When the skin puffs up, the lattice of protein, fats, and oils tends to rupture, creating damage that is difficult to reverse. Dr. Thornfeldt outlines four ways to smooth out your skin.
Watch your workouts. Sweating exposes your skin to salt water, which can break down the skin's defenses and allow more ultraviolet light and pollutants to reach skin cells. Working out indoors, or before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m. outdoors, can eliminate 80 percent of UVB penetration.
Check the back of the bottle. Propylene glycol, an ingredient found in prescription cortisones and many moisturizers and cleansers, can irritate the skin and cause inflammation.
Say no to processed foods. A diet high in white flour and sugar can create so-called glycation reactions between molecules in the skin. This reaction binds collagen and decreases elasticity, so the skin becomes more susceptible to fracture.
Simmer down. Emotional stress causes the release of immune compounds called histamines, which can cause inflammation and disrupt the matrix of skin cells.
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