Wrinkle Care

While wrinkles are a part of the natural ageing process, you can postpone the development of wrinkles by taking care of your skin, following a healthy lifestyle, and avoiding exposure to the sun.

Premature skin damage is generally traced to exposure to the sun. The rays of the sun are at their most dangerous between 10am and 4pm, when about 80 percent of the sun‘s daily ultraviolet rays are streamed down. Avoid walking on or sitting on concrete, sand and areas painted in white. A cloudy day does not mean that you are safe from the UV rays of the sun. In fact, clouds can actually increase the power of UVB rays. Sunbathing or tanning are strict no-nos. However, many people make the mistake of assuming that artificial tanning in an UV chamber or at a tanning salon are safer than tanning on the beach. That is not true.  In fact, 20 minutes at a tanning salon can be equivalent to 24 hours spent in the sun.

It may not be possible to avoid going out in the sun altogether, but make sure that you protect your skin from unnecessary exposure by using sun blocks and sun screens. Make use of a sun block that has an appropriate skin protection factor for your age and the intensity of the sun in your location.

Remember that the sun screen does not protect from exposure for several hours at a time. In fact, if you remain out in the sun for a prolonged period of time it may actually result in skin damage because you are not aware of warning sings in the form of sun burn.

A sun protection factor of 30 plus may be ideal, but consult with your dermatologist before you chose a product that is right for you. Sun screens generally contain butyl methoxydibenzoyl-methane (also called avobenzone or Parsol 17789), octyl methoxycinnamates or ethylhexyl p-methoxycinnamate, dioxybenzone, sulisobenzone, octocrylene, methyl anthranilate, dioxybenzone. All sunscreen products contain these ingredients, and a super expensive one may not necessarily be better than a cheaper product.

Waterproof sunscreens can be effective for up to 40 minutes in the water, so these are ideal for days at the beach or on humid days when perspiration might result in the sunscreen washing off your face. Choose a sun block that contains titanium dioxide or zinc oxide. Sunscreens are not meant to be used on babies less than 6 months of age. Children should apply sunscreen products that are a minimum of SPF 15, while adults must use sunscreen or sun block with an SPF 15 or more. Adults who suffer from sunburns easily must use a sun block or sunscreen above or equal to SPF30. Apply sunscreen or sun block all over the exposed of the body, at least 15 to 30 minutes before you step outside. Reapply every couple of hours even on cloudy days. Reapplication is especially important after swimming or exercise.

Sunscreens or sun blocks work especially well when these are combined with protective clothing. Wear white brimmed hats. These days, you also find clothes that come with sun protection ratings, or ultra violet protection factor (UVF) ratings. Wear unbleached loose clothing made from tightly woven materials. You can actually improve the UVF rating of your cotton and linen clothes by washing these over and over again. The fibers shrink during a wash, tightening them together and preventing UV rays from leaking through. Besides, clothes treated with Rayosan can actually increase the ultraviolet protection factor of your cotton clothes by up to 300 percent.

Wear sun glasses when out in the sun. Wash your face with a mild cleanser which contains no soap and avoid heavily perfumed alkaline soaps. Don’t rub or scrub the face dry with a rough towel. Instead, pat the skin dry with a soft towel and immediately apply a water based moisturizer with an SPF30 to prevent moisture loss. Make sure you follow a healthy life style, eat a diet that contains plenty of fresh fruits and vegetable, water and whole grains, exercise daily to keep blood circulation flowing, and stay out of the sun as much as possible. Wear sunscreen when you have to go out. Avoid stress- it actually increases the appearance of frown lines and other expression lines. Use only neutral PH balanced soaps, moisturizers etc Avoid heavily perfumed soaps and skin products. Avoid swimming in chlorinated pools, and don’t take hot showers. Moisturize at least twice a day every day. When you reach your 30’s, talk to your doctor or dermatologist about rejuvenation treatment or procedures that can keep wrinkles at bay.