When you were growing up, your mother may have been your first teacher about beautiful skin. "Wash your face and hands!" "Don't stay out in the sun too long!" "Don't make that face, or it will stay that way!" "Stop picking at it, or you'll make it worse!" These are all quotes from childhood that go a long way to teaching us about the merits of beautiful skin care. But, we tend to forget these as we leave home, and we get caught up in the freneticworld we call adulthood.The importance of proper skin care increases as you get older. Your skin goes through several different phases, as hormones adjust themselves and stress becomes a part of everyday life. The more your skin is exposed to outside elements, the more vulnerable it becomes. Here are eight very basic tips to improving your chances of maintaining skin survival and that "youthful glow" we all work so desperately to keep.

Protect your skin from the sun.
You've heard that before, but 90 percent of all aging begins and ends with exposure to the sun. Ultraviolet light from the sun breaks down collagen and elastin, both of which are essential to healthy skin. Both of which work together to keep skin smooth and firm. To minimize damage and wrinkles, use Sun Protection Factor (SPF) sunscreens, creams, and makeup. A teaspoon will go a long way to protect your face...every day. Just as importantly, find a great pair of sunglasses to wear whenever you go out. Not only will you add style to your look, you will protect the sensitive skin around your eyes from the damaging rays of a beautiful sunny day. Sunglasses with UV protection can also keep you from squinting, a leading cause of crow's feet as a result of collagen breakdown around the eyes.

Drink water to stay hydrated.
Water is a leading source of hydration. Coffee doesn't count! You need just plain water, eight times a day to replenish what you use up on any given day. Water is also the best remedy to rehydrate from a plane ride, a evening of martinis, a late work night, the tears from a sad movie, a heavy workout after eating that big helping of lasagna. Your body needs water to regulate all your systems, remember that from Biology in high school? But, even more importantly, your skin needs the water to purge itself of toxins and keep the collagen and elastin working together as it should.

Avoid smoky situations.
That's right. If you smoke, not only is it horrible for your lungs, your breath, those around you...but it also depletes your skin of much needed oxygen and hydration. Think about it, if you smoke, your lungs need hydration first. So, no matter how much water you drink, your body will replenish what it needs on a priority basis. So figure out a way to quit. And, if you don't smoke, avoid smoky bars, campfires, refineries, building fires, and the like. It may sound tongue in cheek, but smoke deprives your skin of natural hydration. So, does drinking alcohol.

Keep your skin clean.
Gently cleansers go a long way to helping remove the top layer of dead skin cells to reveal a fresher layer underneath. As you unclog your pores, your skin looks smoother. Cleanse your skin in the morning, cleanse your skin before you go to bed. And, it may sound funny, but if you are exposed to a particular situation where you know your face feels dirty, take the time to cleanse again. Examples come to mind such as a heavy windy day in a dry and dusty climate, remodeling where that fine white dust appears everywhere whether it's your home or your office environment, a walk downtown in a heavily congested area where mass transit buses take their toll on fresh air. A few minutes to take the dirt off (that you can't see) will help it from getting too deep into your pores. And, at night, be sure to take all your makeup off from the day. Keeping your skin clean allows it to breathe. Another helpful hint: assign one towel to use for your face and change it out every day. Dirt and oil builds up over time, and a few extra towels to wash at the end of the week will be worth keeping old dirt (that you can't see) from getting back on your clean skin.

Be aware of your facial movements.
If you bite your lip, squint to read your computer screen, or you crinkle your forehead when you're thinking. If you chew gum, use straws with your favorite adult recreational beverage or lunchtime drink, or if you smoke. These are all repetitive movements that can break down the collagen around sensitive skin areas. Sure, you may not have a wrinkle there now, but you'll wonder where the wrinkles came from later on in life (even earlier in some cases). Just be aware of it and try to curb your habits. More importantly, use a cream at night to gently moisturize those specific areas.

Use a moisturizer on your face, hands, feet, and elbows.
The best time to do that is at night, when you're getting your eight hours of sleep when the skin can renew itself. Creams can smooth out the fine lines and help to restore itself from the sun damage of the day. Use a moisturizer right after you wash your face in the morning under your makeup, and then reapply if you wash your face during the day. Think about your hands and how many times you wash them in a day, or how often you use hand sanitizer to keep yourself from catching the latest cold that's going around the office. Every time you do, you need to remoisturize your hands. Take a look at your nail bed, you'll be able to see if you are using enough moisturizer. And don't forget your heels, particularly during the summer when your showing off your latest Jimmy Choo sandals. Exposure to the dryness in the air and the elements make bare heels particularly susceptible to dehydration and, ultimately, cracks in the skin.

Exfoliate once a week.
It's an easy part of any Sunday routine when you've ended the week and need to relax anyway. Exfoliating sheds skin to clear up uneven pigmentation and stimulates collagen growth. Taking old skin off allows new skin to show through, giving you a smoother, softer skin layer and allowing your skin to breathe again. Be careful about too much exfoliating though, you have to let the new skin develop and new skin needs the natural oils that are produced over time.

Get some sleep.
Easy to say, not as easy to do. But the old adage of "I need my beauty sleep" is really true. Eight hours a day is important to allow your tired, stressed out body and skin to relax and rejuvenate...naturally. If you rob yourself of sleep, you add stress to your body in other ways that may be unnoticeable. Until you get up in the morning on Wednesday and notice the dark circles under your eyes from those 2am mornings of doing your work, mastering your son's science project, or proofreading your daughter's English paper. We all need our sleep. Get in the habit of getting your full eight hours. You will feel better, those around you will feel better, and your skin will thank you for it.

Great Reading Material for Healthy Skin:
www.realsimple.com
www.mayoclinic.com
www.healthy-skincare.com

The First Steps Towards Healthy Skincare (PDF)