Staying healthy (23)
- Cosmetic surgery: What to know beforehand
- Vaccines for adults: Which do you need?
- Bone health: Tips to keep your bones healthy
- see all in Staying healthy
Dental care (7)
- Oral health: A window to your overall health
- Oral health: Brush up on dental care basics
- Cavities/tooth decay
- see all in Dental care
Skin care (17)
- Sunless tanning: A safe alternative to sunbathing
- Best sunscreen: Understand sunscreen options
- Tattoos: Understand risks and precautions
- see all in Skin care
Nail care (1)
- Fingernails: Do's and don'ts for healthy nails
Eye care (9)
- Eye injury: Tips to protect vision
- Contact lenses: What to know before you buy
- LASIK eye surgery
- see all in Eye care
Sleep (7)
- Sleep aids: Understand over-the-counter options
- Sleep tips: 7 steps to better sleep
- Napping: Do's and don'ts for healthy adults
- see all in Sleep
Mental health (11)
- Self-esteem: 4 steps to feel better about yourself
- Self-esteem check: Too low, too high or just right?
- Resilience: Build skills to endure hardship
- see all in Mental health
Healthy relationships (9)
- Domestic violence against men: Know the signs
- Domestic violence against women: Recognize patterns, seek help
- Forgiveness: Letting go of grudges and bitterness
- see all in Healthy relationships
Healthy at work (12)
- Back pain at work: Preventing pain and injury
- Office ergonomics: Your how-to guide
- Travel workout: Fitness tips for business travelers
- see all in Healthy at work
Free
E-newsletter
Subscribe to Housecall
Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date
on a wide variety of health topics.
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Skin care: 5 tips for healthy skin
Good skin care — including sun protection and gentle cleansing — can keep your skin healthy and glowing for years to come.
By Mayo Clinic staffDon't have time for intensive skin care? Pamper yourself with the basics. Good skin care and healthy lifestyle choices can help delay the natural aging process and prevent various skin problems. Get started with these five no-nonsense tips.
1. Protect yourself from the sun
One of the most important ways to take care of your skin is to protect it from the sun. A lifetime of sun exposure can cause wrinkles, age spots and other skin problems — as well as increase the risk of skin cancer.
For the most complete sun protection:
- Use sunscreen. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15. When you're outdoors, reapply sunscreen every two hours — or more often if you're swimming or perspiring.
- Seek shade. Avoid the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the sun's rays are strongest.
- Wear protective clothing. Cover your skin with tightly woven long-sleeved shirts, long pants and wide-brimmed hats. Also consider laundry additives, which give clothing an additional layer of ultraviolet protection for a certain number of washings, or special sun-protective clothing — which is specifically designed to block ultraviolet rays.
2. Don't smoke
Smoking makes your skin look older and contributes to wrinkles. Smoking narrows the tiny blood vessels in the outermost layers of skin, which decreases blood flow. This depletes the skin of oxygen and nutrients that are important to skin health. Smoking also damages collagen and elastin — the fibers that give your skin its strength and elasticity. In addition, the repetitive facial expressions you make when smoking — such as pursing your lips when inhaling and squinting your eyes to keep out smoke — can contribute to wrinkles.
If you smoke, the best way to protect your skin is to quit. Ask your doctor for tips or treatments to help you stop smoking.
Next page(1 of 2)
- Skin care. American Osteopathic College of Dermatology. http://www.aocd.org/skin/dermatologic_diseases/skin_care.html. Accessed Sept. 2, 2011.
- Guidelines: Year-round sun protection. Skin Cancer Foundation. http://www.skincancer.org/year-round-sun-protection.html. Accessed Sept. 2, 2011.
- Protective clothing: Our first line of defense. Skin Cancer Foundation. http://www.skincancer.org/clothing-our-first-line-of-defense.html. Accessed Sept. 2, 2011.
- Stress and skin. American Academy of Dermatology. http://www.aad.org/media-resources/stats-and-facts/prevention-and-care/stress-and-skin. Accessed Sept. 2, 2011.
- Sunscreens. American Academy of Dermatology. http://www.aad.org/media-resources/stats-and-facts/prevention-and-care/sunscreens. Accessed Sept. 2, 2011.
- Dry skin: Tips for relieving. American Academy of Dermatology. http://www.aad.org/skin-conditions/dermatology-a-to-z/dry-skin/tips/dry-skin-tips-for-relieving. Accessed Sept. 2, 2011.
- Morita A, et al. Molecular basis of tobacco smoke-induced premature skin aging. The Journal of Investigative Dermatology. 2009;14:53.
- Morita A. Tobacco smoke causes premature skin aging. Journal of Dermatological Science. 2007;48:169.
- Cosgrove MC, et al. Dietary nutrient intakes and skin-aging appearance among middle-aged American women. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2007;86:1225.
- Bowe WP, et al. Diet and acne. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. 2010;63:124.
Find Mayo Clinic on