Excerpted from "A Year of Health Hints"
365 Practical Ways to Feel Better and Live Longer
As your skin ages, the sebaceous glands produce less oil, and
the skin loses elasticity. The result is dry, wrinkled
skin--unless you take steps to prevent (or minimize) those
effects.
Here's what to do to stay one step ahead of Mother Nature.
Shower or bathe
with a mild soap or transparent glycerin soaps to prevent dry,
flaky skin. Don't use
deodorant soaps on
your face--they're too harsh for sensitive facial skin.
Avoid
alcohol-based astringents, toners, or after-shave lotions, which
dry the skin.
Apply a
moisturizing lotion immediately after showering or bathing. (Dry
skin makes wrinkles more
noticeable, so using a
moisturizer makes wrinkles less noticeable.)
Use a room or
furnace humidifier during the winter months, to further prevent
dry skin.
When washing
dishes or working with strong detergents, protect your hands with
rubber gloves.
Apply sunscreen
lotion with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher
whenever you go outdoors.
If you're thinking about having a face lift, chemical peel, or
collagen injection for wrinkles, contact your local medical
society for the names of board-certified surgeons or
dermatologists with experience in the procedure you're
considering.