DR. HARPER’S SKIN CARE TIPS

The condition of your skin is a visible indicator of your overall health and wellness. Because health and beauty are so closely related, any program designed to improve the appearance of your skin will also improve your health. We have compiled ten easy tips for you that will deliver healthy, vibrant skin and optimal wellness!

1. Be smart about the sun.

The sun can be your skin’s number one enemy. Sun exposure can rob your skin of a youthful appearance in a process that doctors call photoaging. Your best defense against beauty-robbing sun damage and photoaging is proper protection with a barrier-based sunscreen like SKINSHIFT® SPF 25 (available exclusively through Dr Harper’s office at 512-343- 9355).

Arm yourself from within by eating a diet full of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables and supplementing with protective polyphenols. SKINSHIFT Sun Defense provides a potent combination of trans-resveratrol and quercetin, two plant-based polyphenols proven to slow the aging process and protect against the sun. Your best recourse for repair is to use skin care products like our SKINSHIFT treatment serums, which are packed with powerful, regenerative antioxidants and peptides.

2. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate.

Staying hydrated is a simple yet often overlooked secret to having soft and sumptuous skin. Stay healthy and hydrate your skin from within by drinking at least 64 ounces of water every day. To hydrate from the outside in, use a natural water-binding agent like hyaluronic acid to draw moisture directly into your skin. SKINSHIFT Hyaluronic Treatment Serum plumps your skin cells with moisture to help soften lines and wrinkles, leaving a more supple and smooth complexion. SKINSHIFT Antioxidant Moisture seals in moisture while lifting and toning your skin.

3. Cleanse.

Your skin performs a critical job as a protective barrier by keeping chemicals, bacteria, and other DNA-damaging substances from being absorbed into your body. A key to keeping your skin healthy and clear is by cleansing away dirt, make-up, environmental grunge and other toxins that build up on your skin every day. Stay away from harsh cleansers that can leave your skin dry and irritated. Instead use a product like SKINSHIFT Antioxidant Cleanser, which contains powerful antioxidants and plant extracts to clean and protect your skin against the free radical damage that accelerates aging.

4. Sleep well.

Sleep is one of the least-known health and beauty tips, but when it comes to your health and your skin, there is no substitute for quality sleep. Sleep is essential for regeneration and repair of the collagen and elastin connective tissues that keep your skin looking young, smooth and firm. To get the most regenerative benefits from your slumber, shoot for 8 to 10 hours of uninterrupted beauty sleep each night.

For an additional collagen-building boost, add SKINSHIFT Collagen Defense supplements to your daily health and skin care regimen. These breakthrough supplements contain the most active form of silica scientifically-proven to generate collagen and promote keratin and elastin formation. In addition, SKINSHIFT Vitamin C Serum contains the most advanced form of Vitamin C and Idebenone, a super-charged Co-Q10, for maximum collagen formation and skin brightening to give your skin a more youthful, luminous look and feel.

5. Stay clear of harmful ingredients.

Toxins are everywhere and skin care products are no exception. Stores are stocked with make-up and personal care products promoting health and beauty that are actually filled with tissue-damaging chemicals. As they accelerate aging and degrade your skin, these products can actually cause skin conditions like acne and rosacea.

To maintain health from the outside in, do not use products that contain toxic ingredients like parabens and phthalates. Use products, like those in the SKINSHIFT product line, that are free from harmful chemicals, colors and fragrances. To calm irritated or sensitive skin, SKINSHIFT® Calming Treatment contains ingredients for soothing redness, inflammation and sensitivity caused by toxins and environmental stressors.

6. Nourish.

Good nutrition is essential for fueling your body and feeding your skin. A diet high in unhealthy fats, sugar and refined carbohydrates puts your body on the defensive and causes inflammation (a common contributor to skin sensitivity), redness, irritation and premature aging. Feed your skin from both the outside and the inside by consuming a healthy diet full of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables and using vitamin-infused skin care products like SKINSHIFT Antioxidant Moisture and Vitamin C Treatment Serum. All our products contain breakthrough ingredients that nourish, protect, and repair your skin.

Eat a balanced diet loaded with cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower, cabbage, bok choy, broccoli, brussel sprouts and similar leafy green vegetables.

Fortify your food intake by supplementing with SKINSHIFT Antioxidant Defense.

7. Stay calm.

Stress strips your skin of vital moisture and nutrients needed to support clear, vibrant and youthful-looking skin. Stress also undermines your immune system and increases the risk of cell damage from free radicals and inflammation. Some level of stress is unavoidable, so it’s important to find ways to relax, replenish, and recover from stressful events.

To avoid showing signs of stress on your skin, use products with calming agents, antioxidants and anti-aging boosters like SKINSHIFT Antioxidant Moisture to help stave off inflammation and free radical damage while soothing your skin. On days when avoiding stress isn’t an option, SKINSHIFT Wrinkle Treatment helps reduce wrinkle depth and volume by relaxing facial frets and frowns.

8. Detoxify.

What you put on your skin and what you don’t are equally important. Just like your diet, your skin care products should contain ingredients that create beauty without compromising your health. An effective way to lower your toxic burden is to eliminate harmful chemical ingredients from your skin care regimen.

Dr. Harper formulated all the SKINSHIFT products with your beauty and health in mind, using only safe, clinically proven ingredients that are free of fragrance, color, and harmful chemicals. Need tips to detox naturally?

Stay hydrated and sweat out toxins with daily exercise.

When you need to calm the toxic storm in your skin, try SKINSHIFT Calming Treatment to relieve redness, inflammation, and sensitivity caused by accumulation of toxins and environmental stressors.

9. Oxygenate.

Oxygen is essential for life, and nothing does more to revitalize skin cells than to nourish them with oxygen. Regular exercise increases blood flow, delivering oxygen to your cells that improves circulation, reduces inflammation, and promotes repair.

To target your skin from the outside in, try using an oxygenating aid like the Clarisonic® cleansing brush to stimulate blood flow and improve the absorption and effectiveness of your favorite SKINSHIFT products. Boost the beneficial effects of oxygen with SKINSHIFT Antioxidant Moisture, which infuses oxygen-generating glyproteins and powerful antioxidants like Vitamins A, E and C and Lipoic Acid directly into your skin cells for rejuvenating, invigorating results.

10. Reduce inflammation.

One of the most common culprits of premature skin aging is inflammation. Inflammation is your body’s short-term immune response for fighting and ultimately healing infection. Without inflammation, your skin couldn’t protect itself or heal, but excessive inflammation damages skin cells and accelerates aging of your skin. Subtle signs of inflammation include skin sensitivity, redness, irritation, acne, rosacea and eczema.

How can you best reduce inflammation and prevent premature aging? Nourish and protect your skin from both the outside and from within by using antioxidant-rich SKINSHIFT supplements and skin care products, and fight inflammation in an instant with SKINSHIFT Calming Treatment.

For more information about Dr. Harper, visit ruthieharper.com