8 Tips to Fix Your Skin from Within
Skincare companies might claim they’ve discovered the magical formula for ageless skin. In reality, the secret to beautiful, flawless skin is no secret at all.
If you want healthy skin, eat healthy food! That’s right—achieving that natural glow is as simple as fueling your body with the right stuff.
The following tips combine to create the perfect recipe for healthy skin from the inside, out:
- Hydrate with plenty of water: You’ve no doubt heard this tip before. Drinking water to achieve healthy skin is no groundbreaking discovery, but hydration still tops the list because it really does work! The proper intake of water each day will help your skin stay moisturized and retain its elasticity. If you’re tired of plain tap water, coconut water is extremely hydrating and contains essential nutrients like vitamin C.
- Eat vitamin C-rich foods. Vitamin C does more than fortifies the immune system. It’s an antioxidant that helps the body process toxins and minimize free radical damage that shows up on the skin. By fighting free radicals, vitamin C slows the aging process to give you glowing, radiant skin. Good sources of vitamin C aside from oranges include berries, kiwis, potatoes and almost all leafy green vegetables. You could even mix your favorite fruits and veggies into a delicious smoothie!
- Start your morning with green juice: A tall glass of greens is the nutritional boost your skin needs before facing the day head-on. Tons of leafy greens contain vitamin C, and kale is an especially powerful antioxidant. A squeeze of lemon juice can add some fruity flavor and extra hydration, while a dash of ginger offers anti-inflammatory properties. Throw in some cucumber to calm under-eye puffiness (that’s why lots of people are seen with cucumber slices on their eyes at the spa!).
- Eat more omega-3 fatty acids: Fat is perfectly healthy as long as you eat the right kind. Omega-3 fatty acids mitigate UV ray damage from the sun and reduce inflammation. This, in turn, minimizes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, especially around the eyes and mouth. You can find omega-3 fatty acids in animal products like salmon and fish oil as well as walnuts and seeds.
- Incorporate a daily collagen supplement: Collagen is one of the most prominent building blocks in your body, so it comes as no surprise that it’s also crucial for maintaining healthy skin. The body slows collagen production as it ages, and lower collagen levels lead to wrinkles and sagging skin. Boosting your collagen intake can smooth wrinkles and combat dryness for increased elasticity. Collagen supplements are recommended over natural sources because the protein has already been broken down, which makes it easier to absorb in the digestive tract.
- Flush out toxins with a probiotic supplement: When the body is overburdened by toxins, your skin starts to suffer. Probiotics trap harmful substances in the small intestine and help move them out of the body so they can’t damage the skin cells. Probiotic supplements are a simple option, but you can also find probiotics in fermented foods like kimchi, yogurt, kombucha and sauerkraut.
- Cut back on the caffeine: Healthy skin is as much about what you leave out as what you put in. No one wants to hear this, but achieving that healthy glow requires some sacrifices—and caffeine is the first to go! Caffeine dehydrates the skin and exaggerates the depth of wrinkles. You don’t have to part with caffeine forever, but you should definitely limit your intake if ageless skin is what you’re after. Try swapping that mid-day cup of joe for some tea, or satisfy that coffee craving with a decaf version.
- Replace sugar with natural sweeteners: Too much sugar can wreak havoc on the skin. All that sugary goodness is secretly triggering inflammatory responses, which accelerates the skin’s aging process. A diet high in sugar could make crow’s feet show up earlier than you’d like! Limit sweet treats and find healthier alternatives to sugar, like packing fruit as a snack or putting agave syrup in your beverages.
These all-natural tips will put you well on your way toward scoring healthy skin. Skincare products can only do so much—the food that goes into your body is what matters the most. Next time you’re overwhelmed by all the products in the beauty aisle, just remember the basic tips listed here. When you eat healthy foods, your skin will look healthy, too!
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