What Does Your Face Say About You? Put your Best Face Forward

Our face and skin tells a unique story, a story about out life. Stress, sun exposure and diet, all of these things can have an effect on our appearance and unfortunately, the effects aren't always flattering.

Of course wrinkles are inevitable and are a natural part of the aging process. However, there are things that we can do to keep our skin looking as fresh and vibrant as possible.

Keep out of the sun

Everyone wants that golden, sun-kissed tan, but is it really worth it? The sun’s powerful rays can do irreversible damage and people who spend hours on end in the sun without protection, will often pay the price.

The deep wrinkles that appear around your mouth and eyes will develop more rapidly if you soak in the sun without shade or a good dose of sunscreen, and dark sun spots can also start popping up on you skin with repeated sun exposure.

In fact, it is recommended that people stay out of direct sunlight between the hours of 10 am and 4 pm, when the sun is the most powerful.

Develop a skin care regime

Be sure to wash and moisturize your skin twice a day, daily, without fail.

Opt for an SPF moisturizer that will keep your skin smooth and silky, while simultaneously acting as a shield against the sun.

And if you are really worried about wrinkles, you may want to try adding an anti-aging cream into your routine. Of course while these creams won't magically erase wrinkles, they often contain the antioxidant Retinol (a vitamin A compound) a somewhat diluted version of tretinoin, a prescription topical wrinkle treatment.

Clean up your diet

Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet can work wonders for your skin and will help with the anti-aging process. So fill your meals up with fresh fruits and vegetables (5 to 6 servings daily) whole grains, lean proteins and wash it all down with a lot of water.

Quit smoking and drinking

While it may sound a little obvious, smoking and excessive drinking will take a toll on your body and age your skin (and teeth) significantly.

Smoking damages the collagen and elastin fibers that provide skin with its elasticity, making your skin look older.

So quit smoking all together, and since drinking and smoking often go hand in hand, you may want to quit drinking as well in order to remove yourself from situations that will tempt you to smoke.

Remove stress

It's not a myth; stress can lead to premature aging by causing the skin to become overly sensitive which in turn can lead to things like acne breakouts.

Take the steps necessary to manage your stress. Go for a calming walk, listen to music or maybe even try your hand at yoga to really remove yourself from the unwanted stress that plagues our daily lives.

Put your best face forward

Now that you know how to keep your face and skin looking its best, put on some trendy makeup and get ready to face the world.

While it's wonderful that our faces can allow the people we meet to catch a glimpse of who we are, I'm sure most of us would prefer that our story didn't read as "wow, they must have had a hard life".

Take care of your skin, eat healthy and manage your stress to have your face reflecting how you feel inside, young and alive.