Is Beauty Really Only Skin Deep?

The answer is yes and no. It's a paradox, isn't it? True beauty begins from the inside out. Don't you wish there were some way to "wriggle your nose" and regain that soft skin you had as a child?

Well, until someone comes up with the true "Fountain of Youth," we are stuck with what we have.


The best route to healthy skin is to take care of what you have. Sounds simple, doesn't it? The truth is that your skin takes a beating from the environment every single day. Here are some of our favorite tips for keeping your skin fresh and healthy:

1.Stay hydrated, and drink plenty of water! That doesn't mean soda, caffeine or any other type of liquid even if it is low cal. Soda (even diet soda) has a high concentration of sodium. Sodium retains fluids. You need fluid that will hydrate and flush your body free of toxins. Make sure you are drinking at least 8 glasses a day!

2.Protect your skin from harmful ultra violet (UV) rays. We all love the sun. We love being in it and we love having a beautiful tan. The truth is you can poison yourself with too much sunshine. UV rays cause skin cancer, and if that isn't bad enough, it causes your skin to age faster than it should, contributing to unsightly wrinkles. If you must play in the sun, make certain you are using an adequate sun screen. Don't leave home without it!

3.Apply your sun screen even if you only make a quick trip to the grocery store. Yes, you can get harmful UV rays even while driving your car!

4.When you purchase sun screen, make certain you are buying the right tool for the job. There are different types of UV rays and they don't all affect our skin in the same ways. The time of year also has a bearing on how much damage the sun can do to your skin. Altitude is another important factor. UV rays are more intense at high altitudes. Sunshine alone is not the culprit. You can do just as much damage to your skin (or in some cases even more) on a cloudy day!

5.Don't forget sun screen for your lips. They want to be healthy too!

6.Apply your sunscreen BEFORE going outdoors and allow plenty of time for it to adequately absorb into your skin cells rather than just sitting on top of the skin.

7.Read the labels on skin care products. The truth is that some ingredients may do more harm than good. The more ingredients are listed, the more potential harm they can do to your skin.