Skin is highly responsive to optimal nutrition and an excellent lifestyle! Your Skin is actually what it absorbs!! Hence it is imperative to keep a check on what you feed it with!
My 7 basic steps for skin care routine include:
1. Nutrition: what to eat
5 natural foods to include in your skin care routine are
- Skin is made up of protein. Lean protein like egg whites, chicken, fish, and protein powders must be incorporated in a minimum of 3 meals of the day. Being a gut microbiome coach, am not a fan of dairy since it can be inflammatory for the body and actually lead to gut and skin issues. Having said that stick to the concept of bio-individuality and consume if it works for you and in moderation.
- Good fats help in retaining good moisture for the skin giving it a supple look. For eg: olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, nuts, and seeds. I love the concoction of 1 tsp cold pressed coconut oil with a pinch of turmeric powder along with black pepper. This helps with gut health and keeps the thyroid gland in check too. Almonds or pumpkin seeds are rich in zinc help combat acne and maintain collagen levels.
- Antioxidants are anti-aging foods—these slow the aging process on the cellular level. Vitamin C is the most important nutrient for skin health. Consume broccoli or bell peppers as a part of veggies or salad every day. Broccoli also has anti-cancer properties.
- Drink a minimum of 3 liters of water a day. Eg: Start the day with lime water, have coconut water with breakfast, cinnamon water post meals, and plain water throughout the day increase this consumption during workouts, and diluted vegetable juices are great detoxifiers.
The key to beautiful skin at all times is giving it optimal nutrition and the patience to persevere the same!! It’s a great idea to see a skin care nutritionist help curate a tailor-made plan for you keeping gut health in check for optimal skin health
2. Nutrition: what not to eat
- Avoid margarine and all foods that contain hydrogenated oils. Hydrogenated oils have many negative effects on the skin. These interfere with hormones known as prostaglandins that keep the skin healthy. Therefore it’s a good idea to avoid packaged foods such as cookies, baked goods, chips, and other fast foods. Remember these foods are high in simple carbohydrates such as refined flour, sugar, fat, and salt, not the best foods for your gut health.
- Eliminate fried foods. Such foods have negative effects on skin health.
- Quit smoking. It’s one of the most damaging things to the skin
- Avoid alcohol: this damages the gut lining and affects skin health along with creating hormonal imbalances further worsening skin
3. Promote Gut Health
Fiber-rich foods feed the healthy bacteria in the gut. Lack of fiber can lead to constipation which causes toxins to circulate throughout the body and cause inflammation in the skin. Hence a diet rich in fiber in the form of whole grains (cereals + legumes), soups, salads, low GI fruits, veg smoothies veggies is essential. Probiotics in the form of foods such as fermented veggies and kefir drinks help. Probiotic supplements such as acidophilus, Bifidobacterium, and Bulgaricus promote skin health by detoxifying the GI tract and enhancing nutrient absorption.
4. Boost liver health
the liver and skin are both organs of detoxification. It is interesting to know when the liver isn’t doing what it needs to like removing the toxins from the body, more toxins get through the skin resulting in decreasing skin quality. A veg smoothie is a great detox drink, can add greens such as kale, and broccoli with green apple, orange, or blueberries along with chia or flax seeds to supercharge it.
5. Sleep well
While sleeping at night the body is getting rid of toxins, recharging the brain, and helping with making the best quality hormones. Therefore it is essential to get 7-8 hours of sleep every night for optimal skin health. The key is to have a sleep routine and avoid late nights. Maybe, our guide to sleep well might be of help.
6. Skin supplements
- Vitamin C, both taken as a supplement and applied topically, is one of the most important nutrients for skin health and protection. It should be one of the main ingredients in sunscreen formulas.
- Magnesium is one of the most important nutrients for beautiful skin. It may be especially helpful along with the B complex and antioxidant nutrients in preventing wrinkles. Epsom salt baths are another way to get more magnesium in the body.
- Zinc is extremely important for healthy skin. Zinc is needed for the production of new healthy skin cells. Red meat, seafood, oysters, nuts, and seeds are some of the few foods that contain zinc. Few eat these foods every day. Zinc has been found especially useful in the treatment of acne.
- Essential Fats are extremely important for the skin. EPA is an essential fatty acid found in fish oils and cold-water fish, especially salmon, sardines, and mackerel. Many find EPA helpful in rebalancing the health of their skin. GLA is an essential fatty acid and an extraordinary food for the skin. It lubricates the skin, making it remarkably supple and smooth. GLA is found in evening primrose and borage oil supplements.
7. Be happy
Feeling happy helps to feel and look vibrant! Being happy is a skill. It takes strength and courage to feel happy amidst all the challenges we see in day-to-day life. But when we take an effort to be more positive, we tend to quite often have a perception shift that helps to take actions that help us to be happier.
Skin care natural tips include eating well, sleeping well, taking care of the gut and liver along with practicing self-care and self-love. Beauty is inside out !!!
As a gut health expert or a gut microbiome coach I usually ask these questions to help build self-awareness in the context to gut microbiome and hence skin health.
Do you have any of these factors that promote poor microbiome health?
- A pro-inflammatory diet that mainly consists of processed foods, fast foods, vegetable oils, fried foods, sugars, starchy foods, etc
- Do you eat a limited diet with the same kind of meals every day or do you like experimenting with a variety of foods, especially different colored foods ??
- Do you sleep sufficiently ? is the quality of your sleep low ??
- Do you exercise regularly?
- How often do you indulge in antibiotics or painkillers in a year?
- Do you smoke?
- How often do you consume alcohol?
- Do you consume a lot of artificial sweeteners?
- How are your stress levels?
Unlock radiant skin with a simple skincare routine. Follow Karishmma Chawla’s expert advice to nurture healthy, glowing skin.
