Glowing & Gorgeous: Top Tips for Healthy Skin
Your skin is the largest organ of your body. It serves as a protective barrier between the external world and you and, consequently, your skin takes a lot of stress through exposure to sun, harsh weather, and chemicals in your everyday environment.
With all the burden your skin takes, most people neglect to give skin the proper care it needs to do its job. Here are a few of our top tips for healthy skin to help you get your glow:
Hydrate
Drink water!*
Your skin is up to 15 percent water. In climate-controlled offices, where humidity is often low, moisture in the skin evaporates more quickly than it can regenerate.
A great way to stay hydrated and cleanse your system, add a squeeze of lemon juice in an 8oz glass of water the morning to hydrate + cleanse the organs.
Eat Healthy
A healthy diet can help you look and feel your best. Be sure to get enough of your omega-3 essential fatty acids through fatty fish (such as sardines, salmon or anchovies), nuts, or seeds as they are important for the health of your cells and help to combat inflammation. Eat plenty of whole grains, lean proteins, and water-rich fruit and vegetables to hydrate your skin cells such as:
Apples
Cucumbers
Celery
Marrow
Eggplant
Grapefruit
Oranges
Grapes
Exercise
Incorporate exercise to your daily routine to oxygenate your body with walking, cycling, running or taking the stairs. Aerobic exercise increases the oxygen circulating in your body which helps your skin stay vibrant and healthy**. Regular physical activity not only restores vitality to your skin but it still stands as the best way to get (and stay!) in shape.
Sleep
Sleep is essential for healthy skin. Not enough quality sleep can definitely make your skin look tired and older. Further, the bags under your eyes sure don’t help!
Make sure you have plenty of physical exercise as this reduces stress and creates a healthy tiredness that helps sleep. Tossing and turning? Give yoga or meditation a try to help you get more zzzz’s.
Natural Beauty
Keep your skin care regime simple. Use only organic natural products free of chemicals.
Be Sun Smart
One of the most important ways to take care of your skin is to protect it from the sun. A lifetime of sun exposure can cause wrinkles, age spots and other skin problems — as well as increase the risk of skin cancer***. For the most complete sun protection:
Use sunscreen. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30. When you’re outdoors, re-apply sunscreen every two hours — or more often if you’re swimming or sweating.
Seek shade. Do your best to avoid the sun between 10am- 4 pm, when the sun is at its strongest.
Wear protective clothing and wide-brimmed hats.
Manage Stress
Unmanaged stress can cause your skin to be more sensitive and it may trigger acne breakouts and other skin problems****. To encourage healthy skin — and a healthy state of mind — take steps to manage your stress:
manage your time
set reasonable limits
prioritize your to-do lists
find time to do the things you enjoy!
*University of Wisconsin School of Public Medicine. The benefits of drinking water for your skin. http://www.uwhealth.org/madison-plastic-surgery/the-benefits-of-drinking-water-for-your-skin/26334
**Peter Jaret, Stephanie Gardner, MD. Exercise for Health Skin. http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/acne/features/exercise
***Brash, D., E., et al. (1991) A role for sunlight in skin cancer: UV-induced p53 mutations in squamous cell carcinoma. PNAS. Vol. 88. 10124-10128.
**** Zouboulis, C.,C., Bohm, M., (2004) Neuroendocrine regulation of sebocytes- a pathogenetic link between stress and acne. Experimental Dermatology. Vol. 13. 31-35.