Surprising Skin Factors

The average woman owns 20 square feet of skin. Although that may sound like a tarp, it’s actually only the size of a small throw rug. So it’s not an overwhelming patch of real estate to tend. There are lots of great products to keep your skin baby-bottom smooth, but here are a few surprising everyday things you should start paying more attention to.

Skin Wreckers
Pillows. If your morning face has more creases than Andy Rooney in HD, it’s time to train yourself to sleep on your back. To do this, duct-tape a golf ball to the front of your nightshirt. This will prevent you from rolling onto your stomach and mashing your face.

Vegetable juice. Although rich in vitamins and minerals, it’s usually loaded with sodium, which causes the body to retain excess water. Such bloating often manifests around the eyes.

Suds. More lather isn’t necessarily better—sudsy soaps contain harsh detergents that dry skin. Always use a gentle cleansing soap that contains a moisturizer.

Sugar. That’s right—it can affect more than your waistline. Scientists recently discovered that excess sugar in the bloodstream attaches to proteins to form harmful molecules. These, in turn, damage the collagen and elastin fibers that help keep skin supple.

Skin Savers
Shot glass. Fill it to the brim and you’ll have the perfect amount of sunscreen to apply for a day at the beach. Most people put on far less than is recommended, which can cut the advertised SPF by two-thirds.

Unsweetened iced green tea. Drinking lots of this does two things. First, it keeps you hydrated, which is one of the simplest things you can do to make your skin softer and more radiant. And second, green tea not only contains powerful antioxidants that minimize UV damage, but it can also help reduce your risk of skin cancer by as much as 80%. Hot green tea works too.

Humidifier. If sparks fly when you walk across the carpet and touch a doorknob at your home or office, then the humidity level is too low. (Either that or you’re in love with the FedEx guy.) Just as moisture is being sucked out of the room by the heating system, it’s also being sucked out of your skin. Look into a room- or whole-house humidifier. (In fact, FedEx one!)

Tape. This is going to sound weird, but it works: Put a piece of tape lengthwise across your forehead. Constantly furrowing your brow leads to wrinkles. The tape will make you more aware of when you’re doing it, so you can break the habit. (Make sure it’s not two-sided, though, or you may not be able to get your head off your desk.)

For another great way to protect your skin, click here.