Simple Steps You Can Do Right Now for Healthier Skin
Skin care is so much more than the products we put on our skin. Obtaining beautiful skin has a lot to do with what is happening on the inside and what we choose to consume daily. You are literally what you eat! This blog covers some of the easy things you can do at home to improve your skin from the inside-out. And trust me when I say, doing it this way is sure to give you more sustainable results in improving and maintaining good skin health.
DRINK MORE WATER!
Now, I know you have heard this one before. Everyone always says that this is going to hydrate your skin, but I am going to make this a lot clearer and more factual for you. Drinking water hydrates the CELLS and surrounding fluids of your skin (and body by extension) so that they can function properly. Remember there is no life without water, right? Your cells have a high content of water, and they need this water to transfer nutrients and to get rid of toxic waste within and outside of the cells.
Your Lymphatic System is also highly dependent on water. This system is what filters waste, heals and repairs wounds and tissues, helps in the fight of pathogens, and transfers lipid soluble vitamins (absorbed from the intestines) to the veins which carry it throughout the body. If there is a lack of free water in your cells and lymphatic system, then your skin can become very sluggish in the way it behaves and the way it looks eventually. Puffy eyes, ankles and hands can ensue. Wounds will take longer to heal. You will suffer from fatigue (and perhaps look fatigued). The lower level of your skin (dermis) will have less fluid for the cells to function properly and the epidermis (upper to outer layers of skin) automatically become affected as the enzymes which need water will not be able to properly slough off the dead skin cells leaving you with skin that looks congested, dehydrated and flaky. Now you can see why they said drink 6 glasses or 2 litres of water daily. Not only is it good for your body overall, but it will also have a lovely impact on your skin!
EAT A BALANCED DIET
It is very important to include especially fruits, veggies and protein sources in your diet. (You also need healthy fats too, but I’ll elaborate more on that in the next point.) These are going to give you the vitamins and minerals, zinc, amino acids and iron that you need for proper skin health and building of collagen which helps to reduce the signs of aging. Vitamins specifically needed are A, C and E.
There is something called “free radicals” which accelerate skin aging and are mostly stimulated by sun exposure and bad lifestyle habits such as smoking and chronic stress. Vitamins A, C and E are antioxidants that help to fight off these free radicals so that your cells can function properly, cellular ageing can reduce, and skin health can improve. If you’re not good at eating veggies, there are supplements you can take, and veggie juices and shakes can be included in your diet. There is always a way guys so no excuses!
FATS!! YES, YOU NEED THEM
You need healthy fats of course, from sources such as flaxseed, avocados, salmon etc. With the prevalence of fat-free and low-fat diets many people tend to lack the essential fatty acids (EFA’s)that are needed for proper skin health. Your skin especially needs Omegas 3 and 6. Oil sits on top of water and a lack of these fatty acids will lead to trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL, or evaporation of water through the skin.) We already discussed how important water is for the skin, so we cannot afford for this to happen after working so hard to put water into our bodies. Lack of EFA’s causes skin that is slow to heal especially in acneic clients, unresponsive to treatments, dehydration in the skin leading to eczema, and other dry related skin conditions and increased redness in the skin due to the barrier of the skin being impaired because of the lack of oil and water. While you can topically add EFA’s to your skin which has an immediate effect, your body also needs it for optimal functioning, so adding it into your diet or through supplementation is highly important.
SUNSCREEN
Yes, I said it. We need it whether we are coloured people or not. I would typically never discourage persons from being in the sun altogether as sun is important for mental health and the synthesis of vitamin D for bone health. However, I would encourage you to either limit it as much as possible (especially during treatments for hyperpigmentation) or wear sunscreen liberally and regularly and reapply every 2 hours when in the sun. Sun accelerates skin aging because it oxidizes and deactivates the antioxidants that the skin needs to fight off free radical damage. Wearing sunscreen at least when in the sun will slow down the effects of this.
CUT OUT THE SUGAR
Okay, okay. I know this isn't SIMPLE. But I am just putting it out here to let you know that yes, sugar does in fact harm your skin as it causes a skin condition called Glycation. This basically makes your skin look wrinkly and when this condition happens, there is not much you can do to fix it. Now I'm not going to elaborate too much on this as I will make another blog post about this one. But it’s here to get you thinking about it 😉.
These are some actionable tips that you can start right now to begin your journey to getting better looking skin. You’re obviously not going to see results if you just do it once. You actually have to be consistent with it (just like exercise if you want to see results, yes?) It's going to have to become a lifestyle, but this is great because it will make you a healthier person overall so it's a win no matter how you look at it! Also treating your skin from the inside-out gets you results that will last a lot longer and enhances the results of your skin care routine.
