Healthy Environment, Healthy Skin
Absolute evidence exists that our lifestyle, stress, and what we put on and in our bodies will affect the health of our skin. Apart from sun damage, what many people may not realize is that the environment our skin is exposed to affects it, as well.
Inside
The majority of our time is spent inside at work or home. This is why it’s important to consciously craft your inside environment to support your health and skin. Here some tips to do this:
- Heating your home takes out any natural moisture in the air, which affects your skin. You can easily replace this by running a humidifier or essential oil diffuser. You may need one in each room.
- Harmful chemicals mix in the air from cleaning products, plug in fragrance, and many kinds of candles. We not only breathe this in, but they settle onto surfaces and skin. Switch to an essential oil diffuser or candles that use a cotton wick and any other wax than paraffin. Open up windows and turn on fans when using harsh cleaning products or switch to natural ones. Thoroughly wash, rinse and moisturize after using cleaning products.
- Real Plants inside will help pull toxins from the air and reduce stress. An option for those who don’t have a green thumb, is to use an air purifier to clean the air of chemicals and other irritating particles, such as pollen, dander and dust. Home updates including carpets, pressed wood and insulation should air out because they offgass volatile chemicals like formaldehyde.
- Laundry soap can deposit skin irritants into the fabric of your clothes and bed sheets. Many include fillers and chemical fragrance. Try using an unscented “free and clear” laundry detergent. If you want to infuse fragrance into your clothes, use wool dryer balls with a couple drops of essential oils rather than dryer sheets.
- Creating a good environment to rest well is important because sufficient sleep is important for healthy skin. To help your mind get into rest mode, dim the lights in the evening, shut off electronics an hour before bed, and write down any issues or “to do’s” that need to be addressed in the coming days. Nightly using moisturizers and serums for clean face on a clean pillow case, as well as a fresh pillow every few months will also help your skin during the night.
Outside
While exposure to the outside environment may not be in as much quantity as inside, its affects on the skin shouldn’t be disregarded. These factors can have a powerful influence in the health of the skin:
- Sun… everyone knows the damage and aging caused by the sun when we’re not careful. In addition to staying in the shade or indoors during peak UV hours and wearing protective clothing, precautions should include using a makeup foundation or day time moisturizer that has a SPF… even on the snowy mountains or cloudy days.
- Pollution… urban air contamination is a mix of volatile chemicals that causes skin irritation and aging.
- Extreme weather… cold, wind and dry air all steal moisture from skin to crack, irritate and age it.
Taking good care of your skin gives it the best chance to stay healthy and youthful. It also helps your cosmetic procedures to last. Schedule a consultation today at www.davinciplastic.com to discuss how we can partner in your healthy lifestyle routine to look and feel great.
Steven Davison M.D.
Board Certified Plastic/Reconstructive Surgeon
