How To Get Healthy, Glowing Skin—Inside Out
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From work Christmas parties to ski trips to tropical beach holidays, winter season is stacked with occasions that could involve bikinis, backless dresses, and putting your best face forward. If you don’t want to simply look and feel good; but want to knock ’em dead. Read this lifestyle-focused post dedicated to making you glow from the inside out.
How To Get Beautiful Skin
Skin creams and cosmetic products can only go so far. True beauty transformation - yes, that includes cellulite, age spots, and skin elasticity – is an inside job. Great looking skin comes from gut health, low inflammation, proper nutrition, clean water, a pair of good working kidneys, a little bit of exercise, and some nice massage.
Here are MY 16 best tips that will help you achieve a beautiful clear complexion that lasts a lifetime.
Plus 5 things you should avoid for better skin.
1. Antioxidants For Glowing Skin
First of all, if you want beautiful skin, your goal should be to minimize “oxidative stress.” Antioxidants are compounds produced in your body and found in foods. They help defend our cells and ditto skin cells from damage caused by the free radicals and protect against sun damage.
The top 12 foods high in antioxidants
And what are free radicals again?
Oxidation is the decaying process that occurs when cells metabolize oxygen. An apple turning brown, steel turning rusty and skin showing sun damage and pigmentation are all signs of oxidation. While oxidation is natural and vital to cell turnover, 1% to 2% of cells get damaged in the process and turn into free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecular particles and can trigger a cascade of molecular instability.
When free radicals accumulate, they may cause a state known as oxidative stress.
We have a system – self-defense, which is all about correcting that damage and putting things back to where they should be, but as we age, the accumulation of damaged molecules is always a little greater than the rate that should clear the mess up. In front of your mirror, this translates into progressively worsening lines, wrinkles, age spots, and tissue laxity. Luckily, you can minimize the damage and support the body’s clearing up system through diet. First up is loading up with antioxidants.
Scientists use several tests to measure the antioxidant content of foods. One of the best tests is the FRAP (ferric reducing ability of plasma) analysis. It measures the antioxidant content of foods by how well they can neutralize a specific free radical. The higher the FRAP value, the more antioxidants the food contains.
2. An Anti-Inflammatory Diet
- Your Short Cut To Gorgeous Skin
Following a strict anti-inflammatory diet may transform your skin in as few as three days. How about that!
Our skin is our biggest tell-tale, and it responds quickly to lifestyle changes. Signs of ageing is so very visible on your skin, and inflammation is behind skin problems from acne to enlarged pores, wrinkles, sagging, loss of tone and radiance as well as dry skin, and inflammation is not only present in diseased skin but also in otherwise-healthy, ageing skin. To mediate these effects, aim for an anti-inflammatory diet.
3. Chicken Bone Broth - Your Super Beauty Food
Chicken bone broth is amazing for your skin because it contains three major skin boosters: collagen, glycine, and hyaluronic acid.
Collagen helps form elastin and other compounds within skin that are responsible for maintaining its youthful tone, texture, and appearance. Many people also report a decrease in cellulite when consuming foods and supplements containing collagen, since cellulite forms due to a lack of connective tissue, allowing skin to lose its firm tone.
Hyaluronic acid is a lubricating, clear substance found in the greatest concentrations in the skin, inside joints, within the eye sockets, and in other tissues where it helps retain collagen, increase moisture, and provide elasticity and flexibility. It offers support for multiple skin types and promotes healthy aging, cell rejuvenation, and skin firmness.
Glycine is an amino acid that improves moisture retention, increases collagen production, and promotes skin repair and regeneration.
You’ll want to add all those skin boosters to your diet because as you age you produce less hyaluronic acid, collagen, and elastin, plus the collagen and elastin fibers that do exist, begin to degrade, making them brittle and prone to breakage, which all contribute to the formation of fine lines and wrinkles, loss of firmness in the skin making it prone to sagging.
My bone broth recipe. Alternatively, you can buy chicken bone broth powder.
4. Collagen Supplement - The Secret To Vibrant Skin
The number one supplement you can take for your overall beauty is collagen. Regardless of age, collagen can improve skin tone, make your skin look firmer, increase smoothness, and help your skin cells keep renewing and repairing normally.
