What Do You Want to Know About Beauty & Skin Care?

Physical beauty is subjective or personal. That is, as the saying goes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. There is no right or wrong answer. When it comes to your skin, having healthy and beautiful skin means many things:

• You like what you see in the mirror.
• You try to take good care of your skin. For example, you try not to expose yourself to unnecessary risks, such as the UV radiation in tanning beds and the chemical toxins in tobacco.
• You take care of yourself when you become ill or are overly stressed by getting proper rest, fluids, and nutrition.
• You accept the physical changes that come with aging even if you don't give in to them altogether.
• You eat a well-balanced diet and hydrate properly on a daily basis.
• Most importantly, having healthy skin means knowing what is beautiful to you.

Taking Care of Your Skin

There are steps you can take to ensure you have basic healthy skin. They include the following:

• Cleanse regularly, typically twice daily.
• Apply a toner after cleansing if you have oily skin.
• Apply a moisturizer if you have dry skin.
• Exfoliate to remove dead skin cells and brighten up your complexion.

Besides these daily skin care routines, make it a habit to examine your own skin for abnormalities, discolorations, or any other changes on a regular basis. Have your skin examined by a doctor, dermatologist, or healthcare professional annually for any changes or if:

• you have fair skin or many or large moles
• you are in the sun or use tanning beds
• you have a history of skin problems, irritations, or growths

It’s also important to protect your skin from too much sun and sun damage, which may increase wrinkles as well as lead to skin cancer. Cover your skin or use sunscreen to protect your skin from the damaging rays of the sun. See your doctor or dermatologist for any skin irritations or problems that arise.

Keeping Skin Care Simple

There are many products out there that are presented as a surefire way to turn back the clock, permanently melt away cellulite, reduce wrinkles, and more. Pay attention to decide whether a product is really necessary for the health of your skin or if it’s a product that may actually be harmful.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates many products. It must regulate products that change a person’s physical structure or biochemical process within the body.  One of these products is Rogaine, an over-the-counter product regulated as a drug because it actually does stimulate a modest amount of hair regrowth in some people.

Products that are classified as cosmetics or dietary supplements are not regulated. Examples include: