By Alva Carpenter
Desert climates have plenty of sunshine but they are usually dry and arid, and you need to take extra special care of your skin to keep it looking fresh and wrinkle free.
Like me, most women have many pots of creams and lotions in their bathrooms. I do like my morning ritual of preparing my face for the day and again pampering my face at night.
The skin care market has become over-scientific and can be confusing. The cosmetic industry’s main aim is to create a market so that customers keep on buying new products that promise eternal youth and flawless skin. Ageing is seen to be avoided at all costs and we are all encouraged to spend vast amounts of money on antiageing preparations.
What we can do is look after ourselves and accept that life is a journey with different joys at different ages; but taking sensible care of ourselves without being slaves to the dream of forever 16. Skin care in the Gulf is extremely important as the sun can age the skin rapidly, especially if you sunbathe.
Sun damage
The sun is the number one cause of wrinkles, pigment changes and skin cancer. A little light sunshine is a valuable source of Vitamin D, but prolonged sun exposure damages the skin and ages it prematurely.
Expatriates who sunbathe for leisure age quickly and the damage shows up suddenly. So always use a sunscreen on your face and hands. Look for a sunscreen that protects from both UVA and UVB rays. Always protect your eyes too with good quality sunglasses.
How can natural products be answer to eternal youth?
Skin care manufacturers would like to believe that they have found the answer in a little pot of hope but there is no single solution; to have beautiful skin you need to work from the inside out.
I am from the whole health school that believes that skin is cared for internally and there is a direct correlation between what we feed our bodies and what shows up in our skin.
I am a great believer in moisturising the skin with natural products because Mother Nature provides everything we need to improve the skin. Go in for natural ingredients that work with the skin, rather than applying chemically refined products that contain elements that you may never have heard of.
Food always counts
Everything you do or do not put into your mouth affects the quality of your skin. For example, eat junk food and you will not have healthy skin. The amazing news is that you can transform your skin by making simple changes to your eating habits. Eat simple fresh food and drink plenty of water.
Plump out your skin with water
Your body is made up of 80% water and your skin loves it. Dehydration shows first on your skin. Drink at least 8 to 12 glasses of water every day. You can provide an external boost to your skin by applying a morning spray of mineral water before moisturising.
Caffeine can cause dehydration so think of coffee, tea, and cola as occasional treats.
Exercise
Take some exercise every day. Note how wonderful your skin looks after exercise. Exercise boosts the circulation, boosts the metabolism and brings oxygen to your skin cells.
Practice good skin care
It is important to know what is in the products that you are putting on your skin; many cosmetic manufacturers focus on only telling the customer what the creams will do for them, not what is in them. In the hot sun there are products that you should use very carefully.
Retin A products should not be used when going out in the sunshine as skin will burn more easily and can be damaged long-term. If you use a Retin A product only use it at night and then use a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 30. Retin A products should not be used during pregnancy.
Use gentle products to cleanse, moisturise and gently exfoliate.
Air conditioning is dehydrating and causes dry skin – you may need to use a gentle exfoliant to remove dead skin so that your moisturiser can do some work. Exfoliators should only be used at night as the new skin can be easily damaged by sunshine. It is very important to moisturise your skin at night and I recommend a skin oil, as oils are more easily absorbed than creams; then you can wake up to lovely soft skin. It is also important to use a moisturiser on your lips such as Vaseline, which keeps the moisture in; and always have a bottle of water by your bed.
Exercise your facial muscles
Facial exercises keep the muscles toned and work better than any cream. As we grow older our facial muscles need exercising to counter the effects of degenerating connective tissue that lead to sagging around the jaw line, and drooping eyelids. Facial exercise is also vital following weight loss. If you would like to receive my complete facial workout, and a fact sheet on skin care in harsh climate, you can e-mail to [email protected] for a free copy. You can follow me on Twitter: @AlvaCarpenter.
Good skin is a sign of health and beauty and if you take care of your skin it demonstrates that you are thinking positively about yourself. Water is the ultimate nourishment for skin but skin supplements are excellent for improving the skin texture and tone.
Essential tips
l Protect your face and hand with high SPF sun block.
l Moisturise using natural products.
l Use oils at night. Night oils feed and rejuvenate your skin while you sleep.
l Exfoliate twice a week to remove dry skin and prevent wrinkles.
l Make water your main drink of the day.
l Eat fresh fruit and vegetables.
l Massage your skin daily for 2 minutes.
l Keep your face high up on its moorings by e-mailing me for a free copy of my Mini-Facial Workout to [email protected]
l Take a good quality daily supplement to make sure that you are getting the best intake of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.