Collagen also helps reduce cellulite and stretch marks. When skin loses its elasticity as a result of decreased collagen, cellulite becomes more visible. Improving your skin’s elasticity through collagen helps reduce that dimpling on your skin.
Make sure you supplement with good quality and multiple sources of collagen-like beef, chicken, wild-caught fish, eggshell membrane.
I prefer Vital Proteins products.
5. Vitamin-C - The Big Healer
If you daily eat the foods I recommend above – especially berries, you’re pretty well covered with vitamin C, and that is important because vitamin C is an essential part of skin health, as it’s needed for adequate wound healing, and vital for your body’s collagen production.
Top 12 Foods High In Vitamin-C:
Black Currant
Red Pepper
Kiwifruit
Green Bell Pepper
Sea buckthorn
Strawberries
Papaya
Broccoli
Kale
Pineapple
Citrus fruits (lemons, limes, oranges, etc.)
Cantaloupe
6. Vitamin-E - The Strength Builder
Vitamin E benefits skin by strengthening the capillary walls and improving moisture and elasticity, acting as a natural anti-aging nutrient within your body. Studies have shown that vitamin E reduces inflammation both within your body and on your skin, helping maintain healthy, youthful skin.
Vitamin E, in combination with vitamin C, contributes to photoprotection and decreases UV-induced damage, and can also be useful in reducing signs of acne and eczema.
Top Sources Of Vitamin E:
Almonds
Sunflower seeds
Extra virgin olive oil
Avocado
Spinach
Salmon
Shrimp
7. Get in Tune With Your Gut Health
A healthy gut helps you absorb more nutrients – including the ones that make your skin look better – from the foods you eat and supplements you take. Plus, a healthy balance of bacteria in the stomach improves the skin barrier function and can cause various skin disorders like acne, eczema, or dry spots to disappear.
To boost the number of good bacteria in your gut, reach for fermented foods like kefir, yoghurt, sauerkraut, kombucha, and kimchi, consider taking a probiotic supplement and limit your intake of processed foods.
MORE: Probiotics: Find Out About the Benefits, Fermentation and Supplements
8. Omega-3 For Thick, Strong And Healthy Skin
Omega-3 fatty acids improve the texture and the quality of your skin, diminish damage from sun exposure and have anti-inflammatory properties. Omega-3 helps bolster the outer layers of skin cells and monitors the intake and disposal of nutrients and waste products entering and leaving the skin cell.
A solid skin cell membrane also improves cells' ability to hold onto water, giving you moister and softer skin, which promotes wrinkle prevention and may eradicate existing mild wrinkles.
There are three main types of omega-3 fatty acids, which are called ALA, DHA, and EPA. ALA can be found in plant-based foods. ALA is good for you, but EPA and DHA mostly found in fish are the most powerful Omega-3s for our bodies.
ALA is very inefficient in converting to EPA and DHA.
If you’re a vegan or vegetarian seaweed and algae are important sources of omega-3, as they are one of the few plant groups that contain DHA and EPA.
BONUS INFO: EPA is known for supporting your heart, immune system, and inflammatory response. DHA strengthens your brain, eyes, and central nervous system.
14 Best Sources Of Omega-3:
Salmon
Mackerel
Herring
Oysters
Sardines
Anchovies
Caviar
Seaweed and algae
Flax seeds
Walnuts
Soybeans
9. Extra Virgin Olive Oil – 'Natures Facelift'
There's more to olive oil than just being a special kitchen ingredient.
In the Mediterranean region, eczema and skin cancer are rare conditions compared to Scandinavia and Australia.
There are five amazing ingredients in olive oil that bolster your skin's resistance to skin cancer and aging, and they are: squalane, carotenoids, vitamin-E, polyphenols, and oleocanthal.
SQUALANE, also nicknamed 'Nature's Facelift,' is a botanical lipid that mirrors human lipids in molecular structure and weight, making it an excellent choice for regenerative skincare and anti-aging products. Our skin has sufficient levels of squalane when we're young and healthy, but with age, the levels drop considerably, and by the time we're in our mid-thirties and forties, we no longer have sufficient levels to maintain a dewy, supple skin. Squalane helps replenish our natural levels contributing to regenerative activity, to restore a more youthful appearance and the resistance of inflammatory conditions.
