Skin – it’s the biggest organ in the
body and in the average person covers an area of 2 square metres. It’s a clever
organ too! Renewing itself every 28 days!
Everyone wants softer, smoother skin
and a clear, youthful complexion. We would also like naturally healthy and
shiny hair and strong pliable nails. If you are genetically fortunate you will
have all this and more, but for the rest of us mortals, it is vital that we
take great care in our diet and lifestyle choices.
Is it possible to delay skin ageing and
maintain our youthful looks? Let’s take a look.
You are what
you eat! FACT!
The foods that we eat can have a direct
effect on skin integrity, health and even beauty with well documented studies
showing that dietary changes can improve skin structure, reverse symptoms and
improve appearance. Increasing our
intake of fruit and vegetables is a great way to start ringing in the changes.
In 2012 a study by Whitehead et al
concluded that increased fruit and vegetable
consumption confers measurable and perceptibly beneficial effects on Caucasian
skin appearance within six weeks. Introduce a ‘rainbow’ of coloured foods to
maximise intake of beneficial skin nutrients. Green leafy vegetables and herbs
are a few good examples whilst other nutrient dense foods such as berries, rich
in proanthocyanidins support skin health and boost a youthful appearance,
and Avocados contain the highest fruit
source of Vitamin E, a fat soluble nutrient known to protect against cell
damage by neutralising free radicals which cause the skin to age.
Proanthocyanidins also protect the skins collagen structure in a number of
ways. Reinforcing the collagen matrix of connective tissue and inhibiting
collagen damage caused by inflammation and infection. Believe it or not, onions
and garlic are also items for your shopping list too! Both contain Sulphur, an
essential dietary component that has a critical role in maintaining the
integrity of connective tissue.
So that’s your shopping trolley piled high with brightly coloured fruit
and vegetables (organic where possible) but what other foods can help maintain
healthy skin and a youthful appearance? Be sure to add legumes, whole grains,
nuts and seeds, especially walnuts and linseeds rich in omega 3 along with
sustainably sourced oily fish, an excellent source of omega 3 fatty acids
important for cell membrane structure and fluidity aiding the skins appearance.
These beneficial fats have also been shown to have anti inflammatory properties
and are particularly beneficial in inflammatory conditions such as Eczema and
Psoriasis. Extra Virgin Olive Oil is another source of beneficial dietary fat
to include but save this for salad dressings, it’s not one for frying with! The
findings of a 2012 study support the
beneficial effect of dietary olive oil or healthy diet habits associated with
olive oil consumption on the severity of facial photoaging indicating that a higher intake of olive oil was significantly
associated with a lower risk of severe facial photoaging in women and men.
Contrary to popular belief, fats are not the enemies we once thought.
Not all are bad. In fact, good fats, such as omega 3 and 6 fatty acids are
essential to our diets and required in many bodily functions. Their role in
maintaining healthy skin cannot be overstated. Our obsession with fat-free
diets has left many people with chronic deficiencies in essential fatty acids.
Symptoms include brittle nails, extensive wrinkling and dry, flyaway, or
splitting hair. Plant seed oils are one way of topping up your omega fats and
may deliver numerous health and beauty benefits. Oils that have been shown to
aid healthy skin are Golden Flaxseed Oil, Hempseed Oil and Evening primrose
oil. Flaxseed oil provides the highest concentration of omega 3 fatty acids
from seed source. A randomised, control trial over 12 weeks found that
supplementation with flaxseed oil led to a significant decrease in sensitivity,
skin roughness and scaling and improved smoothness and hydration.
Whilst increasing your
intake of skin boosting foods and omega oils it’s also important to consider
the foods that can have a detrimental effect on skin health and would be worthy
of avoiding altogether or restricting to the bare minimum e.g. red meat (especially processed meat), potatoes, soft
drinks/cordials, cakes/pastries, added sugars and fast food. Sugar is one to
particularly take note of as research has shown it can lead to accelerated
ageing and poor wound healing.
Skin Hydration! Is your skin crying out for
moisture?
I’m sure you are all
aware of the importance of drinking water when it comes to skin health. It’s a
simple, inexpensive and effective way to keep hydrated and research confirms
it. A 2015 clinical study by Palma et al concluded that higher water inputs in one’s
regular diet might positively impact normal skin physiology, as expressed by
its hydration and biomechanical behaviour, and in particular in those
individuals with lower daily water consumptions. So that’s another easy one to
tick of the list. Many beauticians and nutritionists alike recommend drinking
one to two litres of water daily. Try swapping your coffee, tea, fizzy drinks
and dare I say your favourite tipple for a glass of water. You’ll soon be
increasing your intake and noticing a difference. Why not try a glass of warm
water in the mornings with a slice of lemon?
