Tuesday

Taking Care of Your Skin

2 Comments October 17, 2006 – 8:39 am | Share and Save | Permalink |  Print This Post |

As gay men, we should be aware that taking care of our skin is a major, major thing. The skin is the first thing anyone would notice. So dearies, some tips on skin care is in order. I tell you straight that the best skin care consists not of Eskinol, or whatever you put on your face, rather it consists of these three things: (1) drinking lots and lots of water; (2) watching out what you eat, and increase your intake of fruits and vegetables;(3) using sunscreen.

Notice that 2 out of 3 items in the above list pertain to intake of the good stuff: water, fruits, and vegetables. I really believe that outer beauty is 80% dependent on what you ingest — may it be the material stuff or the emotional stuff. So go and read the following article to see which food is the best for smoother skin:

More Fruits and Vegetables, Less Wrinkles

Regardless of your skin type or where you live, what you eat affects your ability to resist wrinkles as well as disease, as this recent study of “Food Habits in Later Life” shows. An international study of eating patterns and aging found that the complexions of both olive and fair-skinned individuals fared better in those who ate more of the World’s Healthiest Foods’ fruits and vegetables and less fat and sugar.

The study evaluated 177 Greek-born subjects living in Melbourne, 69 Greek subjects living in rural Greece, 48 Anglo-Celtic Australian elderly living in Melbourne, and 159 Swedish subjects living in Sweden, all of whom had their dietary intakes of various foods measured and their skin assessed. When the data was pooled and analyzed, researchers found that a higher intake of vegetables, olive oil, fish, and legumes, and lower intakes of butter, margarine, milk products, and sugar products was associated with significantly more youthful, less wrinkled skin. Even when researchers factored in smoking-which has been conclusively linked to premature aging of the skin-diet still played a role in amount of the wrinkling present in sun-exposed skin. The bottom line: People who ate the most fruits and vegetables and the least fat and sugar had smoother, more youthful skin.

The study authors note that the skin is a “major target of oxidative stress,” and speculate that the most nutrient dense fruits and vegetables–those that qualify as the World’s Healthiest Foods–protect against sun damage due to their high levels of antioxidants such as vitamins A, C and E. Since fatty acids are present in the skin, monounsaturated fats like olive oil (another of the World’s Healthiest Foods), which is more stable and better able to resist oxidative damage, may provide skin protection through a similar mechanism.

Skin-smoothing foods included:

1. prunes
2. apples
3. tea
4. green leafy vegetables
5. olive oil
6. nuts
7. beans
8. fish

(Reference: Purba MB, Kouris-Blazos A, Wattanapenpaiboon N, et al , Skin wrinkling: can food make a difference? J Am Coll Nutr 2001 Feb;20(12):71-80.)

Now, for a quickie tip, here’s what I found as the simplest, homemade one:

Quickie Regimen — a daily routine or a quick fix right before a big date:
1. Separate an egg white into 2 halves. Rub one half against your face and wash off with lukewarm water.
2. Now rub the second half on your face and let it dry for 5 to 10 minutes. Wash off with warm water and dry carefully with a towel.