Squalane and olive oil added to body oils and creams provide a silkier feel. It softens and nourishes the skin and improves the absorption of the tissue of nutrients.
Olive oil is rich in CAROTENOIDS and monounsaturated fatty acids. Carotenoids are found in all green parts of plants, where they can convert excess light energy into heat. Without carotenoids, plants would be killed by sunlight. Research has shown that the human body develops a resistance to the harmful rays of the sun because of the carotenoids. Monounsaturated fatty acids help the body maximize the absorption of carotenoids.
POLYPHENOLS applied to skin protect against UV radiation and improve skin cell renewal. When you consume polyphenols in the diet, the blood flow and oxygenation of the skin increases, which purifies, strengthens and improves skin texture.
Olive oil soothes irritated and inflamed skin and can reduce eczema, dandruff, and psoriasis through OLEOCANTHAL - this chemical inhibits the enzyme cyclooxygenase, which causes inflammation in the skin and body.
Tip! Be very selective when you buy your extra virgin olive oil because a lot of producers cut corners, and many oils can be adulterated.
10. Astaxanthin - The Great Protector
Fish oil with omega-3 fatty acids isn't the only thing from the ocean that can improve your skin.
Damaging UVA rays can penetrate water, but nothing in the sea seems to suffer from sun damage. The answer lies in plant parts in the sea that produce sun-protective compounds that's past on to animals and reef. One of these compounds is astaxanthin.
Astaxanthin is a type of carotenoid, which is a natural pigment found in a variety of foods. In particular, this beneficial pigment lends its vibrant red-orange color to foods like krill, algae, salmon, and lobster.
Astaxanthin can improve the overall appearance of skin, help maintain healthy skin in healthy people, and may also be able to treat certain skin conditions. Besides, astaxanthin protects against UV-induced skin deterioration. (1)
Combining topical and oral doses of astaxanthin can help to smooth wrinkles, make age spots smaller, and help maintain skin moisture. (2)
To benefit from its antioxidant properties, try to eat some salmon once or twice a week, and choose whole foods as your first option for getting required nutrients, because there are some potential side effects associated with high dose of astaxanthin supplementation (increased skin pigmentation, altered hormone levels, hair growth, reduced calcium blood levels, decreased blood pressure, changes in sex drive)
ASTAXANTHIN FOODS: Wild-caught salmon, krill, algae, red trout, lobster, shrimp, salmon roe.
Algae are the primary natural source of astaxanthin in the aquatic food chain.
11. Optimize Hydration By
Thinking Beyond The Water Bottle
Drinking plenty of H20 is a no-brainer when it comes to healthy skin. Each day, strive for at least .5 of water per pound of body weight. If you weigh 140 pounds, for example, aim for 70 of water. Naturally non-caloric beverages such as green tea count, too, but stick to mostly water.
But don't forget about hydrating foods, too. Veggies like cucumbers, celery, lettuce, and tomatoes are made up of mostly water, and are high in a variety of skin-health-supporting nutrients.
Remember that airplane travel, alcohol, and being away from your regular routine can all negatively impact hydration. Plan ahead by bringing your water bottle to fill up frequently – and while we’re at it…
12. Healthier Kidneys, Healthier Skin
The Kidney-Skin Connection and Tips from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
In TCM, well-functioning kidneys are essential for beautiful skin. The kidneys are one of the body's primary detoxification systems.
The skin is the largest organ of the body, and one of its functions is to eliminate a portion of the body's toxic waste products through sweating. If the body contains more toxins, than the kidneys can effectively discharge, the skin takes over. As toxins escape through the skin, the skin's healthy integrity is disrupted; this is the key factor behind many skin disorders.
According to Chinese Face Mapping, the delicate skin under and around the eyes is connected to the kidney organ system
Overall healthy glowing skin
When the kidneys are healthy and strong, they properly filter the blood of pathogens and toxins, providing nutrient-rich, clean blood to the skin, this results in healthy, glowing skin.
Clear Under Eye Skin.
