5 Tips To Flawless Skin

While we all want youthful, more glowing looking skin, it can be hard to maintain with the toxicity that presents in our modern diet and lifestyle. Our skin is our largest organ, and often the most neglected. It needs to be cared for and nourished. Where does great skin begin? Believe it or not, the GUT is where it all starts. By addressing the nutritional and digestive cause to your acne, psorisis, eczema or simply dull blemished skin your complexion and confidence can turn around by investigating the root cause of your skin issues and actioning a simple, yet effective plan. 

5 tips to flawless skin:

1. A good skincare routine is a must

With so many cosmeceuticals and exciting marketing it can be easy to fall into the hype of it all. Claims such as ‘new technology’ and ‘the latest’ can make these products seem like the best new thing – but is it right for you and your skin? Are the ingredients going to leave you worse off? When looking for a skincare range always aim for quality! Ensure the product range is free of emulsifiers, preservatives, parabens, fragrances, mineral oils, silicones, dyes and amines. Why worry about this? Well, we are what we eat, drink and absorb.

It’s easy to improve your skin health and appearance by protecting it from poor hydration, diet, environmental stress and toxins (sun, pollution and wind). Following a basic skincare routine tailored to your very own skin type and nutrient needs is the key to amazing-looking skin. If you can deliver the right type of nutrients and active ingredients into the deeper layers of the skin, your cell-to-cell communication underneath works more effectively to produce great skin visually.

2. Inner health 

Your digestive health is directly related to your skin health and integrity. If you suffer with bloating, constipation or simply feel as though your digestion is sluggish working with a practitioner can improve all of these digestive issues. Tailoring a specific and simple diet plan with smart supplementation can improve your gut health, and in turn your skin health. Diet is everything when it comes to glowing, vibrant skin. The first step to better skin is to cut out sugar and processed foods. 

3. Key nutrients 

The most important diet tip for great skin is to aim for an anti-inflammatory diet. Did you know that more often than not the stubborn cause of your acne, psoriasis, blemishes and eczema is coming from what you eat?

Some specific skin nutrients include:

• Omega 3’s which reduce skin inflammation, plump of the cells of our skin and are an important element to a good skin nutrition plan. You can increase your intake through oily fish such as salmon and sardines. 
• Zinc is a key nutrient needed to control acne and blemishes. Oysters are a great source of zinc, as well as meat, fish, seafood and egg yolk.
• Sulphur is a key beauty mineral to support healthy liver detoxification. Found in radishes, eggs, cruciferous vegetables, onions and garlic.
• Silica is fantastic as part of an anti-ageing skincare plan. This skin loving mineral is an important element to keep our hair, skin and nails strong – as well as our connective tissue.  You can find more silica in green beans, banana and mineral water. 
• Antioxidants (viatmins A, C and E) are very important for good skin health; assisting in collagen production, elasticity and fighting against free radical damage.  
• Lycopene has been shown to help smooth skin and protect it from UV damage. You can find lycopene in tomato, grapefruit and watermelon.
• We can’t forget protein. Amino acids are the building blocks of our structural integrity of the skin. Found in free range eggs, chicken, red meat and fish. Nuts and hemp seeds also provide the skin with a nice hit of protein and healthy fat. 

4. Hydration status

 Probably my golden rule for great skin! The stratum corneum of the skin depends on optimal hydration. The slightest dehydration can show up on the skin right away. Not only does good hydration make our skin look more firm and vibrant, but it assists with the elimination of toxin buildup. Set daily reminders and keep up with your water and herbal tea intake.

5. Work up a sweat 

A lot of the time we forget about the other fantastic benefits of exercise and sweating. Did you know sweating is great for keeping our skin healthy? Getting a little sweaty can encourage healthy mitochondria (energy) function in our cells deep within our skin layer.  Keep active and prime your body for healthy detoxification. Sweating can flush out unwanted toxins, helping unplug pores. Another fantastic detoxifying habit is infrared sauna use. Infrared saunas can improve collagen and elasticity in the skin.  While relaxing, infrared saunas raise your core temperature to boost the detoxication and elimination of heavy metals and impurities that can clog and blemish the skin. 

It’s time to take better care of your skin! If you want to finally address the root cause of your acne, dermatitis, eczema, dry or flaky skin, book in with Marina (Clinical Nutritionist + skin expert) for a consultation paired with your personalised skin nutrition plan to address your skins individual differences. Call us on (03) 9889 8008 or book an appointment with us.

Written By Marina, Clinical Nutritionist.

You might be interested in “Detox Cleanses: an Integrative Dietitian’s perspective“.