One antiaging skin care treatment of age-old renown has gotten a very bad rap of late. With all the scary tales about skin cancer, hardly anyone respects thermal therapy by natural sunlight as healthy anymore.

It's as if the lone star in our solar system has become the devil in our heaven. Sunlight is still good. Regardless of the diminishing ozone layer, we still need to get our share of skin care from nature.

Natural sunlight is still the best antiaging skin care agent we can apply, because healthy skin is more than surface appearance. Good topical applications are temporary fixes - cosmetics, actually. Healthy skin starts from deep inside.

Types of skin aging

Skin experts talk about two types of skin aging. If we know what these are, maybe our antiaging skin care efforts can be more successful. The types of skin aging are:

1. Chronological skin aging, and
2. Photoaging

Photoaging causes "dry and sallow skin" with fine wrinkles and deep furrows. It occurs when the structure of the dermis and the epidermis is altered by UVR.

Antiaging skin care products give the impression of youthfulness by masking these appearances. More focus should be given to healing from within.

Yes, we can help chronological aging I do not completely agree that we cannot do anything about chronological aging. The fact that people who have healthy lifestyle habits tend to look better and live longer than those who do not, tells us that we can cooperate with our body's natural healing and repair process. This will help to delay chronological aging.

If photoaging is caused by UVR, how could the sunlight be an overlooked antiaging skin care agent? The answer lies in the realization that sunlight itself is not bad for the skin, overexposure is.

In fact, much of the osteoporosis today could be helped by more sunlight exposure in some people. We need the sunlight for the synthesis of vitamin D. Of course, drug makers may prefer if we stay out of the sunlight and buy synthetic substitutes for nature's providence.

Antiaging skin care is first line of defense Care of the skin is important. Our skin is our first line of defense against invasion of germs and disease. This means that simply wearing topical add-ons is not enough. We need to maintain healthy skin.

Here are two simple suggestions for effective antiaging skin care:

• Keep it clean - far infrared waves penetrate deep in to the skin causing vasodilation and flushing of accumulated wastes behind clogged pores. See the page on natural detoxification.
• Feed it properly - natural antioxidants are key ingredients of some of natures finest foods - fruits and vegetables. They help undo the free radical wear and tear that constantly goes on in our bodies.

Bentley Thompson

Bentley Thompson works with an Atlanta-based engineering consulting firm as the director of Ground Penetrating Radar services. He is very passionate about health and healthy living.

In his spare time he reads health books and periodicals. His hobbies include computer networking, the Internet, and music.

For years he spent several hours per day at the computer but has recently developed diabetes. Now he manages his illness with daily exercise and diet. He shares his "come-back" experience on one of his his websites.