According to TCM is the delicate skin under and around the eyes connected to the kidney organ system. When the body is under too much stress, followed by insufficient rest, it can burn out the kidneys and adrenals; this makes it difficult for them to manage fluids and minerals. Consequently, this can show up as eye bags or puffiness and wrinkling around the skin of the eyes.
5 Simple Ways To Improve Kidney Health:
1. Manage Your Fear
Fear is the emotion associated with the kidneys if you often have severe panic attacks, anxiety, and fear, your body may be trying to tell you that your kidney energy is running low or is imbalanced.
2. Resolve Chronic Stress
When your kidneys are under too much stress, they become fatigued and weak. Therefore, any activity that helps relieve stress and tension will significantly benefit your kidneys and skin. Some ideas are moderate activity, playing a sport, yoga, Tai Qi, meditation, fishing, dancing, or walking in nature.
3. Stop draining your energy
Conserve your energy by sleeping before midnight, resting when you're tired, and giving yourself permission to take a break and de-stress. Moderation in all things is essential for longevity; we must respect our energy levels by resting when we need rest and working when we are motivated to work.
4. support your kidney's energy with these simple tips
The acupressure point called "Yong Quan" (K1)
Indications according to TCM: Sore throat, dry tongue, loss of voice (aphonia), diarrhoea, infantile convulsions, palpitations, female infertility, hypertension, poor appetite, cough, hernia, oedema, insomnia, susceptibility to fear, impotence, backache, lumbar pain, cold stretching from the sole of the foot.
Stomp your feet, slowly and with flat feet, for about five minutes a day. This activity stimulates your kidney energy, as the feet are associated with the kidneys and bladder meridians, which run through the heel and to the sole.
Rub your ears for several minutes a day. This simple massage strengthens Kidney function, as the ears are connected energetically to the kidneys.
Rub the acupressure point called "Yong Quan" (K1), which stimulates a key point on the kidney meridian. It may be sore, but this means you're hitting the right spot to stimulate your body's energy foundation and relieve symptoms such as night sweats, hot flashes, tinnitus, hypertension, insomnia, anxiety, and headaches. You'll find The Yong Quan at the exact center of the bottom of each foot (see picture). Starting with your left foot, massage this point as deeply as comfortable using your thumb or even a tennis ball—anything you have on hand.
5. Support Kidney Health with these foods
Many foods have an essence that resonates with the Kidneys. You may crave seafood, seaweed, beans, or bone soup. These are all foods that build healthy kidney function. Listen to the body, and eat what you are in the "mood" for.
Foods that are particularly nourishing to your kidneys include those that are very dark (even black) in color. Some of the best include black walnuts, black sesame, and dark leafy green vegetables.
Useful kidney herbs include He Shou Wu and Schizandra.
13. Sleep Your Way To Radiance
Beauty sleep is not a myth. Sleep does lessen the severity of wrinkles in the face and neck, at least temporarily.
The body cools in anticipation of bedtime (about half a degree), and to do so, the circulatory system increases blood flow to the skin, this is why the cheeks often flush at night. Radiance means that the color of the skin moves closer to the color of the blood.
Good and adequate sleep is also essential to the integrity of the skin as skin cells regenerate faster at night than during the day. Cell division happens throughout the day, but peaks around 2 am, this is literally renewal and rejuvenation during sleep. Although the peak in cell division happens even if you stay awake at night, the surge in growth hormone doesn't.
Increased growth hormone release is believed to be linked to the fasting state that the body enters during sleep. Naturally occurring growth hormone plays a big part in maintaining collagen matrix, and hence the appearance of youthfulness. When you deprive rats of sleep, one of the early physical indications is lesion on the skin.
Last but not least. During sleep, the whole body, including the face, also perspires more, this moisture on the skin smoothes out wrinkles.
MORE: The Best Tips to Help You Sleep Well
14. Get Your Face In Shape With Face Yoga
A fit face is a face with smoother, more supple, tighter-looking skin
Face yoga work the lower, middle, and upper layers of the skin. It increases the blood circulation, allowing more oxygen and more nourishment to reach the cells of the skin. The result is a clear, healthy complexion with a beautiful glow, which has fewer toxins and a better ability to absorb moisture.
Do five minutes of face exercises a day, and you'll quickly see results. Rule of thumb you'll start to see more of a long-term improvement in your face and neck after two weeks.
