A simple skin care routine for older adults

Summer is here and more than ever, taking great care of your skin is important.

Your skin is the largest organ in your body and it is the vessel with which we interact with people everyday.

Thus, it makes sense to take excellent care of it.

As a caregiver, you may be taking care of a loved one who is unable to take proper care of their skin.

This post is for you too. In this post, I’ll go over a simple 3-step skin care routine for older adults that will work this summer.

The key to healthy skin is to keep it clean.

Wash your loved one’s skin during their daily shower or bed bath.

Make sure to clean those areas of the body where sweat regularly gathers e.g the armpits, the elbow area and behind the ears.

Give these areas an extra clean to get rid of all the dirt that has collected there in the last 24 or so hours.

A mild soap or body wash that doesn’t dry out the skin is always an excellent choice.

Once you have helped your loved one clean their skin, it is time to lock in some of that moisture.

During the summer, lotions that hydrate but which are not oily or heavy are best.

Apply the extra moisturizers on those areas of the skin that are prone to drying like the knees and elbows.

I don’t know about you, but I feel dry and will begin to itch if I don’t put lotion on my arms, legs and back after showering.

Make sure to apply some here as well.

It is summer and there are no laws forbidding us from enjoying a walk outside or a day at the beach.

To make sure your loved one is protected from the harmful UV rays of the sun, it is always helpful to apply sunscreen after moisturizing.

If you know you spend most of the day outside with your loved one, apply sunscreen after moisturizing as a rule so you don’t forget.

SOME EXTRA TIPS

Encourage your loved one to drink a lot of fluids, especially water. Staying hydrated is great for your skin and will ward off dehydration.
Eat citrus fruits. Citrus fruits contain vitamin C. Vitamin is great for your the health of your skin and promotes wound healing.
Include a lot of protein in your food. Protein is one of the major building blocks for your body. Including a lot of it in a person’s diet can help keep their skin healthy as well.
If you can get a moisturizer that contains antioxidants, this is helpful. Antioxidants also protect the skin from the sun’s UV rays.

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