While intensive skincare has a significant role in maintaining your skin’s health, nothing beats a healthy lifestyle when you want your skin to be healthy for a long time. Whatever goes inside your body, shows up on the outside. This is why having a lifestyle that includes essential nutrients is important to maintain your skin’s health.
Collagen and elastin, for example, are important proteins needed by the skin to maintain that youthful glow. There are treatments available that can help with the production of these two vital components. Here’s a fantastic read about one of these treatments that use ultrasonic energy to heat up the deep layers of the skin to trigger collagen and elastin production.
An easy and effortless way to make sure your skin is getting its vital nutrients every day, however, is to practice certain lifestyle habits.
Healthy lifestyle tips for your skin
Skincare products and skin treatments alone will not fully make your skin healthy.
Beautiful skin can be achieved with nourishment from within. Our lifestyle affects our whole body. The way we eat, sleep and go about our daily lives. As time passes by, older cells constantly shed as younger cells replace them. This process of rapid growth will only work smoothly with a steady supply of key nutrients.
With that in mind, an effective healthy lifestyle approach is the best.
1. Hydrate
Moisture is essential for the skin. When you don't drink enough water, your skin gets dehydrated and becomes dry. Drinking at least eight glasses of water a day can make a huge impact on the appearance of your skin. Other beverages like herbal and caffeine-free teas can also be good for the skin.
If you work in the office, bring a large bottle of water with you. Keeping a bottle on your desk can remind you to drink water from time to time.
Some fruits like watermelon and cucumber also contribute to your fluid intake. Not only do they hydrate you, but they also carry essential minerals that can help improve your skin's complexion.
Avoid excessive alcohol consumption as it can age out the skin (and even worsen it) and develop skin pigmentations such as pimples and acne.
2. Consume enough nutrients
Vitamin C and its super antioxidant component strengthen our immune system. Most beauty products and skin care products contain vitamin C. This essential nutrient helps promote radiant skin as it gets rid of blemishes.
Fruits and vegetables such as papaya, oranges, lemon, broccoli, and sweet potatoes are high carriers of vitamin C that produces collagen to strengthen the capillaries that supply the skin.
Another essential nutrient that skin needs is zinc. Zinc helps to function the sebaceous glands in the skin as it repairs skin damages and keeps the skin smooth and soft. Zinc deficiency can cause lesions and skin inflammation.
Foods like lean red meat, poultry, fish, seeds, shellfish, and nuts contain high levels of zinc.
3. Eat healthily
What is the easiest way to nourish your skin from within? Consuming healthy foods, of course!
By having a correct balance in your diet, you'll be feeding your skin with vital nutrients needed to keep the skin soft and supple.
Vegetables and fruits
Fruits and vegetables carry powerful antioxidants that protect the skin from cellular damage that is caused by free radicals. Age spots and wrinkles happen because of pollution, excessive exposure to the sun, smoking, and of course, free radicals. Consuming a colorful group of fruits and vegetables is best for getting rid of such skin issues.
Lutein which is found in papaya and spinach is a potent antioxidant that is essential for normal skin cell developments.
Beta Carotene is another potent antioxidant that is found in pumpkins and carrots. This helps to maintain a healthy skin tone.
Fatty fish
Fatty fish contains omega-3 fatty acids that are important for maintaining skin health. A healthy diet should contain these fatty acids. Mackerel and salmon are one of the highest contributors of omega-3 fats – as well as plant sources like chia seeds and walnuts.
The omega-3 fats found in fish help reduce inflammation which causes the redness in the skin and the worsening of the acne. These fatty acids also keep the skin thick, moisturized, and even lessen the sensitivity of the skin to the sun's harmful UV rays.
Fatty fish do not only contain omega 3, but they also have another essential antioxidant that the skin need, vitamin E. This antioxidant protects your skin against damage from inflammation and free radicals.
Soy
Phytoestrogens are natural chemicals found in plants. They have a similar structure to the female sex hormone estrogen. These natural chemicals help keep our natural hormones in balance. There are different types of phytoestrogens: some are found in the fiber of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Soya bean products such as tofu are also formulated with these natural chemicals. Soy contains isoflavones which are a plant compound that can block or mimic estrogen in your body. While isoflavones protect the cells inside your body from damage, it also protects your skin from UV radiation that can cause skin cancer.
For women who are going through their postmenopausal phase, consuming soya bean products can help a lot for their skin health as it increases the collagen levels to keep the skin strong and smooth. Soy also helps to improve the dryness of the skin.
4. Quit (and avoid) smoking cigarettes
We are all aware of what smoking cigarettes can do to our health. It causes severe diseases and can also ruin the complexion of our skin. Wrinkles or other skin depressions won't fade away immediately as soon as you stop smoking, but the greatest thing that happens when you do stop smoking is the return of the normal blood flow to skin cells.
When the skin cells start to flow normally again, oxygen and essential nutrients will flow smoothly through the places they need to go, and your skin will begin to look healthy and nourished once again.
The toxins that smoking cigarettes can bring into our body hinder collagen and elastin production, which causes the dryness of the skin and the development of wrinkles.
Once you stop smoking, collagen and elastin will begin to produce again and help with the restructuring of the skin. These fibrous components keep the skin soft and supple. Tar stains that can be seen in the teeth will disappear in time too.
Your risk of developing health conditions that impact the skin will reduce once you stop smoking.
