Among beauty products, the skin care industry has to be one of the most lucrative and fast-growing segments, especially considering that women, and even men, have greatly increased their awareness and understanding of the importance of taking care of one’s skin over the last two decades. Every appearance-conscious consumer knows that the sun is bad for the skin and that effective skin protectors are important. Nothing can cause aging skin faster than over-exposure to the sun. There are a few fundamental things that everyone should know about.

In terms of skin care, the value of starting young cannot be over-emphasized. It doesn’t matter how old you are – the sooner you start taking precautions to prevent your skin from aging, the better. Since the skin is our first line of defense and our outermost layer, it is the first part of us that people actually see and assess. Often, we are judged by the appearance of our skin.

Simply stated, bad skin is the accumulation of bad habits dating back to the time we are born. It doesn’t happen overnight. So before this process of aging and bad skin becomes hard to control, let’s nip it in the bud by paying attention to skin care early.

One of the biggest culprits of bad skin is free radicals which cause damage to the elastic proteins that your skin needs to keep it tight. A free radical is simply an oxygen compound that has gone haywire – a split oxygen molecule that is highly reactive and corrosive to everything it contacts, including our skin. A lot of the times, the reason oxygen molecules act this way is because of UV radiation from the sun. So avoid the sun as much as you can.

Tobacco and alcohol are two other things that cause your skin to age fast and prematurely so avoid these as well. Both infuse your body with free radicals that take a toll on your health and on your skin.

Unfortunately, preventive measures are the best you can do when it comes to caring for your skin. Once you get wrinkles, the only way to remove them is through surgery, and it’s not an ideal method.

Aside from avoiding free radicals, taking care of skin requires a good cleanser and moisturizer, eating fresh fruit and vegetables, and lots of water.