6 Ways to Take Care of Your Skin for National Healthy Skin Month

November is National Healthy Skin Month, so it’s a great time to think about how you can give your skin the love it deserves. After all, your skin is the largest organ of your body, and it’s made up of different layers and parts. Your skin is in a constant state of growth and change, and it regenerates itself every 27 days. That means it’s important to have a good daily skin care routine that you stick with long-term.

Here are 6 tips for taking the best possible care of your skin, year-round.

• Know your skin type. Not everybody’s skin is the same. Someone with sensitive skin may need to wash their face differently than someone whose skin is oily or acne-prone. Take some time to assess your skin and figure out your skin type, then find the right products and routine for you.

• Protect your skin from the sun. Over time, damaging UV rays from the sun not only break down your skin and cause wrinkles, sun spots, and premature aging, they can also cause skin cancer. Protect your skin by covering up with a hat or protective clothing in the sun, staying in the shade during the hottest part of the day, and by using sunscreen, even in winter. And if you like to look tan, skip the tanning bed, and use a self-tanner instead.

• Ditch the cigarettes. Smoking can lead to premature aging and contribute to wrinkles by narrowing the tiny blood vessels in your skin, depleting the skin of oxygen. Smoking also breaks down the collagen and elastin that make your skin resilient and give it a plump, youthful appearance. If that’s not enough of a reason to quit, smoking can also increase your risk of squamous cell skin cancer.

• Be gentle. For most people, even those with oily skin, harsh cleansers, and vigorous scrubbing hurts more than it helps. Wash your skin with a gentle cleanser and lukewarm water, and limit your bath or shower time to avoid stripping healthy oils from your skin. If you shave, avoid irritating the skin by lubricating with shaving cream or gel, using a fresh, clean razor, and shaving in the direction of the hair, not against it. After cleansing, rinse with lukewarm water, pat your skin dry, and finish up with a moisturizer.

• Switch things up for winter. Many people get dry skin in the winter months, so you may need to change your skin-care products or routine when the weather gets cold. Look for a rich moisturizer that’s oil-based — switching from a “day cream” to a “night cream” often does the trick. And take extra care with your hands and feet by protecting them with warm gloves and socks, and slathering on a thick lotion or even petroleum jelly. Use a humidifier to keep warm air from drying out your skin. And yes, you still need to wear that sunscreen!

• Keep an eye out for skin cancer. More than one in five U.S. adults will develop skin cancer by age 70. But early detection is key; when it’s caught early, the survival rate for melanoma is 99 percent. Learn how to do a skin self-exam, to check for any changes in your skin. If you notice any spots that are new or changing, have them checked by your doctor. And if you’re someone who is at higher risk of skin cancer — because of a family history of melanoma, past sun exposure, or other factors — get an annual skin cancer screening.

National Healthy Skin Month may be recognized in November, but your skin deserves TLC all year round. By establishing a good skin care routine and sticking with it, protecting yourself from the sun, and practicing regular skin cancer checks, you’ll keep your skin healthy, happy, and beautiful for years to come.