Healthy Habits Inside and Out
Many of us have started to wonder how to improve ourselves and consider what healthy habits we can implement. From diets to exercise, many of the resolutions we put in place for ourselves focus on the appearance of our bodies, including our skin. If you have decided to focus your efforts of self-improvement on bettering your skin, thankfully there are a number of healthy skin habits that will not only bolster your complexion but your overall health as well.
Given that the skin is the largest organ in the body, it is no wonder that it is affected by changes made both inside and out, so here at Katie Bishop Skin & Aesthetics, we’ve put together a list of healthy habits that you can use to achieve the skin of your dreams.
Healthy Habits for Skin
The skin does not change overnight, and it is vital to recognise that improvements will happen over a period of time. Therefore patience is key. You will also need to commit to your new goal and implement changes consistently to see results. That said, you can do things not only to the surface of your skin but internally to your body that will yield positive changes to your skin.
Changes Inside
Everything in our bodies is connected, so what you eat and drink, where you live, and how you generally treat your body impact the appearance of your skin. If you want to see improvements in your skin, you must recognise what you put into your body and surround yourself daily. Implementing these changes will have many benefits, not only for your skin but your whole body’s health.
Increase Your Water Intake
Drinking water is one of the most important things you can do for your skin. Some suggest that increasing water intake, in turn, increases blood flow through the skin's capillaries, and others have found water intake helps to balance the skin’s natural moisture levels. Drinking plenty of water also helps your body to get rid of any toxins lingering in your organs, including your skin. Some have even reported reduced acne as they increased their water intake, though studies surrounding those results are insufficient. Whatever the reason, drinking more water is a great place to start your journey to better skin.
Cut Back on Processed Foods
There is a known link between your diet and your skin, so if you want to see changes in your skin, you will need to change your diet. Processed foods are often high in saturated fats and simple carbohydrates like sugar. When consumed, these foods are quickly broken down by your body resulting in spikes in your blood sugar levels. If you have too many of these foods, these spikes in blood sugar can cause your skin to react negatively. So if you want to see improvements in your skin, it is best to cut back on inflammatory foods, high in sugars or saturated fats.
Reduce Dairy
Similarly, dairy can also have a negative impact on your skin when consumed too often. Like the effects of water consumption, most evidence supporting a link between dairy products and skin concerns such as acne seems anecdotal instead of fact. However, a link does appear to exist between dairy products and increased acne. Some believe that the hormones in milk and other dairy products spike your naturally occurring levels resulting in breakouts. Though we can’t say for sure why there is a correlation, cutting down on your dairy intake only seems to have a positive impact on your skin.
Choose Organic
One of the healthiest decisions you can make is to go organic. Eating organic foods is much better for our bodies compared to those traditionally farmed, which tend to have less nutritional value and introduce potential toxins and chemicals. Organic foods, as a rule, such as meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products, are produced by animals that have been given no antibiotics or growth hormones. As such, eating organic foods may help reduce the frequency at which you consume toxins, chemicals, and other harmful elements which could impact your skin’s appearance.
Minimise Stress
Regular exercise may be one of the most well-known ways to improve your whole body health, helping improve the functioning of your lungs and heart as well as your mental state. By decreasing stress, exercise can help to reduce any skin condition that may be exacerbated by such a state as acne breakouts or eczema. Although researchers are still uncovering the link between stress and the skin, some believe that the skin’s oil glands and natural oils that stress hormones may influence the skin releases
Exercise can also help to better your skin by increasing blood flow. During a workout, your heart works harder to pump blood efficiently to every corner of your body - this is why it improves heart health. But once you are done, your heart has increased its ability and can efficiently pump blood to your skin while resting, therefore giving you a warm glow.
Changes Outside
Once you have implemented changes that will influence your skin from inside your body, it is time to improve how you directly interact with the surface of your skin. You can do a lot to affect change and see noticeable improvements.
Use Hyaluronic Acid
Found naturally in our bodies as a primary element of our connective tissues within our skin, cartilage, joints, and eyes, hyaluronic acid’s primary function is to lubricate our joints. However, it also supports our skin by hydrating the skin. As a result, applying hyaluronic acid to your face can have a number of benefits, including helping to improve your skin’s resilience and regulate your skin’s moisture levels. Try adding hyaluronic acid to your skin regimen to help keep your skin moisturised, especially in the winter months of the new year.
Get a Dose of Vitamin C
When applied to the skin, vitamin C accomplishes several things to help produce vibrant skin. First, it helps to brighten your complexion and soften the visible signs of ageing due to its powerful antioxidant properties. High-potency Vitamin C helps even skin tone and brightens your overall complexion, leaving you a beautiful glow. Plus, it replenishes the skin’s natural lipids improving skin texture and increasing moisture retention. And finally, vitamin C improves skin firmness and resiliency which can reduce the appearance of eye wrinkles or visible signs of any other wrinkles and fine lines.
Double Cleanse
As it sounds, double cleansing is the practice of washing your face two times, first with an oil-based cleanser and the second with a water-based cleanser specific to your skin type. Using an oil cleanser, though seemingly counterintuitive, can be an incredibly effective way to gently dissolve tough-to-remove makeup and remove environmental pollutants from the surface of the skin. These oil-based cleansers also help remove excess oil from the surface of your skin and help balance future oil production as overly dry skin often leads to increased oil production. And by removing any surface dirt, this initial cleanse allows the following cleanser to penetrate deeper into your pores and clean your face more effectively. Your second water-based cleanser should be designed to specifically address the concerns of your specific skin type and removes any lingering dirt or residue that was left behind after your initial cleanse, leaving you with a clean face.
Find a Routine
Finally, it would help to incorporate these changes into the most essential modification, developing a regular skincare routine. As you become more comfortable with your products and using them, you will want to establish a routine for both the morning and evening. Though you can use some of the same products in both, you may implement slight variations given the time of day to ensure you give your skin the most complete care possible.
Changing your skin requires time and patience, as your modifications will likely not provide instant results. But with consistency and persistence, you will be rewarded with the best skin of your life. And by making changes inside and out you will walk away as a healthier person overall.
If you have any questions regarding your skincare, do not hesitate to get in touch with Katie, head over to the contact us page to submit your enquiry.