by: Elysia Arseneau, staff writer
Our largest organ becomes a roadmap of our life’s experiences, from scars and stretch marks to freckles and laugh lines. Here are some simple ways to make sure that your skin remains (or becomes!) healthy and young looking.
1. Reduce inflammation
Inflammation is a contributing factor in many health conditions including eczema, psoriasis, acne, rosacea, and dry skin. Most people’s skin, along with their overall health, would benefit from avoiding foods that cause inflammation. For many people, this includes gluten, dairy, nightshades, and any foods/substances that they are allergic or sensitive to. Following the Elimination Diet is a great way to help you discover what foods/substances are triggering your body’s inflammatory response.
2. Use the right products
Most skin types will benefit from using gentle, fragrance-free cleansers and moisturizers, especially ones with no added dyes, perfumes, or parabens. Radiance skin cream is a great product that many people swear by for wrinkle reduction and prevention.
To help acne-prone skin, using tea tree oil, apple cider vinegar, lavender oil or witch hazel as a toner is a natural way to help kill bacteria and other microbes that can contribute to acne.
3. Supplement your diet
Some supplements that help support healthy skin include:
Collagen: This structural protein occurs naturally in the connective tissues in the body and helps the skin to stretch and bounce back when pulled. As you age, your body starts producing less collagen, which leads to sagging skin. Adding collagen to your diet may help the body regenerate itself more quickly because you’re providing it with the building blocks for tissue repair (amino acids and peptides). NutriChem sells many collagen products, including NutriChem's Pure Collagen.
Omega-3s (like Smart Oil or Mega Marine): These fatty acids help maintain the health of the cell membrane, which means creating a solid barrier to keep harmful things out of the cell, and creating good passageways for nutrients to get in and for waste products to get out. According to dermatologist and skin care expert Nicholas V. Perricone, MD, they also help reduce the body’s production of inflammatory compounds. In his bestselling book The Wrinkle Cure, he says that omega-3 fatty acids’ ability to reduce inflammation has an effect on how healthy the skin looks and feels.
Probiotics (like shelf-stable Nutridophilus Essentials): Both the skin and the GI tract are detoxification organs. A healthy gut microbiome (that is, more good bacteria than bad) will effectively and efficiently break down food, absorb nutrients, and eliminate toxins. On the other hand, an unhealthy gut flora will help cause acne and other skin problems. Clearing up the skin definitely starts in the gut!
Vitamin D (such as D-Best Vitamin D3): The “sunshine vitamin” reduces wrinkles and cools inflammation, making your skin soft, strong and smooth. Produced and stored by the body after exposure to the sun, our ability to make the active form of vitamin D is limited by numerous factors including geographical location, season, skin colour, and age. Many Canadians are deficient in this crucial vitamin.
Vitamin C (such as NutriChem’s Vitamin C): Vitamin C’s antioxidant properties and its role in collagen synthesis make it a vital molecule for skin health. Some studies have even shown that vitamin C may help prevent and treat ultraviolet (UV)-induced photodamage. In short, vitamin C is anti-aging for brighter, healthier skin.
Products and actions that help support proper liver function. The liver is another organ with a significant role in detoxification. However, the more time the liver has to spend on detoxification, the less time it has to do its other jobs properly (like deactivate and remove used hormones that can lead to acne). Reducing toxins from your diet and environment will help support your liver. There is great information on the web about what should be removed (hint: it involves eliminating processed foods and toxins from common household items like cleaning supplies and candles), but you can also come in and talk to a NutriChem Health Counsellor!
4. Find out what your skin problems are telling you
Skin is often overlooked as a health indicator, but skin problems can show underlying issues that should be addressed. For example, acne can be an indicator of imbalanced hormone levels, rashes and dry skin can point to food intolerances and environmental allergies, and having multiple skin tags can indicate insulin resistance. Contact NutriChem to set up your Body Chemistry Balancing Test or Re-test, or a Nutritional Consultation to discover what your skin might be saying about your overall health.
5. Remember the golden rule
Taking care of your skin needs to be a two-pronged approach: use the right products on the outside while supporting it from the inside. There is great power in…
- eating plenty of fresh vegetables, lean proteins, healthy fats, fruits and whole grains;
- drinking plenty of fresh water;
- getting adequate sleep; and
- proper stress management, including getting enough exercise.
Want to learn more?
This blog post was an overview of a more complex topic. If you want to find out more about how you can help your skin, sign up for NutriChem's Webinar about skin, taking place tomorrow from the comfort of your own home!
Click the image below for more information or to register:
