Taking Years Off Your Complexion

Men and women out there how often do you find yourself making excuses when it comes to pampering your skin? Skin doesn't discriminate gender. It sags, discolors, creases, gets spotty and ages regardless. Do you often find yourself saying, "It's winter I don't need sunscreen," "I can spend money on something else," "I'm too tired to take my makeup off," "Exfoliating makes my face red," "I give up ... nothing seems to work?"

We all get overwhelmed in our lives by our jobs, work, raising a family, being in a relationship, keeping ahead of our debt ... the list goes on. However, too many lapses in caring for your skin can lead to ugly outbreaks and premature signs of aging. Let's face it. None of us want to appear older than we really are!

So, here are five simple things you can do to keep you skin in the best possible shape ever:

1. Take a few minutes to cleanse your skin before bedtime. Going to bed with the days dirt, oil and makeup on your face will cause acne and enlarged pores. To make it easier, just keep no-rinse face wipes in your nightstand. It's that easy.

2. Aging from UVA rays happens all year long. To keep skin youthful, use a moisturizer with SPF included. The higher, the better. Or, for the very best protection, choose one that contains avobenzone, mexoryl, titanium dioxide, or zinc oxide.

3. The best products can only be found at the most expensive stores is a fallacy. Studies have shown mass products are as effective as those pricier lines. Your local drugstore will have fabulous products and the most effective anti-aging ones only need to include retinoids, AHA's, peptides, vitamin C and hydrators like hyaluronic acid. So do a label reading.

4. Patience is a virtue when looking for results. It can take upwards of 8 weeks before you see products delivering what they're suppose to. Introduce a new product about every two months. It takes your skin time to build up a tolerance especially for really aggressive anti-aging product lines.

5. Skin dies ... plain and simple. Do you want it laying around ... heck no! Removing dead cells helps soften wrinkles and brighten your skin. Exfoliating should be done no more than twice a week if you use retinoid or AHA. Stay away from aggressive scrubs because they can lead to redness and irritation. Choose a chemical exfoliator like glycolic acid or gentle cleansing beads.

Love the skin you're in and treat it kindly. And remember, just don't apply the pampering to your face but all over as well.