Good skin care is more than simply putting on lotion before you go to bed at night. For truly beautiful skin, you have to work at it, because modern day life is working against you.

Some of the most damaging things to skin are found in the environment, including pollution and the sun’s harmful rays. While it’s certainly not plausible to hide in a bubble, there are some things you can do to help your skin deal with

the day-to-day challenges it faces.

—Keep hydrated. Yes, there are some people who will say drinking lots of water does nothing to help skin tone, but have you ever seen yourself after a day of neglecting to drink enough water? Being dehydrated does make the skin look

healthier.

—Stay out of the sun—but not all of the time. We want to avoid the harmful UV rays that make our skin old before its time, but studies have also shown that the sun gives us a vital cancer-fighting vitamin that we really shouldn’t do

without: Vitamin D. We’d like a compromise here. Put on a good moisturizing lotion with an SPF of 30 or more and go out and enjoy that sun thirty minutes at time.

—Don’t smoke. Do we really have to say this? One of the worst things anyone can do to their skin is to smoke—and studies have shown that the effects are worse for women than men. No one wants that wrinkled “smoker’s” face that can

make a relatively young woman look ten-plus years older than they are. Smoking restricts blood to capillaries, preventing oxygen and nutrients from reaching the skin.

—Don’t drink excessive alcohol—Unlike smoking, alcohol increases blood to the face’s capillaries too much, permanently damaging them. And no, you cannot counter the problems caused by smoking by drinking. Alcohol also dehydrates your

skin, which promotes wrinkles over time.

—Stop stressing. Stress ages you, including the appearance of your skin. Reversing this can be done easily, simply by taken a few minutes each day to completely relax to reduce your stress levels.

Remember, your skin is your body’s largest organ. Take care of it.

Join Club CBC at CaliforniaBodyCare.com for Exclusive Special Offers On Skin Care Products