Skin care quiz: Best practices for healthy skin

Though drinking water is essential to keeping your body hydrated, a generous water intake doesn't make your skin look moist and supple nor does it improve wrinkles or make your skin look younger.

The amount of moisture in your skin is more likely determined by external factors, such as:

• The amount of humidity in the air
• How much time you spend in the sun
• How often you wash your skin
• The types of soaps and detergents you use

Apply a lotion or cream right after bathing while your skin is still moist. This will make bathing a moisturizing experience, rather than a skin-drying experience. When your skin completely dries after washing, some of your skin's natural moisture is lost through evaporation. Apply lotion or cream throughout the day as needed.

Foods have little effect on acne. So greasy or fried foods, such as french fries, aren't likely to cause or aggravate acne. However, if certain foods seem to make your acne worse, it may be best to avoid them.

Frequent washing irritates the skin and can actually make acne worse. So can scrubbing your skin too hard or cleansing with harsh soaps or chemicals. Instead, wash problem areas daily with a gentle cleanser and use oil-free, water-based skin care products. An over-the-counter acne cream or gel also helps dry excess oil. Look for products containing benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid as the active ingredient.

Shaving hair doesn't create new, active hair follicles. It also doesn't increase the rate of hair growth or the color or length of your hair. The color, density, location and length of hair mainly depend on genetic factors as well as hormonal factors.

When you shave body hair, it may feel coarse or "stubbly" for a time as it grows out. During this phase, it may seem more noticeable.

Of the ingredients used to make skin care products, fragrance is the most likely to cause allergic contact dermatitis — a skin reaction that produces a red rash, bumps and sometimes blisters.

If you have sensitive skin or experience an allergic reaction to your skin products, choose those without added fragrances. Select products marked "fragrance-free" or "without perfume," which means that nothing has been added to make them smell good. Products labeled "unscented" contain a fragrance to mask the smell of other ingredients or chemicals.

Stress worsens many skin conditions, including psoriasis, eczema, hives, rosacea and acne. Manage your stress to reduce the occurrence or severity of these bothersome skin conditions.

The best way to take care of your skin is to protect it from the sun. Ultraviolet light — the invisible but intense rays of the sun — damages your skin, causing deep wrinkles, dry, rough skin, liver spots, and more serious disorders, such as noncancerous (benign) and cancerous (malignant) skin tumors.