7 Free Ways To Get Better Skin

By Amy Wechsler, M.D. for YouBeauty.com

There are many factors that age our skin: sun damage and smoking to name two biggies.

And while wearing sunscreen every day and ditching the ciggies will do wonders for your complexion, the biggest beauty thief and ager of all is the stress our minds try to endure day in and day out.

You probably know how to care for your skin on its surface, but it’s so important to remember that for your healthiest, most vibrant skin, you must nurture it from the inside out. Enter the seven healthy habits for great skin. These are habits that you form to support radiant physical beauty.

All of them will help you to combat the stress that can age you six years or more.

It’s true that the best things in life are free. You don’t need a million bucks to feel (and look!) like a million bucks. There is so much you can do without spending an exorbitant amount of money, or time. In fact, a lot of what you can do right away costs close to nothing, including adopting these habits, some of which can create new neuronal pathways in your body.

The brain is not hardwired as much as we previously thought. And neither is your skin. The good news is that most of these habits involve doing less, not more, than you usually do!

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Practice Deep Breathing

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A classic sign of the stress response is shallow, crazy-fast breathing. That's why the opposite -- deep, slow breathing -- is such an effective way to calm yourself down. It can help you halt a stress reaction, or at least control it. Plus, it shifts the body's balance of carbon dioxide to oxygen in favor of energizing oxygen. (The integrity of the brain, nerves, glands and internal organs depend on oxygen, and in any shortage in supply will have a profound impact on the entire body, both inside and out.) Breathing goes far beyond just delivering life-sustaining oxygen to the body. Slow, controlled breathing in particular is the foundation for many Eastern practices that aim to return the body to a more balanced state, and one that has removed all signs of stress. When you're focusing on your breathing, you're not thinking about anything else. That shift in your mind helps remove stressors, bringing you to a deeper level of consciousness, a place where you can out things into perspective. More from YouBeauty.com: QUIZ: How healthy is your skin? QUIZ: What's your eating style? QUIZ: Are you getting enough quality sleep?

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A classic sign of the stress response is shallow, crazy-fast breathing. That's why the opposite -- deep, slow breathing -- is such an effective way to calm yourself down. It can help you halt a stress reaction, or at least control it.

Plus, it shifts the body's balance of carbon dioxide to oxygen in favor of energizing oxygen. (The integrity of the brain, nerves, glands and internal organs depend on oxygen, and in any shortage in supply will have a profound impact on the entire body, both inside and out.)

Breathing goes far beyond just delivering life-sustaining oxygen to the body. Slow, controlled breathing in particular is the foundation for many Eastern practices that aim to return the body to a more balanced state, and one that has removed all signs of stress.

When you're focusing on your breathing, you're not thinking about anything else. That shift in your mind helps remove stressors, bringing you to a deeper level of consciousness, a place where you can out things into perspective.

More from YouBeauty.com:

QUIZ: How healthy is your skin?
QUIZ: What's your eating style?
QUIZ: Are you getting enough quality sleep?

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Comments

[Amelia8989]

03:29 PM on 10/27/2011

If you're an organic skincare junkie like me I highly recommend checking out Om Aroma & Co products (they sell online at www.omaroma.com and also have a storefront in the West Village in NYC with a Spa) The products are fresh, totally organic, super pure and anti-aging! Powerpacked with cool antioxidants and skincare genius ingredients like White Truffle and Champagne Grapeseed. The hydrate cream (available at http://omaroma.com/organic-skin-care/creme-luxe) is a-mazing. :)

[NVBio]

07:47 PM on 09/27/2011

One of the most important steps you can take for better skin is protecting your skin from the sun every day! One great way to do this is with a nutritional supplement called Sunsafe Rx. Sunsafe Rx is made with natural ingredients from foods and plants that have been clinically shown to protect your skin from sun damage. Plus, Sunsafe Rx is not only an anti-aging product but is also made with antioxidants that are great for your eyes and skin.

[Siobhan Landis]

09:05 AM on 09/27/2011

I'd add - and protect your skin from UV radiation by using a full-spectrum sun block.

Is it free? As free as eating well is (which is to say, not at all).

Find out more about protecting your skin from the visible aging caused by UV exposure at

http://www.naturallyradiant.info/site/uv-protection/229

[John Di Saia]

12:54 PM on 09/17/2011

Stress does make people look older.

[whyus]

12:28 PM on 09/15/2011

Regular use of olive oil & salt on your face, especially if it is dry, works wonders. Been doing that for years, and see how young I look!

[Siobhan Landis]

09:05 AM on 09/27/2011

No question - you look very young indeed!

[evecaren]

09:21 AM on 09/10/2011

One of your readers asked if there was a "magic pill" to close your mind and send you off
to dreamland. It's not a magic pill, but melatonin tablets can be very effective. Melatonin is something your body already produces and it's available at health food stores and some drug stores carry it too. But check with your doctor before you start any new supplement is wise
advice. Tryptophane found naturally in milk and bananas and turkey apparently, helps to aid
in sleep. Sleepy time tea is also an option. It helps to calm your mind and induce sleepiness.

[tomteboda]

02:06 AM on 09/10/2011

And of course the best thing for great-looking skin into old age wasn't mentioned here... don't ever let yourself burn, and avoid tanning if at all possible. You don't have to spend any money on these two items, though it might mean a bit of lifestyle modification.

I learned about the dangers of tanning and burning at the age of twelve. Now I am 33, and am consistently mistaken for a woman in he early twenties because of the condition of my skin. The same is true of my sister, and we both look much younger than our mother or grandmothers did at the same age.

[GGSS2020]

09:33 AM on 09/09/2011

Water, massage, moisturize, sunscreen, good diet, natural face cleansers, and cleaning it twice a day. Well that's what I go by... >_

[SlowBurn]

01:31 AM on 09/09/2011

I once had a doctor prescribe chocolate and sex. I guess I should follow her advice again.

[John Di Saia]

12:57 PM on 09/17/2011

A good start. :)

[blondebeblonde]

10:32 AM on 09/29/2011

I like your outlook!

[blondebeblonde]

10:31 AM on 09/29/2011

My two favorite things in life! I can give up chocolate (and have) but wonderful sex keeps one supple, for lack of a better word, and that certainly shows on someone's face.

[beauley]

09:00 PM on 09/08/2011

Getting a Good Night's Sleep
Is there a magic pill that will close our minds and send us off into dreamland?
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2606007/getting_a_good_nights_sleep.html?cat=68

[Karim Orange]

07:15 PM on 09/08/2011

Self massage also works wonders.

[lovepumpkin]

05:18 PM on 09/10/2011

i'll second that!!!!!

[zeeke]

06:53 PM on 09/08/2011

Plenty of wrong information in this article about avoiding dietary fat.

[williamg]

06:19 PM on 09/08/2011

1. Get active
2. Get active
3. Get active

By doing that, you will do accomplish all of the other 7 things listed.

[siena and david allen]

06:18 PM on 09/08/2011

yeah 4 sex!!!!!

[one1byke]

04:36 PM on 09/08/2011

This is 2011 - not 1980.
#8. Go to Europe... Nice/Paris/London/Barcelona... and check out their skin.
Then notice how much Bread and Cheese being consumed... then FULL STOP.

#9. Get real about the effects of Sugar and Cancer.
Then.... ice cream, cookies, etc... FULL STOP.

Rewards? Men: a fully functional Body.. Women: a fully functional Brain, as well.