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Before you go out and bake in a tanning bed for 15 minutes, think about the consequences; namely, the damage being done to your skin. According to the Karen Clifford Skin Care Charity, women under age 30 who regularly brown themselves in tanning beds increase their risk of skin cancer by a whopping 75 percent. As a matter of fact, the most common cancer in 20-somethings is malignant melanoma. Taking care of your skin doesn't only involve avoiding the tanorexia look. Proper skin care in your late twenties will keep nasty pimples at bay and prevent wrinkles in the future.
1.
Wash your face every day and night with mild facial cleanser. Avoid scrubbing at your skin with harsh bar soap to get rid of acne; scrubbing only makes it worse and soap leaves residue. Watch out for products with alcohol in them. Alcohol will dry out your skin and make it flaky.
2.
No matter what the season, you should always, always, always use an oil-free SPF facial moisturizer. which guards your skin from the damaging rays of the sun. Apply a dab of moisturizer all over your face and neck every day either alone or under makeup. Make sure to use a facial moisturizer, not regular sunscreen.
3.
Wash your hair on a regular basis. This doesn't sound like a remedy for skin care, but it is. If your hair is dingy and oily, the dirt and oils touch your face and neck all day long, leading to dirty skin. Dirty skin leads to---you guessed it---pimples and acne.
4.
It's true that most ladies love to style their hair with a plethora of different gels, sprays, creams and pomades. However, these styling products can build up on the skin and cause irritation, acne and clogged pores. Keep hair styling products in your hair and off your skin.
5.
Okay, so this is the news that no one wants to hear; around age 30, skin cell turnover begins to slow, which in turn makes your skin look dull and dreary. Fortunately, there is a solution to this alarming situation. Apply an at-home alpha hydroxy facial peel to your skin once a week or daily, depending on the strength of the peel. Make sure to follow the directions when using skin peels.
6.
Apply an anti-aging retinol cream to your face and neck every night before bed. Anti-aging cream in your late twenties? It sounds depressing. However, applying retinol cream before wrinkles start will actually prevent them from even happening. Retinol sloughs off dead skin, evening skin tone and building collagen.
7.
Here's the big one: go to a dermatologist.These specialists will do full-body examinations to check for oddly-shaped moles (which could be melanoma) and other skin problems. If you can stomach that annual PAP smear every year, you can handle a regular dermatologist exam.
Don't neglect the skin on the rest of your body. Use an everyday body moisturizer for your hands, arms and elbows, legs, feet, stomach and breasts. Regular moisturizing will prevent itchy, dry skin in the wintertime and keep it looking supple and soft.
Not to belabor the point, but avoid tanning beds at all costs. Opt for spray tanner or sun-kissed lotions that contain small amounts of sunless tanner.
