Skin care is important during all stages of life, but it becomes especially crucial during your golden years. As you age, your skin loses vital components like collagen and elastin. This can lead to sagging, bags, wrinkles, and age spots. In addition, years of sun exposure can increase your risk of developing dangerous skin cancers. To protect your skin and maintain its beauty, embrace an effective skincare routine and a healthy lifestyle. With a few simple changes, you can noticeably improve your skin’s appearance and prevent future damage. To learn the basics of skin care for seniors, check out the five helpful tips below.
Skin Care for Seniors
Five Helpful Tips
1. Stay Hydrated
Hydration is crucial for many aspects of wellness, including the health of your skin. Dehydrated skin can easily become dull and dry. By drinking plenty of fluids (especially water), you can improve your skin’s elasticity and your overall health.
2. Eat Well
You are what you eat, they say, so take a close look at your diet if you want to improve your skin. Do your best to eat a well-balanced diet that includes plenty of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, healthy fats, and protein. Foods like berries, melons, leafy greens, almonds, salmon, and avocado are especially beneficial to the skin.
3. Wear Sunscreen
You might think that sunscreen is no longer necessary after a certain age. You’ve survived this long, right? Unfortunately, skin damage is accumulative. Skin becomes weaker with age, and the years you once spent sunbathing and avoiding sunscreen may now be taking their toll. Even if you religiously applied sunscreen in your younger years, that doesn’t mean you can slack off now. Apply a moisturizer with SPF every day, and use a stronger sunblock when you know you’ll be soaking up some rays. Not only will this reduce your chance of developing age spots and sunspots, but (more importantly) it will lower your risk for developing skin cancer.
4. Avoid Stress
You’ve been around long enough to know that stress can damage your body in numerous ways. From breakouts to rashes, a stressful time in your life can inflict a lot of damage on your skin. Hopefully you’re enjoying your golden years in peace, free of stress and anxiety. However, if you’ve recently gone through a stressful period, such as the death of a loved one or moving to a new home, take some time to relax and care for yourself. For example, you could enjoy a warm bath, take a long walk, or embrace a favorite hobby like reading or gardening.
5. Care for Your Skin Daily
The best way to ensure the health of your skin is to practice proper skin care on an everyday basis. Clean your skin with a gentle cleanser, and apply a hydrating moisturizer to replenish lost moisture. Be sure that your daily moisturizer includes SPF, as we mentioned above. In addition, if you wear makeup, thoroughly remove it each night before cleansing.
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Skin care for seniors doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. Although some readers may wish to add special products to their skincare repertoire, like nourishing eye creams and moisturizing serums, these are absolutely not necessary. Simply drink plenty of water, eat a well-balanced diet, wear sunscreen, avoid stress, and implement a basic skincare routine.
Are you looking for an assisted living community in Tennessee? If so, be sure to check out Hearthside Senior Living Place, located in Bartlett, Tennessee. We would be happy to schedule a tour for you so that you can explore the community, meet some of the residents, and ask any questions you might have. For more information, please call 901-854-6590. We look forward to meeting you!