Essentials: How to get a healthy glow

Summer is just around the corner, and so is the anticipation of the warm weather and continuous sunshine. It’s only natural, after months of isolation indoors and bundling up with layers and hoods, that your first instinct is to soak in as much of the sun’s warm rays as possible.

But before you do, consider this; although you can’t feel them, ultraviolet rays are silent killers and the primary cause of skin cancer and wrinkles, not to mention a leading cause of diminishing self-esteem through premature aging that so many of us try to correct through surgery and artificial means. However, there are several precautionary steps one can take to ensure skin stays healthy and young-looking for years to come.

Know the basics – by now, most of us know the importance of wearing a hat, sunglasses and applying sunscreen. But did you know that when it comes to lotions and creams, not all products are created equally? The difference lies in the ingredients. Consumers should select a brand that contains both zinc oxide and titanium oxide because the fine mineral particles reflect and scatter potentially harmful UVA and UVB rays.

Check the expiration date – just like with the ingredients, any old bottle of sunscreen will not do. An unopened bottle of sunscreen will keep its effectiveness for up to three years, but when you open the bottle, its shelf life diminishes. You can’t necessarily count on last season’s lifesaver, and it is important to replace sunscreen every year. The reason is that as soon as a bottle of sunscreen has been exposed to heat, the active ingredients begin breaking down, which means you get less UV protection.

Repair and rejuvenate – even with the proper precautions, there are times when we all may experience a little too much sun. After a day of exposure, your skin has some major recovering to do. Ensuring that your skin gets nourishing vitamins and nutrients can help curb aging, whether you eat them for a snack or apply them in your skin cream.

Vitamin A is found in dark-green vegetables and deep-yellow fruits. Vitamin A, or its active ingredients, retinoid, has been shown in multiple studies to help prevent sun-induced wrinkles. Veggies such as red peppers, broccoli, kale and spinach, and fruits like mango, honeydew and apricots, are right in this nutrient, which can help to heal wounds and encourage healthy skin. Besides being involved in the formation and maintenance of healthy skin, hair, and mucous membranes, vitamin A helps us to see in the dim light, is necessary for proper bone growth, tooth development and reproduction – all the more reasons to eat it.

Vitamin C is not just for colds; it protects against burns and it’s thought to even reverse sun damage. Unlike Vitamin A, Vitamin C is water soluble, meaning that excess is eliminated by the body instead of being stored in the liver. This means you can take in higher doses of vitamin of vitamin C without the fear of ingesting too much. In addition to the tablet form, vitamin C is abundant in strawberries, oranges, tomatoes and vitamin-rich broccoli. Green Tea has numerous benefits. Besides being a mood-booster and believed to be beneficial in weight loss, green tea contains antioxidant polyphenols, which can prevent sun damage and possibly even reverse it.

Alpha Lipoic Acid can only be consumed from foods in small amounts, science, luckily, has found a way to replicate this powerful nutrient. ALA is found naturally in the body and is responsible for the conversion of food to energy. It can be taken in pill and cream form to provide powerful antioxidants several times beyond what many vitamins offer to help smooth and lift skin. DMAE, or dimethylaminoethylene is a natural-occurring substance in the body and can also be consumed in salmon. DMAE is increasingly appearing in beauty products due to its strong anti-inflammatory abilities to diminish the appearance of scars and improve muscle tone.

It’s a state of mind – Above all, it’s important to remember that summer is a state of mind – nothing personifies summer more than stepping outside your home or office walls and enjoying the fruits of this new season by taking a walk or going for a bicycle ride with a friend.

Along the way, make taking care of your skin a daily process. Your skin is your body’s largest organ, and one of the most vital. Using the right products and taking preventative measures to eliminate sun exposure are the critical elements of a good skincare regime that will keep you looking and feeling fabulous for years to come.

Melanie Vasseur is a chemist, esthetician and the founder of Vasseur Skincare. For more skin care tips and information, visit Vasseur Skincare at http://www.vssskin.com.

Summary Although you can’t feel them, ultraviolet rays are silent killers and the primary cause of skin cancer and wrinkles, not to mention a leading cause of diminishing self-esteem through premature aging that so many of us try to correct through surgery and artificial means. However, there are several precautionary steps one can take to ensure skin stays healthy and young-looking for years to come.