Ensuring that moisture
is transported to the structure of the skin and retained in the skin tissue
appropriately is an important anti ageing mechanism. Certain ‘phytonutrients’
(health protecting compounds found in plants), have also been shown to improve
skin hydration. Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a compound that naturally occurs in the
skin and in connective tissue. It helps to regulate water balance in the skin
and maintain cell structure by utilizing its high water retention and
viscosity. According to Kawada et al certain factors such as ageing, smoking,
ultraviolet radiation and air pollutants reduce levels of hyaluronic acid in
the skin and induce dryness. They go onto suggest that consuming hyaluronic acid
affects the skin cells, improves dry skin physiologically and recommend that
taking a dietary supplement of HA will improve overall skin health.
We can further support
the skins natural moisturising mechanisms by applying topical moisturisers to
reduce moisture loss from the skin, protecting it from dehydration, wrinkle
formation and dryness/flakiness. A good quality body or facial oil will
permeate the skin and support skin cell structure enabling them to retain
moisture, cream based moisturisers on the other hand sit on the surface of the
skin to create a barrier.
Be savvy when selecting
skincare products and make sure they are appropriate for your skin as skin
types and needs will differ from person to person. Consider also the
ingredients in skincare products. Are they naturally sourced and organic? Are
they full of synthetic chemicals and artificial fragrances? Try to opt for
products that contain as few ingredients as possible, that will be gentle in
their action, nourishing, repairing and regenerative.
Some of the best
topical oils:
Organic Coconut Oil – shown to be a significant skin conditioner.
Rich in antioxidants and fatty acids that penetrate into the underlying
tissues. It can help with the appearance of stretch marks and aid in the
prevention of premature ageing.
Organic Rose Oil - Damascena
rose is a wonderful anti inflammatory agent and tissue regenerator. High in
antioxidants with amazing hydration properties, it can also help reduce
redness. Rosa Mosqueta oil has also been shown to be particularly beneficial in
wound healing and scar reduction.
Sea Buckthorn Oil protects,
heals and regenerates damaged skin by its high concentration of natural
carotenoids, tocopherols, sterols and fatty acids. Natural antioxidants and
fatty acids that aid reversal and damage caused by sun radiation whilst minimizing
long term effects of sun exposure i.e. wrinkles, dryness and sunspots
Organic Pomegranate Oil – moisturises and nourishes skin restoring the skins PH balance, fights
damage causing free radicals leaving the skin super soft and smooth
Lavender Essential Oil – the ideal item for a natural
first aid kit. Well known for its wound healing, cleansing and toning
properties and removing redness and heat from the skin.
Finally, in addition
to the foods choices we make and the products we apply to our skin, there are
also a number of well documented nutrient and beauty supporting compounds that
can be taken in supplement form too. As a fundamental building block, a
supplement containing the key skin nutrients vitamin C, beta carotene, biotin,
zinc, copper and selenium and MSM is a worthy addition to any skin regime whilst
Pine Bark Extract (Pycnogenol) is one of the most researched and effective
‘inside-out’ cosmetics. It’s a naturally occurring complex of several
bioavailable antioxidant nutrients and has been demonstrated to protect and
increase collagen and hyaluronic acid levels in the skin whilst improving blood
circulation to the skin and thus improving nutrient delivery too.
So as Summer approaches, now is the a
perfect time to give your skin a helping hand and a bit of TLC. Prepare and
protect your skin for the extra exposure to the sun, make sure it is hydrated
whilst keeping that vital moisture locked in. Avoid exposure to unnecessary
irritants and nourish your skin with lots of skin boosting foods! Go on! Love
the skin you’re in!
For more information, or, to pick up
your free skincare booklet, pop into Bare Health, Congleton. Your local, health
and well being store.
The content
of this article is for information purposes only and should not replace the
advice of your healthcare professional. Always seek the advice of your GP if
taking prescribed medication or undergoing medical treatment of any form.
References available on request.
REFERENCES
You are what you eat:
within-subject increases in fruit and vegetable consumption confer beneficial
skin-color changes
Diet and Dermatology
The Role of Dietary Intervention in Skin Disease
Dietary water affects
human skin hydration and biomechanics
Dietary Monounsaturated
Fatty Acids Intake and Risk of Skin Photoaging
Role of
micronutrients in skin function
Skin wrinkling: Can
food make a difference?
Dietary nutrient
intake and skin ageing appearance among middle-aged American women
Supplementation with
Flaxseed Oil diminishes skin sensitivity and improves skin barrier function and
condition
Efficacy of dietary hempseed oil in patients with atopic
dermatitis
Ingested hyaluronan moisturizes dry skin
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4110621/
The effect of
topical virgin coconut oil on SCORAD index, transepidermal water loss, and skin
capacitance in mild to moderate pediatric atopic dermatitis: a randomized,
double-blind, clinical trial
Treatment
of skin ulcer using oil of mosqueta rose.
Nutrition and aging skin: sugar and glycation
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20620757
