What You Need To Know About Your Skin

Beauty is only skin deep. This is what most people would have well-adapted themselves to but some would advocate that looking great is having good skin. For whatever beliefs you adhere to, the skin is a very important body part that does more than protecting the body. While you fear being sunburned, skin damaged from a chemical exposure or acquired allergies from a cosmetic you tried on, learn the ways yet to care for your skin.

Your "derma-logical" knowledge may not be sufficient especially that the skin is a very dynamic organ. The skin can change in a matter of days and in between years until old age. You will notice drastic changes to its texture and elasticity.

What affects the skin is grouped to two types, extrinsic and intrinsic. The intrinsic group is known as what makes you up your genes, simplified as your genetic make-up. The extrinsic group is the elements outside the body, including behavior and lifestyle that enormously affect your skin. One research on these two groups revealed that the latter have effects that are more intense than the other. These will include the following:

Stress - has a debilitating effect on skin integrity. It can aggravate the effects of skin disorders such as psoriasis, hives, eczema, blisters and cold sores. Premature aging is also a consequence of when the body is attacked by overwhelming stress that in turns promote the proliferation of radicals.

Nutrition deficiency - may lead to skin dehydration. Skin discoloration can be attributed to a deficiency of Vitamin C. When this happens, the skin texture becomes flaky and coarse. Vitamin A is vital for the generation of new cells in replacement of old, dead cells. This vitamin is responsible for the collagen component of the skin. Deficiency is attributed to alcohol abuse.

Unhealthy habits - abuse on substance and alcohol and smoking have very harmful effects on the skin. It causes dryness, reduced oxygen, hastens skin aging and wrinkle formation.

While a major 180 degree change in ones lifestyle should happen to avoid any of these unwanted effects, there are also cosmetic products that can help maintain and sustain the skin's supplementary needs. Moisturizers, cleanser, toners, vitamin supplements and lotions have good effects on the skin. These helpful agents can clean, moisturize, exfoliate and rejuvenate your skin.

Cleansers - remove the visible dirt on the outermost layer of the skin leaving you looking clean and feeling fresh.

Toners - are known to have positive effects on the pores. The smoothing effect of toners on the skin is actually effected on the pores that are tightened.

Moisturizers - softens and hydrates the skin from moisture loss when skin is exposed for long hours from water, heat and other skin care products.

Exfoliating agents - casts off or removes the scales paving the way for the healthier skin. It is however important to note that the use of these products may not produce the desired effects if meanwhile the person experiences or practice the above mentioned extrinsic factors.