After two to four months, you will notice you have fewer fine lines and less tension, and people will notice you look healthier and more energized. Within 6-9 months, people have reported that they look and feel many years younger and feel more relaxed within themselves.
I recommend exercises from Glow In Face or Danielle Collins.
Below are three anti-aging facial exercises from the Glowinface Method to get you started. You can do them once or twice a day. It's powerful exercises, so don't overdo them.
I tend to contract my neck muscles when I do face yoga, so I prefer to do them lying down with a pillow to support my neck.
Relax your shoulders and neck while you're doing all the exercises (you'll forget because it's not easy, but keep reminding yourself anyway).
Anti-Aging facial Exercises: Cats Eyes
Good For: Drooping eyelids, crow's feet, vision. Tones and lifts the sides of the face.
Step 1: Place your palms on the temples, and let the tips of your fingers meet on the top of your head. The end of your palms covers the ends of your eyebrows.
Step 2: Gently apply pressure with your palms, then pull back and up – making cat's eyes.
Step 3: Close your eyes and feel the resistance. Hold the pose for 30 seconds. Relax.
Repeat the exercise 3 times
Anti-Aging facial Exercises: Total Facelift
Good For: Rejuvenates, lifts, and tones most of your face and neck muscles. Smooth and revitalizes skin, and provides a more radiant appearance.
Step 1: Hide the teeth with the lips to make a long 'O' shape with the mouth.
Step 2: Smile widely while keeping the teeth hidden.
Step 3: Close your eyes and rotate them backward.
Hold this pose as you place your fingers on the temples and press gently back and up. Hold for 30 seconds. Relax.
Repeat the exercise 3 times.
Anti-Aging facial Exercises: Bye Bye Double Chin
Good For: Tones jaw and neck, and helps eliminate “jaw bags”.
Step 1: Smile and open your mouth.
Step 2: Hide the bottom teeth with the lower lip keeping your upper lip relaxed.
Step 3: Lift your cheekbones up and at the same time, press your jaw outwards as far as you can, then lift it upwards too.
Hold for 30 seconds. Relax.
Repeat the exercise 3 times.
Note! If you have jaw problems, do this exercise very gently or skip it.
15. Some Rubbing And Massaging Can Transform Your Skin
Massaging your face with gua sha or face rollers increase circulation, support lymphatic drainage, and help any product on your skin sink in deeper, promoting more plump, firm, and glowing skin.
I prefer using both a gua sha tool and a face roller in my facial care routine made of nephrite jade. The name “nephrite’ is from Greek ‘nephros,’ which means ‘kidney’. In China, they regard Nephrite jade as having stronger healing resonance to the energy of the kidneys. The Nephrite jade gua sha tool is also denser and heavier than the light green jade stone, and less prone to breakage
I start with my u-shaped gua sha tool with all the right shapes and notches to help flush fresh blood flow to the skin and muscles, release fascia, relieve jaw tensions, help even out skin tone, reduce puffiness, while improving skin clarity and radiance. Then I apply my night serums and creams and finish off with my roller.
How To Use Facial Gua Sha
Start with a clean and freshly washed face. Apply a good oil to neck and face. The correct angle of the tool is flat. Move the gua sha in upward directions with light to medium pressure. When you reach the jawline or hairline, wiggle the tool there to give yourself a massage. Repeat each step 5 times or more. Start the treatment at the neck and finish at the middle of the forehead. You can find a full video tutorial HERE.
How often: You can do the treatment as often as daily or even two to three times a week, and you'll truly transform the way you look and feel.
How To Use A Face Roller
You should only be using your face roller on clean skin.
The small end of the roller is for under eye and nose areas.
The large end of the roller covers the rest of the face and clavicle.
It is important that you roll your neck first to clear the lymph passageways before starting on the face.
Don't press too hard. Use a light hand; the weight of the roller will do the rest.
Use sweeping strokes that go toward the outer edges of your face.
