Soothe Irritated Skin

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Chronic inflammation can negatively affect your health and even accelerate your skin's aging. That's why we turned to world-renowned integrative-medicine expert Andrew Weil, M.D., author of Healthy Aging: A Lifelong Guide to Your Physical and Spiritual Well-Being (Knopf, 2005) for advice on how to prevent and reduce harmful inflammation throughout the body.

The basic facts
Inflammation is an essential part of the body's healing process: It occurs at the cellular level when the immune system tries to fight off disease-causing germs and repair injured tissue. Inflammation can be invisible (if your body is battling an infection internally) or visible: Hives or pimples, for example, occur when blood vessels dilate near the skin's surface to enhance blood flow, which in turn facilitates healing. Redness, heat and/or swelling can also occur alongside inflammation.

When the fight is over, the army of inflammation-triggering substances is supposed to retreat, but in many cases they don't. This chronic inflammation has been implicated in heart disease, diabetes, cancer and even Alzheimer's disease. When the skin is involved, it can accelerate fine lines, wrinkles and enlarged pores, as well as puffiness, sagging, blotchiness or reddening of the skin.

What to look for
Environmental and lifestyle factors can set off unhealthy inflammation. These include:
> Environmental pollutants Exposure to air pollution, secondhand smoke and the sun's ultraviolet light can generate free radicals (highly reactive oxygen molecules), which can in turn produce an inflammatory response in the skin.
> Dietary factors Unhealthy fats -- such as partially hydrogenated oils, trans fats and polyunsaturated vegetable oils -- may encourage inflammation in the body, as can highly refined carbohydrates like sugary or starchy processed foods.
> Chronic stress Skimping on sleep and being perpetually stressed can alter your body's internal chemistry by revving up the production of cortisol, a hormone that can predispose your body to increased inflammatory damage.
> A family history of inflammation If arthritis, asthma, inflammatory bowel disease or autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis run in your family, you're at greater risk for chronic inflammation. Discuss your family history with your doctor.