Most skin care products only work on the outer layer of the skin. Do not think that even the best moisturizer or the most expensive mask or the most effective skin care product can provide you a healthy skin. Remember the old saying "you are what you eat". Other elements such as stress, eating disorder, smoking or lack of water are direct causes of your skin looking dull. No matter what skin care products you use, you will never be able to restore your healthy skin if you do not take proper care.

=>Here are 8 steps to guide you to achieving a more beautiful and healthy skin:-

i) Drink Plenty of Water. Drink as much plain water as possible everyday. Not only does water clears your skin, but it also makes your body healthy. Note that tea, soda, coffee or other beverages do not count, as plain water still delivers the best results. An average benchmark is to drink 6 to 10 cups of water everyday. Note that ice water works just as well as a double whammy as it burns extra calories in your body.

ii) Wear Sunscreen lotion. We can never emphasize too much on the importance of wearing sunscreen lotion. Direct sunlight will slowly cause aging, damaged cells and more skin problems. The best proof is your unexposed skin which is smoother and healthier than your hand or other exposed area of your body. Go to Protecting your skin from the sun for more tips and explanation.

iii) Eating Right. "You are what you eat". This phrase best explains the importance of eating right. To have a healthy skin, eat plenty of seed food i.e. fruits that contain seeds, vegetables - organic vegetables are better as it contains additional nutrients.

=>Below is other healthy food to consume for a better complexion:-

a) Soya bean. This is a traditional beauty tips for some Asian countries. Drink at least one cup of soya bean per day. It has proven to be a highly nutritious drink for many ladies especially pregnant women who want their babies faired skin.

iv) Cut off smoking and drinking. Yes, it might sound a little difficult but try to reduce them as much as possible. Smoking tends to destroy the Vitamin C in your body, damage the elastic tissues that keeps the skin tight thus forming fine lines around your lip area, not to mention that it discolors your teeth. Drinking liquor on the other hand tends to expand your blood vessels causing red spots and itchiness on your skin.

v) Exercise more. Your skin needs to breathe as well. Just a little exercise, jogging or walking will be sufficient to increase the blood circulation in your body thus bring enough oxygen and nutrients to your face and the rest of your body.

vi) Reduce stress. Stress is extremely bad for your skin and body. It indirectly creates instability in your hormonal system which in turn leads to more skin problems like breakouts and acne.

vii) Get enough sleep. Hey, this is easy enough. If you want a healthy and fresh look, get your full 6 to 8 hours of sleep everyday. It will essentially reduce your puffy eyes and tired look as well as the constant yawning. You could perhaps drink a glass of warm milk or tea and eat an early dinner to help you sleep easily.

viii) For women in the 30s and 40s. Since your skin will start to produce new skin cells at a slower rate than what it used to, production of hormones and in turn so will the oil in your body. You would require external applications to help to rejuvenate your skin. For women around the age of thirties to forties, a stronger moisturizer is definitely essential to keep away dry skin. Try a richer moisturizer with natural oil and make sure you take special care around the sensitive areas i.e. areas round your eyes and forehead.