We can see, so we are always blind to things deeper than the Skin.                                                                          -Joe Chung. All the beauty of the world, is but Skin deep!- Ralph Venning

Skin is a miracle garment. It's soft, pliable, strong, waterproof, and self-repairing. Skin is considered as a major sex organ as its feel is sensually vital. Without Skin, people's Muscles, bones, and organs would be hanging out all over the place. Skin holds everything together. Today, with harmful radiation from the sun, pollutants in the air and water, and petrochemicals in Skin care products; we need to be extremely cautious about how we treat our Skin. Nutrition is a major consideration to healthy, beautiful, youthful, glowing Skin. Your good-looking Skin depends on it. We all dream of getting a miracle in a bottle and expect an instant facelift, zero pores, paper smoothness and milky complexion. But our obsession with being flawless is absurd. Wrinkles happen, adding character and depth to the face. Other changes occur as well like we get scars, Freckles etc. and acceptance, not denial, looks better on everyone. So beautiful Skin is the first step in looking great and feeling great!

Your Skin is a mirror of your overall body health. Healthy Skin is the most important element of a great looking face. Here are few tips to give your Skin, a shine and your confidence, a boost!

Do's

Maintain a proper balanced diet. Eat at least five portions of fruit or vegetables a day to keep your vitamin levels up. Eat a lot of green leafy vegetables, lettuce, carrots and beetroot; these are rich in vitamin A and anti oxidants prevent dryness and wrinkling of the Skin. Eating a lot of vitamin C rich food such as citrus fruits, gooseberries and tomatoes is very essential. Vitamin C heals the Skin faster, and it prevents scar formations and brings glow to the Skin.

Exercise regularly. Exercise brings more oxygen and nutrients to the Skin so that it is firmer and better nourished. Exercise also improves the circulation, calms the nerves and promotes a deeper, more revitalizing sleep. It also slows down aging. Drink a lot of fluids, especially water and fresh fruit juices and vegetable soups. They keep the Skin well hydrated; the Skin remains supple, soft and clear. It also reduces the wrinkles. A minimum of 2-3 lit/ day of water should be consumed daily. Water also removes toxins form the body, which brings back glow to the Skin.

Get enough rest. Take at least 6-8 hrs of sleep. Skin rebuilds itself during sleep. A good relaxing sleep increases the Blood flow to the Skin that rejuvenates the Skin. Protect the Skin from the harmful UV- rays of the sun. Apply the sunscreen daily. Use at least an SPF 10 to your face and exposed areas of your body whenever you are going to be out in the sun.

Have the right Skin routine. Daily have a cleansing, toning and moisturizing routine. Use the products depending upon specific Skin types. Cleansing helps in removing the dirt, oil and make up gently without drying the Skin. Toning removes any residual greasiness still left on the Skin from your make-up or your cleansing product. It also closes the pores, stimulates circulation, and gives the Skin a porcelain-like quality. Moisturizing which helps in retaining the natural Skin oil should follow toning.

Protect the Skin from the harmful UV- rays of the sun. Apply the sunscreen daily. Use at least an SPF 10 to your face and exposed areas of your body whenever you are going to be out in the sun. Wash the Skin daily at least 2 times daily, if the Skin type is oily, then wash at least 3 times. Use a gentle nonabrasive cleanser. Apply it with Fingers avoiding cloth. Cloth can cause mild abrasions on the Skin.

Don't

Avoid fatty, junk foods, processed foods and too spicy food. They make the Skin greasy increasing the chances of Acne and pimples. They also lead to formation of Skin marks.

Avoid too much of stress. When the body is stressed, Blood flows more to deeper organs such as Heart, Lungs and Brain, at the same time the Blood flow to the Skin and Hair is reduced. Hence too much of stress makes the Skin very sensitive and dull.

