How to Support Healthy Skin from the Inside Out!

How much do you spend every month on skincare (be honest)?

Moisturisers, face wash, body scrubs, masks, serums… the list goes on! Having healthy, great-looking skin is wonderful but the problem with the majority of products you buy to apply to your skin is that they only treat the uppermost layers of your skin.

In order to help your complexion be as healthy as it can be, we need to look at what is going on inside that affects what your skin looks like on the outside.

We have compiled a guide full of advice and tips for optimising your diet to help your skin be as healthy as it can be, working from the inside out.

1. Overall Diet Quality is Key

The thing that is going to make the biggest difference to your skin’s health is having a well-balanced diet full of whole foods, fruit and veg. If you are eating take-aways 4 times a week or snacking on 26 chocolate bars a day, this will likely reflect in your skin’s outward appearance. Now we’re not saying that you should never treat yourself, just try to prioritise fruit and veg, minimally processed protein sources, wholegrains and pulses and you’ll be off to a good start!

2. Hydration

If you’ve ever suffered from dry skin, you’ll know how essential a good moisturiser is. However, it is just as important to hydrate your skin from the inside out. Making sure you’re drinking enough fluid every day will aid in keeping skin hydrated so try to aim for 1.5-2 litres of fluid every day. This can be water, squash, herbal teas, milk, even caffeinated drinks count though try to limit these to just 1 or 2 in the morning if possible.

3. Omega-3

Omega-3 fatty acids are found in oily fish such as salmon, trout and mackerel, and also in flax or linseed. Omega-3s have been shown to help with skin hydration and have particularly notable positive effects with skin conditions such as psoriasis, reactive / sensitive skin, rosacea and eczema. While it would be great to be eating oily fish 3-4 times weekly, this is not realistic for most of us so often an omega supplement can really help.

We offer both an Omega + supplement specific for skin health which also includes vitamin A, and also a straight up Omega 3 supplement; both of which you can buy in our online shop.

4. Vitamins

Once you’ve got the basics of your diet right, we can look more specifically at the micronutrients that affect your skin. Vitamins that have specific skin benefits are the antioxidants A,C and E. Vitamins ACE are associated with protecting skin from photodamage and premature ageing. These vitamins can be found in a wide range of foods from milk, eggs, fruit & veg, dairy products and nuts. Therefore, if you’re eating a diet that is varying and contains a good amount of whole ingredients, you will be consuming a good amount of these antioxidants. However, our diets can tend to be quite ‘samey’ with many of us buying the same foods and cooking the same meals week on week. This can restrict the vitamin content of your diet, meaning that you may not be getting enough of these vitamins to benefit your skin health. Likewise, if you are eating to lose weight on a calorie restricted diet again you can be missing out on the quantities of micronutrients you need for optimum skin health. Consequently, it can be beneficial in certain circumstances to add in some supplements that will enhance the vitamin content of your diet.

Again the supplements we offer are from the Advanced Nutrition Programme™ range and include a Skin vitamin A+ and a Skin vitamin C product.

5. Minerals

Similar to vitamins, we need minerals in our diet for our overall health, but there are a couple that provide specific benefits to our skin, namely zinc and selenium. Zinc has particular effects on skin repair, maintenance and protection, while selenium provides similar function to antioxidants mentioned above. Zinc is found in a range of foods including meat, shellfish, seeds and milk, while selenium is found in high quantities in brazil nuts as well as fish and meat. As with vitamins, it is possible to get enough zinc and selenium by eating a varied and balanced diet, but at times supplementation can be useful. If you’re worried about the variety or quality of your diet, we offer a wide-spectrum multivitamin that supports overall health as well and skin, hair and nail health.

So there you have it!

Provided that you are eating plenty of fruit and veg, drinking a good amount of fluid and varying the foods you eat on a daily basis you will be laying some great foundations for having healthy, glowing skin. If you’re concerned about your diet and skin health, or want to find out more about how your diet can be optimised get in touch today or book an appointment.

Other supplements we offer which can help with specific skin conditions are Skin Accumax™ which has been formulated for problem skin, acne and rosacea; and Skin Moisture Lock™ which is great for very dry or dehydrated skin, thin, reactive or sensitive skin, and skin ageing.