Keeping skin nourished with plenty of water and exercise is more crucial than most people think. Drinking at least eight glasses of water a day hydrates the skin and keeps it supple and moist. Water intake also minimizes those dreaded dark circles under the eyes.

Exercise stimulates the entire body and gets your blood flowing, making you glow. The better the circulation, the more nutrients go to the skin. Keeping skin clean is one of the simplest ways of caring for your skin. Wash your skin with tepid water and a mild facial cleanser. How many times a day should you wash your face? It depends on your skin type. Oily skin may need two or three washes a day, while dry skin should only be washed once or twice. Use a face cloth or a gentle facial scrub to help remove dead cells.

Wearing sunscreen when you go outdoors can counteract a lot of UVB damage, which contributes to the burning. Keep in mind that sunscreen does not protect against UVA damage. Some daily lotions have built-in sunscreen with a lower SPF and then there are lotions formulated for the sole purpose of protecting you from the sun with higher SPF. SPF (sun protection factors) are measured by timing how long skin covered with sunscreen takes to burn in comparison to uncovered skin. For example, SPF 30 means that while wearing sunscreen it will take 30 times longer to burn. Because protection from UVA rays is below satisfactory, sunscreen often offers a false sense of security because UVA rays are the more insidious of the two types of radiation that the sun emits.

Avoiding excessive sun altogether is the true meaning of sun protection.

Good sun protection methods include: staying in the shade between 11 am and 3 pm (peak sun strength hours), wearing protective clothing and a wide brimmed hat, wearing sunglasses to protect the eyes from UV rays, knowing your skin