Avoid rubbing the Skin. Rubbing off removes the protective sebum layer of the most upper part of the Skin. This makes the Skin dry. Always give gentle strokes to the Skin. Avoid alcohol and smoking. Smoking robs the Skin of its vitality and potential for being smooth and attractive. Smoking constricts the Blood vessels thereby reducing the Blood supply to the Skin. Hence people who smoke have a depleted, pallid complexion and Skin that wrinkles prematurely. Alcohol on other hand dehydrates the Skin and impedes circulation, thus robbing the Skin of precious moisture and depletes the body of vitamins and minerals needed for a healthy complexion.

Never go to bed with your makeup on. Every time that you don't wash your makeup off actually ages you 8 days! Avoid chemical treatments to the Skin like tattooing or permanent make up. They attack the Skin cuticle. They also increase the risks of Skin cancers.

Avoid over washing the face. Continually washing your face leads to drying of Skin. When this happens, the Skin goes into alert mode and starts sending messages to produce more oil. This leads to over production of oil resulting in a breakout and oil rich Skin that is very hard to control. Avoid using too hot or too Cold water for washing. Always use lukewarm water. Too hot water damages/removes the protective layers of Skin, making it very dry. Cold water leads to decreased Blood flow to the Skin leading to dull Skin.

The Skin is often used as a metaphor for deeper tissues and a way for your body to send up a red flag to warn you that all is not well underneath. When our Skin is unhealthy it is usually a reflection of the internal state of our bodies, and is often a sign of poor elimination of toxins and waste products. The Skin being truly the largest organ in the body is in fact the easiest way for the body to eliminate toxins. Hence the Skin is called the body's first line of defence against the environment. It has to deal with the effects of weather, sun, Cold, heat, dryness, humidity, scrapes, bumps, soaps, chemicals, perspiration and dirt of all kinds. It is a wonder that our Skin stays healthy most of the time! Stress is also a major perpetrator of Skin-related problems. We can help our Skin deal with this onslaught by optimizing our general health and by protecting our Skin from harsh environmental exposure. When it comes to taking care of Skin, we have always been known to apply sunscreens and moisturizers as a part of our daily care. Many of these Skin and body cleansers and moisturizers contain highly toxic and irritating ingredients. New Skin care products emerging in the markets every day can perhaps help. However, it's hard to figure out which ones are useful and up to what extent will they really benefit you. Skin is just a barometer of your internal health. So in order to maintain radiant and good looks, you have to ensure good health from within. So taking care of Skin calls for something more than just cleansing and moisturising. We need to have a holistic approach to ensure the balance. Western medicine generally treats Skin eruptions either with antibiotics, cortisone, or anti fungal preparations. These medicines may alleviate the Skin problem temporarily, or occasionally for good, but they do not address the source of the problem. Putting a lid on Skin symptoms without getting to the Root of the imbalance may even result in suppression, that means the imbalance may be driven deeper causing more serious health problems later without ever strengthening the underlying vital force of the person. Soon the body will give up trying to eliminate through the Skin and will choose to go through the organs instead, leading to a much more serious problem.

In ancient times during the Greek and Roman era, including the legendary princess Cleopatra, pampered themselves and their Skin by taking milk baths. They immersed their bodies in seawater hot tubs, inhaled aromas, got hot oil massages, and had sea green facials and body wraps. They were also known to use seawater pools for HydroTherapy and detoxification. They were aware of the true mysterious and amazing healing power of water. The Chinese

healing art of Acupuncture is one that dates back at least two thousand years. It was discovered during fights, that being hit by an arrow could in some instances have a beneficial effect! Acupuncture through needles and Chinese medicines through their herbs, are known to stimulate the energy medians to effectively treat various Skin problems like Acne, sagging of Skin, wrinkling, etc. Similarly, one of the oldest scientific medicinal systems in the world, Ayurveda also called the science of life, prescribes the use of natural herbs, essential oils and massage in treating several Skin problems.

There is nothing better than getting treated the natural way, with a holistic approach, which ensures overall wellness rather than just symptomatic relief. One must always keep in mind that basic beauty begins with the glow of good health, which shines from within.