Part II - Ten Of The Worst Things You Can Do To Damage Your Skin

We were loving this topic so much that it has come to you in two parts, so we can give you all the information you need to make sure you care for your skin as well as you should. Part I of this article featured a picture of Cate Blanchett who is notorious for her glorious skin, and here is another celebrity who, although she is slightly younger, looks like she will be glowing with faultless skin for years to come. When her face was studied by an expert dermatologist, he also confirmed that Liv had taken great care in the sun which has left her with a faultless complexion.

Here are the remaining five major causes of premature aging which you need to know about: 

6. Emotional Stress

Stress can stimulate sebaceous glands and cause them to produce excess oil, which can clog up pores and produce bacteria and inflammation, with blackheads and spots forming as a result. If you are going through a period of emotional stress, you may need to seek help, but try and give yourself time to relax, try aromatherapy, yoga, or just chilling out with a book - your skin as well as you will benefit

7.Environmental Stress

If you live in any kind of built up area then you are likely to be subject to a certain level of environmental stress caused by pollution, which causes our bodies to be susceptible to the attack of free radicals. Free radicals are the "bad" atoms and molecules which cause premature aging and damage to skin and collagen, and death to our skin cells. As we have mentioned, antioxidants which are found in fruit and vegetables (particularly the colourful ones) provide your skin with added protection against these modern day dangers to your skin.

8. Yo-yo Dieting

Allowing your weight to go up and down dramatically will cause it to stretch and then become loose as you lose weight. Your skin may be able to cope with this when you are very young, but as you get older it won't and you will develop sagging skin aroundyour neck and cheeks - known as jowls - even the word sounds horrible doesn't it? The answer is not to remain overweight as this allows fat to build up in rolls around your neck and face, not attractive (or healthy), but to keep your weight stable at your ideal weight.

9. Living A Sedentary Life

Exercise is the key to a youthful look for lots of reasons. When you exercise, your skin begins to produce more of its natural oils that help skin look supple and healthy. Exercise also gets the blood flowing which carries more oxygen to the skin. The boost in blood flow and oxygen to the skin cells also carries nutrients that improve skin health. Exercise can, particularly with a short, intense burst of exercise, encourage the body to produce more Human Growth Hormone, which keeps our skinner thicker (as it thins over time) and younger looking, amongst other benefits.

10. Eating Processed Foods

Processed food has been robbed of all its vital nutrients and enzymes. If your digestive system is healthy, this shows in your skin. If your diet consists of a high percentage of processed foods, such as white bread, sugary drinks and cereals, chocolate bars, crisps and pizzas then you are unlikely to have a healthy digestive system or skin. Eating unprocessed food encourages your digestive system to speed up, making you feel and look more lively and less tired and your skin brighter.

Companies which process food are not concerned about keeping you healthy, and as long as their ingredients are within the law, they are just concerned about selling their product and making it appealing to our taste buds, i.e. filling the product up with saturated fat, sugar and salt along with other chemicals which will keep the food fresh for longer, and change its colour and texture. Everyone enjoys some "junk food" occasionally, but eating it regularly means these added chemicals build up within the body and skin and slowly poison the body's cells, again causing dull skin and premature aging, along with other skin allergies. So eat fresh when you can.

We hope you have enjoyed these tips, but we would love to learn more, so if you have any tips and hints for our readers let us know.