By Josephine Uzorh
The skin is a very delicate part of the human anatomy, and keeping it radiant is not as difficult as most women think.
It must be well nourished and cared for, in order for it to remain radiant and spotless.
By nourishment, you must eat foods that contain nutrientscapable of aiding in the reproduction of cells. Most processed food contain low nutrients, and do not help the skin, butrather, makes it age faster.
Foods like nuts, apples, berries, tomatoes, avocados and vegetables should be part of your daily meals.
Water is also an essential source of nutrients which is good for your skin. Drinking water in the morning before breakfast, and at night before going to bed keeps the body hydrated and helps your skin in good shape.
Another important step to caring for the skin is being mindful of the kind of cosmetic applied to the skin. Generally, we have three categories of skin tones. They are: light, medium and dark. Skin tone refers to the quantity of melanin your genetics allows your body to produce.
Apart from the skin tone, we also have the skin undertone, which remains the same, even though the skin tone may change from time to time.
So, before buying any kind of cosmetic for the face or body, make sure you know the category of skin tone you belong to. This is to avoid buying a product that might cause harm or damage the skin.
Also, limit your exposure to sun rays. The sun is an important source of vitamin D, which is necessary for bone formation. But we should limit our exposure to the sun which is at its strongest between 10 am to 2 pm. This is because too much exposure to the sun accelerates ageing, and in some cases skin cancer. So, in order to avoid wrinkles and early ageing, you should plan your outing time. If going out is unavoidable, use an umbrella or wear hats or sunglasses.
Exercise is a major ingredient in the process of maintaining a glowing and radiant skin.
Kate Henshaw, Omoni Oboli and Genevieve Nnaji remain young and glowing because of the regimented exercises they put their bodies through.
Here is what Henshaw said about her exercise habit.
“In the past five to six years, I have not been to the hospital for anything or any reason. Before I started working out actively, I used to have typhoid or malaria every month like clockwork; it was like taking diaprim every Sunday, it was like a routine. I would have a fever and all sorts. Now, I don’t have any of those issues. And my energy level is just something else and I have found out that being fit is the best thing ever,”she said.
Simple stretching exercises like jumping jacks, plank, cobra and sit-ups would help stretch the muscles. It also helps reduce the rate at which one ages by slowing down cell ageing.
No wonder Kate Henshaw still looks young and beautiful even though she is almost 50.
