Growing older and looking older is simply a reality. When you are young, you have plenty of skin cells growing and regenerating all the time. But as you age, this regenerative process decelerates. Collagen and elastin, compounds that keep skin looking smooth and firm, start to break down and you start to notice wrinkles, sagging, discoloration, and a change in skin texture. 

A healthy skin care regimen, diet, and lifestyle work in unison to help keep your skin looking young and healthy. Here’s a list of dos and don'ts for healthy skin.

1) Avoid fried foods, alcohol, and white sugar.

Choose foods that support collagen production, such as dark leafy greens, red fruits and vegetables, and foods rich in vitamin C, such as citrus and berries.

2) Take skin-protective supplements.

Take antioxidants such as vitamins A, C, and E and resveratrol to fight skin-harming free radicals. Fatty acids in fish oil and algae capsules keep skin supple and moisturized. Collagen, the skin’s most prominent protein, depletes with age, making supplementation key.

3) Don’t stress out.

Stress is linked to increased production of reactive oxygen species, and DNA damage, which contribute to skin aging. Practice yoga, meditate, and stay active and socially engaged.

4) Don’t burn the candle at both ends.

Beauty sleep isn’t just a myth; rest gives your skin cells time to regenerate.

5) Get plenty of sleep.

Eight hours a night of sleep is ideal.

6) Drink water.

Water is the building block of youthful skin. Be sure to get the equivalent of at least 8 cups daily. You can cover about one-third of your daily water intake from water-rich foods, such as green leafy vegetables. Also supplement with and apply topical products containing hyaluronic acid—an ingredient that holds up to 1,000 times its weight in water.

7) Remember to use sunscreen.

UV damage is one of the main causes of premature aging, including wrinkles and discoloration. If you’re going to choose only one natural antiaging product, make it a moisturizer with a mineral sunscreen. The minerals zinc oxide and titanium dioxide offer the broadest UV protection without relying on irritating chemicals.

8)  Choose a skin care product with natural ingredients. Be consistent.

Synthetic ingredients were created to mimic ingredients found in nature, so why not go right to the source? Synthetic chemicals, such as parabens and formaldehyde, can cause irritation. Natural skin care products work more gently but potentially more slowly than common synthetics. Make them part of your daily routine.

Reprinted with changes from DeliciousLiving.com, by permission of publisher.