Let’s be honest, the anti-aging industry is such a megalithic movement because we all want to look good, plain and simple. Unfortunately, skin issues have become an epidemic due to poor diets, toxic burdens, and chemical laden- products that only make the problem worse long term. Sure, we can blame it on the cold, the wind, and the sun, but really, if we took better care of ourselves and navigated the weather appropriately, none of those elements would be a long-standing issue.
The good news is there are many different ways you can improve your complexion over time, and it doesn’t just come down to your traditional beauty products (although good ones can really help). Even incorporating a few of these things will improve your skin, and if you do them all, you’re bound to glow.
Clean up Your Diet
A fundamental precursor to skin health, good or bad, is the state of your diet. Most people don’t connect skin conditions to poor nutrition, but in fact, it is arguably the MOST important factor in obtaining the beautiful skin you desire.- Refined sugar and artificial sweeteners
- Unhealthy fats (saturated, trans)
- Refined carbohydrates (white flour)
- Alcohol
- Gluten
- Excessive omega-6 fatty acids (in oils such as corn, safflower, grapeseed, peanut)
- Dairy
- Artificial additives
- Conventional and processed meats
- Foods that are low in sugar, easily digestible, and highly hydrating, like berries, cucumbers, leafy greens, kale, carrots, celery, and onions.
- Foods high in omega 3s such as hemp seeds, chia seeds, flax, and wild-caught salmon.
- Foods high in vitamin C such as camu camu, acerola cherry, guava, and oranges.
- Foods high in zinc such as pumpkin seeds, oysters, ginger, and eggs.
- Foods high in selenium like garlic, brown rice, and Brazil nuts.
- Foods high in silica such as cucumber, leeks, green beans, asparagus, and rhubarb.
- Foods high in enzymes and probiotics like raw fruits and vegetables, fresh green juices, sprouts, sauerkraut, coconut kefir, and kombucha.
Sweat and Exfoliate
If you want your skin to look good, you need to avoid clogged pores as much as possible so that means avoiding eating a lot of “oily” (especially bad fats) foods, avoiding poor skincare and makeup products, and avoiding any other impurities that can clog your pores.Two great ways to sweat are intense exercise and infrared sauna. Both will open the pores and help cleanse the skin, resulting in more radiant and glowing epidermis. If you’re not able to exercise and don’t have access to a sauna, try a hot bath with calming essential oils and magnesium flakes and enjoy a good sweat that way. Of course, it’s best if your water is filtered or otherwise purified.
Don’t Overdo the Elements
Mother nature can be a lot of fun to be in sometimes, but we need to pay attention to how much time we spend in conditions that are not so friendly to our skin.The biggest culprit for damaged skin when it comes to the elements is excess sun exposure. As a big proponent of vitamin D and getting it from the best source, the sun, I highly advocate that you do get regular sun exposure. However, depending on your internal health, ethnicity, diet, and location, you may burn or otherwise dry out your skin if you spend too much time in it. So take time to enjoy the sun every day you can, but be cognizant of the state of your skin and when you need to cover up or seek shade.
Hydrate With Pure Water
Since we are approximately 70 percent water, it only makes sense that proper hydration will contribute to more supple and ageless skin. Not only does it keep our body “moist,” it is also key to cleansing toxins out of the body.Not any old water will do, however. If you’re drinking tap or unfiltered water, the chances are you are drinking a chemically polluted source that diminishes your hydration at the cellular level. This is why you need to stick with a highly reputable water filter (not Brita or the like), or approved spring water, for best results. You can also consider reverse osmosis or distilled water, just make sure you mineralize it (a pinch of sea salt will do).
Nourish Your Skin
Now for the fun part, nourishing your skin with toxic-free, botanically guided, skin care that not only improves your skin appearance but uplifts your mood and well-being.It’s no secret now that anything you put on your skin is virtually the same as you eating it, only it gets absorbed directly into the bloodstream. So if there are any toxic components to it, and 99 percent of skincare lines will have varying levels of toxic ingredients, they will be absorbed directly into your body. Unfortunately, this means your skincare routine is actually aging you, due to the toxic burden incurred.
A high-quality skincare line will remove all toxins and use ingredients that nourish your skin through plant-based ingredients and botanicals that provide an array of nutrients and antioxidants to your epidermis. Look for product lines with toxic-free and highly nourishing, organic, and wildcrafted ingredients.
