For most people, having a glowing looking skin is top on their priority list, however, we don’t seem to realise that having a glowing skin is usually the last step in the process of developing and maintaining good  and wholistic skin health.

There are so many factors that come into play when you desire to have a glowing looking skin and one has to take a lot of things into consideration, not just the skincare products that one applies on the skin, but also certain other factors such as how these products are applied, diet, quality of air, water and  even hormone and stress levels.

Today’s post looks into the ways and the changes we can make to improve our skin health in order to achieve glowing looking skin…

 

Diet

Diet is a major player in the way our skin looks, and it’s no surprise that what goes in to our bodies does manifest in one way or the other on the outside either positively or negatively..

Here are a few ways that diet can affect skin health:

  • Salt

Ever wake up feeling a little puffy around the eyes? Too much salt can cause some of us to retain water, which can lead to swelling. Because the skin around the eyes is so thin,  the area swells easily-and leaves you cursing last night’s popcorn when you catch your reflection the next morning. “These effects of salt are definitely age related and become more common in middle age.

  • Milk

A 2005 study linked higher milk consumption to presence of acne. While the study had certain flaws, including the fact that participants were asked simply to recall how much milk they drank rather than record it in real time, more recent research, including a 2012 study in Italy, found a connection specifically between skim milk and acne. This is likely because of “a higher amount of bioavailable hormones in skim milk, since they cannot be absorbed in surrounding fat, which can then overstimulate the group of glands that produce our skin’s natural oily secretions, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.

In some people with rosacea, dairy products can also trigger the condition’s tell-tale redness.

 

 

 

  • Sugar

Starchy foods that break down quickly into sugar as well as straight sugar can be problematic for the skin in much the same way. High blood sugar can weaken the skin by affecting tissues like collagen, according to Daily Glow, and leave you more vulnerable to lines and wrinkles.

Which is why it’s likely not anything particular to chocolate, a rumoured breakout culprit, that’s giving you trouble, but the high sugar content of that sweet treat. If you’re worried about breakouts, but dying for a nibble, stick with the dark stuff-it packs the most health benefits, anyway.

 

  • Alcohol

Alcohol is a natural diuretic, which means the more you drink, the more dehydrated you become. It saps the natural moisture from your skin as well, which can make those wrinkles and fine lines seem like bigger deals. It can also trigger rosacea outbreaks.

Healthy fats  on the other hand like those found in nuts, flaxseed, and avocados can help to replenish your body’s ability to make healthy and strong cell membranes, [which] can protect against environmental damage by restoring the skin barrier and “not eating adequate healthy fats can cause the skin and hair to be dry, and increasing these fats in the diet may help in certain skin conditions characterized by excessive dryness.

Another major factor to consider in this journey to healthy glowing skin is Hormonal imbalance. This can be caused by things such as stress, lack of sleep, medication, puberty, menopause etc.

While some of these causative factors are totally out of our control and there is nothing we can do about them aside from make adjustments in our lifestyle and routine, to manage the attendant skin issues from them, there are others such as stress, lack of sleep, medication etc. that we can do something about .

Sleep

First and foremost, you should understand that sleep is the time when your body repairs itself. This is true for your epidermis as much as it is for your brain or your muscles. During sleep, your skin’s blood flow increases, and the organ rebuilds its collagen and repairs damage from UV exposure, reducing wrinkles and age spots.

The results of poor sleep for your skin are numerous and significant, including:

  • Aging skin
  • skin that doesn’t have the ability to recover quickly from environmental stress
  • Poor skin quality

Compare these to the aftermath of a good sleep on the skin , your skin’s blood flow increases, and the organ rebuilds its collagen and repairs damage from UV exposure, reducing wrinkles and age spots.

 

Stress

Stress causes a chemical response in your body that makes skin more sensitive and reactive. It can also make it harder for skin problems to heal.

Have you ever noticed that you break out more when you’re stressed? This is because stress causes your body to make hormones like cortisol, which tells glands in your skin to make more oil. Oily skin is more prone to acne and other skin problems.

For example, stress can aggravate skin conditions and also cause hives and other types of  skin rashes. Since stress is a part of everyday life, what matters is how you can manage stress to stop or reduce its negative effect on the skin.

Medication

Certain drugs, including corticosteroids, lithium, anticonvulsants, barbiturates, androgenic steroids, DHEA, and medications that contain bromides or iodides, as well as hormonal drugs taken as contraceptives etc. can cause acne-like eruptions

Drugs that affect hormone levels can cause acne as   one important factor responsible for acne is an increase in male  sex hormones called androgens.

 

Our next post will discuss the issue of skincare product application and general skin management for better skin health…

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