideally applied at least 15 minutes before one goes out into the sun and should be reapplied every 3 hours. Some people might say that they are in cold climates or if cloud cover is present, you don't need sun protection. the statement is False, UV damage can occur even other wise and reflected sunlight is enough to cause damage so using sun screen will go a long way in protecting your skin. Taking care of your skin will go a long way in keeping it healthy and preventing the inevitable signs of aging from creeping in on you suddenly. Yes, turning back the clock or rather keeping it at the same hour for a longer time is possible to a certain extent naturally, by some simple measures. So take that few minutes out from your daily routine and pamper the largest organ of your body.