The Pores of Your Skin

There are thousands of pores spanning across the skin of your face.
We all have different sized pores and this is often determined by the skin type we have.

While there are obviously exceptions to every rule, you will tend to find that people with oily skin will usually have larger pores than those with normal or dry skin.

Having larger skin pores can make the skin look rougher and anything that can help to reduce the size of the pores will make the skin look smoother.

Therein lays a problem, as the pores tend to get larger as we age.

During the aging process we lose collagen and the loss of collagen results in a reduction in the elasticity of the skin.
This in turn leads to enlarged pores.

The answer obviously is to use products that will help to stimulate collagen and in doing so reduce the size of the pores or at the very least stop them from getting any bigger.

By firming the skin the pores can become smaller and in doing so the skin will also look smoother.

So what can you do to reduce the size of your skin pores and have a smoother looking skin?

Well, anything that will reduce the loss of collagen from your skin will help to stop the pores from becoming enlarged and it has been shown that antioxidants are effective at helping to retain levels of collagen and elastin in the skin.

You should therefore look for face care products that have suitable levels of antioxidants in them, in the form of Vitamins A, C and E and also natural antioxidants such as green tea extract, grade seed extract and pycnogenol.

Pycnogenol is an antioxidant that is derived from the bark of the Landis pine trees.
It has proven to be a very effective antioxidant and is often found in face care products

The High Cost of Skin Care Products

There is no doubt about the fact that it costs a lot of money to take care of your skin.
While quality skincare products are not cheap, you need to think of them as an investment in your future, as using the right products will ensure that your skin will be in optimum health for as long as possible.

While it is not necessary to buy all the latest products that come out on the market you should certainly consider spending the money on a few of the basics that you need and ensure that the products are suitable for your particular skin type.

You can save quite a lot of money by buying your products from some of the big online stores that sell cosmetics and skin care products.

By buying from these online stores you can be saving money that will allow you to have extra funds to spend on other areas of your skincare.

Of course there are many things that you can do for your skin that won’t cost any money at all, such as staying out of the sun where possible, refraining from smoking, and staying away from areas where secondhand smoke is present.

Drinking sufficient water won’t cost you a lot of money but it will certainly do a lot for your overall health and in particular your skincare as you remain hydrated.

Getting sufficient sleep is also an excellent way of improving the condition of your skin.

Along with your environment removing any stress from your life will also help improve your health and your skin.

Any form of medication that you take can affect the condition of your skin and while it might not be possible to eliminate meditation sometimes there are alternatives that can give you the same results while not having the side effects that can affect other areas of your health.

Teenage Skin

The teenage years are generally the most problematic as far as skin condition goes.

The problem is generally caused by sebum.
Sebum is the term used by dermatologists for the oil that is produced in the skin and secreted through the pores and this is where most of the problems stem from.

During puberty when the sex hormones are highly active the body produces a lot more sebum from the sebaceous glands that surround the hair follicles.

The epidermis, which is the outer most layer of skin, is constantly shedding dead skin cells.

It is these dead cells that combine with the excess sebum to cause all the problems that many teenagers have to endure.

When the pores get clogged with this combination of sebum and dead skin cells you get pimples, whiteheads and blackheads.

Exfoliation can help to remove the dead skin cells but trying to remove the excess oil that is getting produced can increase the rate of production as the body seeks to replace the oil that has been removed with more.

There are several things that can be done to assist in having better skin and in some circumstances this can reduce or eliminate the problems of acne and other skin outbreaks.

chocolateBy maintaining a healthy diet and eliminating junk foods, not only will the body be in better health, so will the skin.

Getting outdoors and benefiting from the sun while not getting over exposed and causing sun damage will assist in the health of the skin but you need to be very careful to realize there is a balance between benefits and side effects from ultraviolet light.

A lack of Vitamin A in the diet can also lead to breakouts on the skin and this is why many people need vitamin A related preparations to restore their skin condition.

Obviously cleanliness and good skin care and hygiene will go a long way to helping maintain a healthy complexion.
This is not to say that a lack of cleanliness is the cause of acne and other conditions as this is not so, however teenagers should always do all they can to minimize the things that won’t help with any conditions that they are suffering from.

Smoking and Secondhand Smoke

Have you ever noticed when they have those programs on television where they try to make ordinary people off the street look years younger that they always seem to choose people who have been smokers for a long period of time?

There is a very good reason for this and that is because cigarette smoking is one of the biggest causes of skin deterioration along with sun exposure.

Not only does smoking affect your skin condition but being around smokers and having to breathe their secondhand smoke will also affect your own skin condition.

Cigarette smoke contains a high concentration of a compound that destroys the DNA of skin cells and in doing so reduces the ability for those skin cells to renew themselves.

The problems for the smoker are considerable.
It is quite easy to spot a smoker from the fine lines that have formed prematurely around the mouth as a result of the action of sucking on cigarettes.

There are generally lines around the eyes from trying to look through the smoke haze.

The nicotine in the cigarettes slows blood circulation and this in turn causes other skin problems including higher rates of skin cancer and an inability to heal if there is ever any damage caused to the skin.

Smokers will usually have thinner dryer skin and an inability to utilize antioxidants that are required for maintaining a healthy skin.

The skin will rapidly begin to look lifeless and will lose its tone with increased smoking.

Only excessive exposure to the sun will cause more damage faster than smoking and a combination of the two will ensure that you look old well beyond your years.

Smokers have skin that is considerably thinner than non-smokers due to the deterioration of collagen and elastin and this is also responsible for the skin sagging.

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