 * Eat well. According to Jeffrey Blumberg, a nutrition professor at Tufts University in Boston, USA, ‘There is a proof that a diet rich in vitamins protects against photoageing, also known as premature skin ageing, as well as skin cancer.’ Blumberg advises getting a large dose of beta-carotene – a pigment that the body converts to vitamin A to generate new cells – by eating apricots, peaches, nectarines, sweet potatoes, carrots and leafy greens. Citrus fruits, berries and melon provide vitamin C, which is necessary for building new collagen. Fish, red meat, chicken, grains and eggs contain selenium, another antioxidant, which works with vitamin E against pollutants and, potentially, to fight skin cancer. Ideal sources of Vitamin E include oil-rich nuts, seeds and avocados, so take these foods into your daily diet as your skin insurance policy.
* Drink a lot of water. General skin health depends on good hydration. According to nutritional expert Jane Clarke, drinking 2.5 liters a day is most favorable.
* Give up smoking and avoid smoky surroundings. Skincare expert Eve Lom says she can mark a smoker at 20 paces. The skin looks sallow as a result of poor circulation and drawing on the cigarette causes lines to be carved around the mouth.
* Walk as much as you can. This activity delivers oxygen to the complexion, gets blood flowing and makes worries of every kind (including wrinkles) feel less important.
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