Maintaining Healthy, Beautiful Skin As A Senior
With age, our skin can become more sensitive, dry, and less elastic. Luckily, there are several simple and effective habits that can manage and even improve our skin’s quality, and contribute to overall healthy living. The following three skin tips can easily be incorporated into an everyday regimen that promotes proper skin care for seniors.
1. Fortify Your Skin From Within
While we should all eat foods rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, proper nutrition is particularly crucial for seniors that want to improve their skin health. Foods like avocados, berries, walnuts, salmon, melons, and green vegetables are great for providing the nutrients necessary to improve our skin’s health.
Healthy senior living also means drinking enough water, as water refreshes our bodies and clears out toxins that could potentially cause skin problems. Plus, there are lots of other advantages to hydrating throughout the day. Drinking two glasses of water after waking up can activate our internal organs. One glass of water 30 minutes before mealtime can help with digestion, and a glass before a bath can help lower blood pressure.
2. Manage Sun Exposure
While a good 20 minutes in the sun can give a boost of vitamin D, it’s important to avoid excessive exposure to sunlight. Overexposure to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays can damage skin’s elastin, a protein in our skin that helps it retain its elasticity. For days on the golf course, at the beach, or out in the garden, remember to apply powerful sunscreen and wear sun-blocking accessories and sunglasses.
3. Avoid Harsh Soaps and Moisturize Regularly
Since senior skin is more sensitive, vigorously scrubbing can be more harmful than helpful. Washing the face with water and the body with a soft, fragrance-free bath soap is a great way to clean sensitive skin without over-drying. A good moisturizer rich in vitamins A and E, aloe, cucumber extract, or natural antioxidants can help with dryness. Consider applying the moisturizer to areas that dry out easily dry like the face, neck and arms.
The best skin care for seniors can be easy to incorporate into an everyday regimen! These tips can help seniors develop softer and smoother skin with fewer wrinkles and damage.
Note: Remember to discuss skin care with a physician, health care provider, or family member before making changes to a current skin care routine.
Sources:
Medicinenet.com: https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=60686
Retireathome.com: https://www.retireathome.com/10-skin-care-tips-for-seniors/
The Senior List: https://www.theseniorlist.com/health/hydration/
Bay Health Medical Center: https://www.bayhealth.org/media/File/Steps/NLStepsJune10.pdf
