- Supple, well-hydrated skin often correlates with youthfulvitality.
- Healthful skin habits, such as using mild cleansers,limiting bath time and moisturizing regularly may help prevent bouts ofeczema (inflammation of the skin).
- Many of the moisturizers on the market today offer sunprotection and also soothe irritated skin.
Exfoliating before rinsing off during your bath allows you toget rid of dead skin cells, but it's not always necessary. "Onlycertain parts of the body need to be exfoliated during the fall --mainly the elbows, knees and feet," Dr. Draelos explains. "Rememberthat dry skin should be moisturized and not exfoliated." She adds thatyou only need to exfoliate your face once a week.
Careful cleansing
Keep skin soft and smooth by using soaps with added oils ormoisturizers. Although refreshing, soaking in a bath does have itsdisadvantages. Skin can lose protective oils when you stay in water toolong, so try to limit bath time to 15 minutes.
Choosing the rightcleanser is especiallyimportant if you enjoy sudsy soaks. "Bath salts and bubble baths arebest thought of as aesthetic products that make the bath morepleasurable," dermatologist Zoe Draelos explains. "They have nobeneficial effect on your skin."
