Losing Weight and Your Skin

We have lost weight, gained muscle, shaped and toned our muscles and we should look great, right? Well, maybe not if we forgot to tone our skin as we were losing. Weight gain causes skin to stretch. When you lose weight, the skin does not always shrink back as quickly as the weight comes off. You can also be left with stretch marks and dry skin.

The skin responds to vitamins c, a, e and copper, so products containing these are said to be good for making skin healthy. Products containing kelp have been touted as helping to nourish and firm skin. Cocoa and shea butter products have long been used to moisturize skin and fight stretch marks. How do you choose? Since everyone's skin is different, you will first have to decide what you need. It is unlikely that you will find a single product that addresses all your needs, so you may need a couple. The following are some of the moderate to inexpensive firming and moisturizing products I or others I know have tried and found satisfactory:

· Suave Firming Lotion - inexpensive, low fragrance

· Jergens Skin Firming - inexpensive, low fragrance

· Palmers Cocoa Butter - inexpensive, smells like cocoa butter

· Nivea My Silhouette Redefining Gel Cream - moderate price for quantity, great feel and smell

· Equate Daily Firming Moisturizer - inexpensive, smells fresh

· West African Pure Shea Butter - moderate price, smells a bit like burnt wood, but oh, my gosh, it makes your skin silky--you will want to cover yourself in it, then cover yourself with old clothes because it is very greasy. (I use twice a week all over and every other night on my feet, hands, elbows and knees. Light socks and gloves will enhance the effect. I purchase mine from sheabutterhut.com.)

You should also use a moisturizing body wash such as Dove's go fresh with nutrium moisture. If you are into all natural, try Dr. Woods Shea Vision pure black soap with organic shea butter. I love it! Always use a liquid wash not bar soap and look at the ingredients. You don't want high alcohol content or a lot of chemicals.

If you have issues with cellulite, there are many products out there that tout their effectiveness. When I found that caffeine was one of the key ingredients in most of them, I opted for my own treatment. If you are interested, read my article Home Cellulite Treatment.

Don't forget your face. Fat will be coming off your face as well as the rest of your body. Use firming lotions appropriate for facial skin and do face exercises. (Read My Five Favorite Face Exercises.) Look for products containing marine peptides, matrixyl and hyaluronic acid, as well as vitamins a, c and e and the element copper. (Remember that product ingredients are listed in order from most to least.)

To give your skin the best chance for healing and recovery, I recommend taking vitamins. Swanson Health Products has a product called the Skin Pill that is full of ingredients that are good for skin. It is moderately priced and if you watch for it to go on the 2 for 1 sale, the price is even better. They also carry a product called Maxi Hair from Country Life, which is less expensive but full of helpful vitamins. It is for hair, skin and nails and comes in a time release formula. I have tried both products and been very satisfied.

Remember that your body is a whole system. You want to bring it all back to health, not just part of it. Don't wait until the end of your weight loss to start taking care of your skin. You want your skin improving along with your body not playing catch up later.

CAUTION: Always check with your doctor before beginning any diet or exercise program.