11 steps to better skin

Beauty, the saying goes, is only skin-deep. But the importance of skin goes a lot deeper. Here are a few tips to help you protect your skin and keep it nourished and moisturized.

1. Treat your neck and chest like an extension of your face. Your neck and upper chest area is covered by very sensitive skin, making it a prime spot for telltale signs of aging — like dryness. To keep this area youthful, use facial cleansing creams that hydrate and cleanse gently rather than deodorant soaps, which can be drying. Top it all off with a good facial moisturizing cream. If this area is extra dry, use a facial moisturizing mask twice a month.

2. Switch from a deodorant soap to a more moisturizing product. Deodorant soaps can be drying, whereas these specially designed products leave an oily, yet beneficial, film on your skin.

3. Keep your beauty products simple, particularly if you have sensitive skin. Stay away from anything with colour or fragrance, that produces bubbles or has "antibacterial" on the label.

4. For soft, young-looking hands and feet, put on plenty of moisturizing cream, then slip on thin fabric socks and gloves while you sleep.

5. Tone your skin with a sage, peppermint and witch hazel combination. Sage helps to control oil, peppermint creates a cool tingle, and witch hazel helps to restore the skin's protective layer. Combine 100 grams of witch hazel with a teaspoon each of sage and peppermint leaves and steep for one to three days before applying to your skin.

6. Use a loofah every day to keep ingrown hairs and scaly skin under control. While you're in the shower, gently scrub bumpy or scaly skin with a circular motion to remove dead cells.

7. Start the day with a glass of orange juice to help to build collagen. Or better yet, eat the whole orange. Orange juice is rich in vitamin C, essential for the manufacture of collagen, which helps to keep the skin smooth and youthful. Other foods rich in vitamin C include guava, kiwis and red peppers.

8. Take a multivitamin every day. Many nutrients are vital to healthy skin, including vitamins C, A and B. The most reliable way to get them all is to eat healthily, as well as taking a daily supplement.

9. Use unscented baby powder to keep areas where skin meets skin – the inner thighs, underarms, beneath the breasts – clean and dry. This helps to prevent intertrigo, an irritating skin condition that occurs when such areas remain moist, allowing bacteria or fungi to grow.

10. If you're gearing up for a day in the sun, steer clear of scented lotions and perfumes. Scented products can lead to blotchy skin when exposed to the sun.

11. Protect your skin from the sun all year round with a sunblock that has an SPF of 30 or greater. Just because there's snow on the ground doesn't mean your skin can't be damaged by the sun. Time outdoors is time well spent, but be sure to keep your skin either well covered or well protected with sunblock. The sun is at its most damaging between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.