Food for your skin

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Taking care of our skin has become such a tricky business, especially the skin on our face. Keeping a clean, healthy, and glowing skin is the ultimate key to maintaining or promoting beauty. Even for those who believe in makeup like I do, beautiful skin creates a beautiful canvas!


So what is it that our skin really needs?

Source: Vaseline.com

If you are a inquisitor like me, you've probably questioned if we really need to put the effort that we do to take care of our skin, and what did the stone age men and woman do?
Well, thanks to our dying earth and dirty atmosphere, our skin is exposed to all types of pollution, CFCs, and damaged ozone layer that allows for the suns rays to turn us into uglies.

 

 

Before we tap into what we can do to survive, let us discover a little more about our skin.

The skin is the biggest organ on your body, which on average covers about 20 feet squared. The skin acts as a protective layer over your body to protect your internal organs and shields you from microbes and elements, regulates temperature and permits the sensation of touch, heat and cold. The skin is made up of 3 layers;

1. Epidermis- this is the outer waterproof layer.
2. Dermis- made up of connective tissue, hair follicles, sweat glands, and sebaceous oil glands.
3. Hypodermis- deeper subcutaneous tissue made of fat and connective tissue.

seems like a lot going on there but this is only 3 millimeters of shield. Your have thicker skin on your body compared to the face, this is because the facial skin has less fat which in turn makes it more prone to wrinkles. Woman have smoother and thinner skin compared to men who have more rugged skin with more hair follicles.[Livestrong.com]

The thickest skin on the human body is found on the palms and soles, and the thinnest is under the eye and the eyelid measured at 0.5mm. [ source]

Human skin is very sensitive and can be damaged through.

• Contact with sharp or abrasive objects
• Electrical current
• Extreme temperature
• Harmful chemicals
• Over exposure to UV radiation.

The difference between the skin on your face and body:
 Even though the skin on your face is much thinner than the skin on your body, it has more appendage (hair follicles, sweat gland and oil glands) concentration and heals quicker and therefore more tolerant to injury. However the skin on the face is more sensitive because it has more nerve endings, is the thinnest, and is the most exposed to weather, pollution,  and many exterior factors.

Going back to why our skin is not as strong as our ancestors?, mostly because we experience harsher weather conditions and more polluted environments that clog, burn and penetrate through the barrier of our skin. It takes more effort for us to maintain, repair or improve our skin.

Even though there are a lot of factors related with skin type such as, genetics, climate and elasticity etc, there is a lot we can do to try and preserve or treat it. There are many treatment, procedures and technology available today to take care of your skin but there are essential everyday habits we need to take up to maintain beautiful healthy skin.

1. Diet

As explained earlier the skin is the largest organ in the body, like all other organ, should you have a deficiency in some nutrients, your organs get damaged. Its the same with your skin.
What you put in you get out.

Try to include the following foods in your diet and you will love the results:

• Strawberries- High in vitamin and anti-aging properties
• Olive oil- The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of olive oil don’t just benefit you on the inside—they soften your skin, too.
• Green tea- Helps you detox your skin and has been found to help reduce chances of skin cancer.
• Pumpkin- Pumpkin’s orange hue is from carotenoids, wrinkle-fighting plant pigments that help neutralise free radicals in the skin, keeping them from damaging the cells that fast-forward aging. “Pumpkin is filled with vitamins C, E, and A, as well as powerful enzymes that help to cleanse the skin
• Pomegranate- Research shows this fruit’s juice has more inflammation-fighting antioxidants than red wine or green tea. Eat some fresh pomegranate or use it in an age-fighting scrub.
• Avocado- My personal favorite, also known as " the food of the gods" Avocado is jam packed with goodness for your skin. With Vitamins C and E, it helps with combat the signs of ageing and moisturizes your kin from within. High amounts of carotenoids found in avocados in your diet have been shown in scientific studies to improve your skin’s density, thickness, tone and general appearance.

 The best part a bout these foods is that you can also turn them into a mask and smear them onto your face.

2. Hydration

Drink lots of water to help your skin flush out toxins.
The fact is that skin is an organ, and just like any other part of the body. your skin is made up of cells. And skin cells, like any other cell in the body, are made up of water. Without water, the organs will certainly not function properly or at their best.