1. Start at your clavicle roll up and down along your skin. Pass over the same patch of skin three to four times, always moving to the outer edge of your face. 2. From your clavicle, move up: Do a sweeping up-and-down roll on your neck. 3. Jawline to cheekbone: 4. Switch to a back-and-forth roll that starts at the center of the chin and goes toward the ear, repeating this all the way up to the cheekbone. 5. Forehead: Vertical rolling, starting from the middle of the forehead and roll out toward the temples. 6. Eyebrow: Roll out and down, following the contour of your brow bone. Under eyes. 7. Flip to the small end and roll under your eye in a horizontal motion toward your temple, 8. and then roll once more in a vertical movement down your nose.
Now do the exact same thing on the other side.
How often: I recommend face rolling once or twice a day. However, you can use the face roller as many times as you want, whenever your face needs a moment of soothing calmness.
16. ID Food Allergies And Sensitivities
If you're struggling with a condition like acne, rosacea, or eczema, your diet may be one of the culprits. You can thank your immune system for this one – if you're sensitive, allergic, or intolerant to a certain food, your body will set off an inflammatory response. Enter redness, rashes, and blemishes.
If you suspect an underlying intolerance or allergy is making your skin turn against you, talk to your doctor, who may recommend eliminating certain foods for particular periods of time to pinpoint the problem.
Cheat Sheet
Ready to work the above nutrients into your skin-healthy diet? Screenshot the below list and take it with you on your next grocery store run.
Antioxidants: Aim for a variety of highly pigmented fruits and vegetables, especially berries and dark green veggies.
Anti-inflammatories: bok coy, almonds, walnuts, turmeric, apple cider vinegar, ginger, leafy greens, celery, chia seeds, lemons.
Collagen: Chicken bone broth
Astaxanthin: Krill, algae, salmon, and lobster.
Vitamin A: Carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, mangoes, papaya.
Vitamin C: Black currant, red pepper, kiwi, bell peppers, strawberries, broccoli, kale, pineapple, citrus fruits (lemons, limes, oranges, etc.), cantaloupe
Vitamin D: Fatty fish, egg yolks, UVB-rays from the sun.
Vitamin E: Sunflower seeds, almonds, extra virgin olive oil, avocado, spinach, salmon, scrimp.
Probiotics: kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha
Omega-3s: salmon, mackerel, cod liver oil, herring, oysters, sardines, anchovies, caviar, seaweed and algae, flax seeds, chia seeds, walnuts, soybeans, hemp seeds.
COQ10: Beef, chicken, trout, peanuts
Zinc: Nuts and seeds, seafood, oysters
6 Things That Are Bad For Your Skin
Too much sun and intake of certain foods can cause damage to the quality of the skin texture. So, it's equally important to know how to protect from sun damage and what NOT to eat to help the skin glow naturally every day.
1. Sugar
When you consume sugary food, the extra sugar in your bloodstream attaches to proteins like collagen and elastin fibers. This process, called glycation.
When those proteins hook up with renegade sugars, they become discoloured, weak, and less supple; this shows up on the skin's surface as wrinkles, sagginess, and a loss of radiance. This also makes the complexion more vulnerable to bad-news assailants such as UV light and cigarette smoke.
You'll find processed sugar in the majority of boxed, packaged, and store-bought foods, including "healthy" versions of processed foods, such as organic ketchup; this is why it's crucial to read food labels when it comes to maintaining your skin health. Better yet, consider avoiding processed foods altogether.
2. Alcohol
Drinking alcohol can cause enlarged blood vessels, burst capillaries, flushing, rosacea, and angiomas. Also, alcohol dehydrates your body, which makes skin appear less plump and fresh.
Alcohol also breaks down the immune system, and the extra sugar in alcohol causes system inflammation, which contributes to cell damage and skin aging. To help combat some of these effects, be sure to alternate alcoholic drinks with water, which will help prevent you from getting too dehydrate
3. Cow Milk Products
There is a very strong correlation between consuming dairy products — such as milk — and acne, skin breakouts, and aging. Scientists are still trying to figure out why, but most cows used in farming are actually pregnant cows, and hormones like progesterone and insulin growth factors make their way into the milk. When we consume milk, it leads to increased levels of inflammation, skin breakdown, ageing, and acne in many people.
4. Gluten
Gluten is a protein found in wheat and other whole grains, such as spelt, oats (unless certified gluten-free), kamut, rye, and barley. Gluten also sneaks into many unsuspecting foods, such as sauces, condiments, and processed meats. Many people have a hard time digesting gluten.
