Beyond the normal use of lotion after a shower, most people don’t think too much about their skin. And yet, our skin is the largest organ of our body. It breathes, it respirates, it releases toxins, and it provides a lot of physical signals about our health.

Let’s start with the eyes. As we age, the skin around our eyes seems to expand with age. The real truth is that the collagen in our system begins to disappear. Collagen is that component that expands to fit our skin, giving us the appearance of youth. Small wonder they inject it into the lips of actresses who want to look younger. The results aren’t always what you would expect. Instead of heading to the plastic surgeon, here are some tips to help without radical intervention. Our eyes are the first thing people notice about us. As we age, they begin to develop fine lines and wrinkles. Then they seem to disappear into our heads with a crepe-like covering. To prevent this, try using a little bit of eye cream that contains some Retin A. Previously, this was only available by prescription, now many are available over the counter. They also include antioxidants, hyaluronic acid and vitamin C. All of these promote the formation of your own collagen and elastin to tighten the skin around your eyes, giving a much more youthful appearance.

Don’t forget the sunscreen. We all know that we need some sun exposure for vitamin D production and as a country we are deficient in vitamin D. But all we need is about 20 minutes of full exposure daily. After that, cover it up! Seriously, there is a fine line between vitamin D production and skin cancer. Time yourself. If you’re going up to the mailbox or taking Fido for a walk around the block, as long as it is under 20 minutes, you can to out without applying sunscreen. Anything where you are exposed to the sun’s UV radiation for longer than 20 minutes requires a very thorough application of sunscreen. It doesn’t matter if it’s cloudy, raining, or snowing. We’re constantly exposed to the sun’s UV rays. And if you live at altitude, you know who you are, you need to be extra vigilant. After your first 20 minutes, always apply 30 to 50 SPF sunscreen.
Makeup Madness. When you were younger, your mom might have complained that you put on too much makeup.

Photo Credit : Beauty shot from Aimanness Photography via Flickr