If your skin is not getting the sufficient amount of water, the lack of hydration will present itself by turning your skin dry, tight and flaky. Dry skin has less resilience and is more prone to wrinkling.

As water is lost in large quantities every day, you need to replace it somehow. The unfortunate truth about drinking water and skin is that water will reach all the other organs before it reaches the skin. So, it's important to apply water to our skin and keep it there - this will not only show a visible difference in hydration, but it can prevent wrinkles, as well.

So what is the best way to add water to the skin?

• Apply a hydrating moisturizer within 2 minutes of leaving the bath or shower. The skin is still porous and is vulnerable to products that are applied following the bath or shower, allowing better absorption.
• Apply a product containing hyaluronic acid prior to your moisturizer, such as Skinceuticals Hydrating B5 Gel. Hyaluronic acid holds 1,000 times its own weight in water, thus attracting water to the skin and holding it there.
• Drink more water. Drinking at least 8 glasses a day will help rid the body and skin of toxins. Everyone will not agree that water consumption will improve skin… but it certainly can't hurt. Many people often report that by increasing their water intake, their skin has a more radiant glow. Those who suffer from acne have reported the same results. Nothing will happen overnight, but even a good couple of weeks of increasing water intake should be enough for you to see how hydration affects your own skin.  [Source: UWHealth.com]

 

3. Treatment

Treat your skin by using reputable skin products.
This will include your cleanser,  toner, and moisturiser. It helps to know your skin type so you can know what it requires. you can consult your dermatologist for professional advice.

Cleansing:
This is the process where you clean or wash your skin.
Try to dampen your skin with warm water before you apply your cleaning product, this will help reduce sensitivity, soften skin and open pores to allow your skin to be cleaned thoroughly.

Ideally, you would use different products on your face and than from your body given that the face tends to be more sensitive. When washing your face it is important to use your fingers and gently work the product outward in a circular motion. Rinse your skin thoroughly and pat dry with a clean towel. A dirty towel or used towel can be packed bacteria that can get back to your skin and cause irritation.

Toning:
This process is mostly used on your face and not the body. Toning is a necessary part of your skincare routine. After cleansing, a toner is used to restore and repair the skin preparing it for your moisturiser. It restores the skins pH balance and a healthy dose of ingredients to feed your skin.

To tone your skin, use a cotton pad or your fingers, gently wipe across your face and neck. Just like with your cleanser and moisturiser, there are different types of toners for different types of skin ranging from oily or blemish-prone skin, dry sensitive skin, and combination skin.

Moisturising:
The most effective moisturising practices center on retaining the skins natural oils above all else.
There are moisturisers available to use on both face and body, however, you would most likely use different moisturisers to cater for the different needs. Your moisturiser should feed your skin with its needs depending on your skin type. 

Face moisturisers range from mattifying, hydrating, and combination to help your face stay supple and healthy. For your body, applying a good body moisturiser feels like feeding your skin a really decent meal. A balanced meat-two-veg-hot-pudding-to-follow sort of set-up. It nourishes your body and gives it a radiant glow. the best time to apply your body mosituriser is just after your shower where your skin is soft and pores are open to eat up all that goodness.

Try your best to exfoliate and mask your face at least once a week. Exfoliation helps remove dead skin cells and allows your skin to regenerate itself and assist your products to seep into the skin and perform their function. Masking helps with purifying, restoring, and feeding your skin (depending on your requirements and the type of mask.

You can find a wide range of masks scrubs and treatment products for both your face and body in your local pharmacy or drugstore.

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4. Protect

As mentioned above, your skin is very thin and can bruise easily.

•  Watch not to tear, damage or burn it by doing a sensitivity test before trying out any new products on it.
• Work with caution when handling sharp or abrasive objects.
• Use sunscreen always.
• Use a hat or umbrella when planning to be in the sun for a long time.
• keep away from harsh chemicals
• don't over exfoliate and rip your skin of its natural oils.
• cover up as much as you can.

Remember, we are born in one skin and it has to last us a lifetime!