But how does gluten affect your skin? A lot of it has to do with how gluten affects your gut.
First off, you have a protein that's produced by your digestive tract called zonulin. Zonulin's job is to moderate the tight junctions between the cells in your digestive tract, which prevent undigested food particles and pathogens from passing through. While this a good thing, gluten exposure can trigger your body to overproduce zonulin; this breaks apart the tight junctions instead.
5. Processed Meats
When you wake up to puffy, swollen skin, take inventory on yesterday's meals to see if you ate a lot of salt (this includes restaurant foods or processed foods, which can pack a sneaky, high sodium content).
Processed meats such as bacon, and cured meats (such as chicken done in a brine), contain sodium, which can lead to water retention and can cause swelling and puffiness in your face.
Studies also suggest sodium nitrates, which are a preservative added to many processed foods, can break down collagen and elastin and may cause signs of premature aging.
6. The Sun
The sun is vital for life, but also have hugely damaging effects on our skin.
Do not despair because there are easy steps you can take to benefit from the sun's rays while keeping your skin thick and springy.
The Cheeky UVA-rays
The sun's UVA rays are quite constant during ALL hours of daylight throughout the entire year. They stand for 95% of the UV-rays.
The UVA's deliver immediate pigment darkening but do not increase melanin, so this tan doesn't last long. Moreover. UVA's do not burn your skin, so you think you're safe here. But the UVA's have long silent wavelengths allowing them to penetrate the deep layers of your skin, where they end up degrading collagen and elastin, which leads to wrinkles and sagging.
Numerous scientific studies of truck drivers skin confirm that driving in your car, even with the windows closed, visibly damage one side of your face more.
The Good UVB-rays with the bad reputation
UVB-rays are low in the morning, evening and winter, and high at around noon in the summertime. They stand for only about 5% of the UV-rays.
The UVB-rays are the ones that cause sunburns, and what gave them their bad rep. But UVB's have very short wavelengths, so they're only able to cause damage to the top layer of our skin – the dermis. They can't penetrate any deeper, and they can't penetrate glass.
UVB-rays act as your warning signal. When your skin starts to get red, it's time to hit the shade. The UVB-rays thicken your skin over time, produce melanin, and delivers delayed tanning (3-7 days) that'll last for weeks, which is our natural sun protection. Moreover, UVB produce the vital vitamin-D, that essential for many body functions and the immune system.
Vitamin D is also an essential nutrient for healthy skin. If the body is deficient in Vitamin D, the epidermal cells will not differentiate optimally; this causes the outer layer of the skin to become fragile and thin. Dryness and wrinkles set in as moisture is lost, and the skin begins to sag. Our bodies were designed to get vitamin D from the sun. Before vitamin-fortified foods and vitamin D supplements, the sun was the only real way for the human body to form vitamin D.
Sunlight kills bad bacteria and can disinfect and heal wounds, and it has a beneficial effect on skin disorders, such as psoriasis, acne, eczema, and fungal infections.
How to get the good stuff from the sun without damaging your skin
The trick is to get the UVB's and avoid the UVA as much as possible, so get outside and expose as much of your skin as possible around noon - but DON'T get burned, and keep an eye on your skin.
How I do it. I'm blond with fair skin, so when I'm in Denmark, I start the summer season by exposing my skin 15 minutes on front and back around noon (1-2 pm because of daylight savings). If I'm in a tropical area, 10 minutes is my maximum. As my skin darkens, I increase my time in the sun, but I rarely spend more than 45 minutes unprotected in the sun.
After sunbathing, I protect my skin with clothes and my sun shield oil the rest of the day even when I'm driving in a car or sitting next to a window.
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Disclaimer:
All information in this blog is strictly for informational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. The statements made in this blog have not been evaluated by The Danish Health Authority. The products linked to in this blog and any information published in this blog are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information provided by this blog is not a substitute for a face to-face consultation with your physician, and should not be construed as medical advice. The entire contents of this blog are based upon the opinions of Hanne Robinson. By reading and using this blog, you agree to only use this publication for personal informational use and not as a substitute for medical or other professional advice.