A radiant complexion is great, but it’s not enough. You want gorgeous, silky soft skin from your head to your toes! And you can have it; but first, you need to understand the role skin plays in your overall health. Your skin helps regulate body temperature, synthesizes vitamin D to promote strong bones and keeps harmful agents out of your body. Clearly, it deserves a little extra TLC. Thankfully, you have more control over your skin’s health than you may think. These healthy skin tips will help ensure you have more naturally glowing skin than you ever dreamed possible!
Rethink Your Diet
Beauty is more than skin deep, which is why you have to nourish skin through the food you eat every day. There are certain nutrients that are crucial to skin health, the first being collagen. The benefits of collagen are immense, because this structural protein is found in connective tissue all throughout your body – namely, skin, joints and tendons. Precursors to collagen production are called pro-collagen nutrients, which include amino acids, vitamin C and zinc. You can get the pro-collagen fuel you need by incorporating protein-rich foods into your daily meals. Good sources are eggs, red meat, beans and shellfish, because they double-down on protein and zinc.
Supplements can help fill in the dietary gaps. If you’re not getting enough protein from foods, try adding a high-quality collagen supplement to support the process. The label should include ingredients that are clinically tested and backed by human studies, such as BioCell Collagen or Verisol Bioactive Protein Peptides.†
You’ll also want up your intake of antioxidants. Antioxidants are nutrients that help neutralize the damaging effects of free radicals. To fight the good fight, consume more dark leafy greens like kale and spinach. They pack vitamin C, lutein and zeaxanthin – nutrients that provide hefty antioxidant power.
Stress Less & Sleep More
In addition to what you eat, your daily activities affect the health of your skin. If your on-the-go lifestyle and seemingly never-ending to-do list leaves you stressed and overwhelmed, it’s time to chill out. Tension can cause certain skin conditions to flare up due to the release of cortisol, a stress hormone.
Plus, when you’re feeling crazed, your sleep suffers. Evidence shows that skin renews at night and collagen production is optimal at 2 a.m. Good-quality sleep (aim for six to eight hours per night) will help you wake up feeling refreshed and help prevent those puffy, dark under-eye circles. After all, isn’t that everyone’s dream?
†These statements have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.
