With its radiant sunshine and extended daylight, summer presents an ideal opportunity to flaunt your skin's innate luminosity. But what exactly affects the health of our skin? And which vitamins and foods contribute to keeping your skin nourished and hydrated?
Within this comprehensive skincare blog post, we delve into the essence of achieving glowing skin and offer valuable tips on maintaining radiant summertime skin by adopting beneficial habits and removing damaging ones.
Foods to optimize for healthy skin
If you want healthy, glowy, and radiant skin, focus on foods that are high in Vitamins A, C, D, E, Omega 3s, Collagen, and zinc. The foods we eat directly impact the overall appearance of our skin.
Vitamin A
Foods high in vitamin A include carrots, sweet potatoes, kale, and spinach. Vitamin A plays a key role in promoting cell growth and removing dead cells. It is also known for stimulating collagen production, which enhances skin elasticity and reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Vitamin C
Foods high in vitamin C include oranges, broccoli, kiwi, strawberries, and bell peppers. Vitamin C is key to protecting the skin from oxidative stress, which can lead to premature aging and increase one's risk of disease. Adding more vitamin C to one's diet not only helps to prevent illnesses but also helps the skin! Vitamin C aids in collagen synthesis, skin elasticity, and firmness and supports the skin’s natural healing process.
Vitamin D
Foods rich in Vitamin D include salmon, mackerel, egg yolks and mushrooms. We know vitamin D is essential for our overall health, but did you know it is crucial for maintaining healthy skin? Vitamin D supports the production of skin barrier proteins, allowing the skin to retain more moisture.
Vitamin E
Foods rich in Vitamin E include almonds, sunflower seeds, avocado, and spinach. Vitamin E is essential for skin health as it helps to protect against the damage caused by UV rays and pollutants. It also helps to promote skin cell regeneration, which means that it can help your skin look healthy and youthful.
Omega 3s
Foods high in Omega-3s include fatty fish, chia seeds, flaxseeds, and hemp seeds. Omega-3s are crucial for your skin as they help maintain the skin’s moisture barrier and reduce inflammation and redness.
Collagen
In the past few years, Collagen has become increasingly popular. Did you know that collagen can only be found in animal-based products like bone broth and skin-on chicken? Collagen is an essential building block for our skin's elasticity, which will help our skin look more healthy and youthful.
Zinc
Finally, Zinc. Foods high in Zinc include pumpkin seeds, chickpeas, oysters, beef, and lentils. Zinc can help repair skin and has many anti-inflammatory properties that can help with inflammation, acne, and other skin issues.
Foods to limit for healthy skin
While there are many foods that are beneficial for our skin health, there are also many foods that can negatively impact the appearance of our skin.
Sugar, ultra-processed foods, dairy products, trans fat, and alcohol are foods that we need to avoid for optimal skin health. All of these foods are inflammatory, which can cause our skin to become inflamed and irritated, whether with acne or dryness and wrinkles.
Healthy habits for glowing skin
While many aspects of skin health are related to the foods we eat, there are some other things you can do to ensure that your skin is at its best this summer.
Hydration
Hydration is KEY to our skin health! When we are dehydrated, our skin can become much more dry and dull. Along with this, drinking enough water helps to flush out ay toxins in the body and keep the skin looking glow and moisturized.
Skincare Routine
Establishing a consistent skincare routine is key to healthy skin. This routine does not need to be complex, it can simply be washing your face each night before bed. Its important to at least cleanse your face to remove any dirt, pollutants or makeup. If you want to further invest in your skin health, I would recommend you use a toner after your wash your face, to balance your skin’s pH levels.
Stress
Stress, especially chronic, can take a large tool on your skin. Stress can show up as acne, dullness and dryness on your skin. To combat this, focus on taking time for yourself. Wake up 10 minutes earlier and allow yourself that time just for you. Practice meditation, journaling or yoga to help promote a calmer mind.
Sunscreen & Sun Protection
We now that many peoplw are focused on getting a glowy tan during the summer but I am here to tell you that a tan is not worth your skin health! Of course we need Vitamin D from the sun but overexposure. tothe sun, espcailly during peak UV leveles can lead to skin damage and premature ageing. Avoid spending time outside during the peak UV hours, but if you need to be outside during those times, be sure to put on sunscreen and protective clothing.
I hope you enjoyed this blog post on all thigns skin health! If you are ready to take the next step on your health journey and want to work on your skin health, be sure to reach out to me to book a nutrition appointment.
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