By Rose Henley
Gorgeous, glowing skin is something everyone wants, but how exactly do you achieve it?
If you want to keep your skin looking healthy, it’s important to think of beauty holistically.
Beauty is influenced not only by internal factors like genetics and hormones, but external factors too – from your diet, to stress and sun exposure.
A healthy gut plays an important role in our overall health and is controlled by levels of good and bad bacteria called gut microbiome. If any of these bacteria become unbalanced they are likely to cause bloating, constipation and diarrhea – all which affect your mood.
So, although we can’t prevent aging, we can certainly delay it. Here’s what you should be doing to improve the appearance of your skin.
1.Prebiotics vs Probiotics
An imbalance of bacteria causes your immune system to overreact, leading to inflammation and outbreaks in spots and skin rashes. Prebiotics and Probiotics are not only great at improving your gut health, but they also work miracles increasing the amount of collagen in the skin. That’s all thanks to their high levels of good bacteria which improve digestion.
Probiotics are live bacteria, found in foods like yoghurt. If you’re looking to include more probiotics in your diet, opt for kefir or fermented foods like sauerkraut.
The probiotic, Symprove has also proved effective at helping tackle IBS symptoms, containing four strains of live and cultured bacteria. Prebiotics are dietary fibre which feed the good bacteria in the gut. Bimuno IBAID is my go to fibre supplement, which is great at increasing the levels of good bacteria in my gut.
2.Reduce alcohol consumption
As much as you may love alcohol (who doesn’t) there’s no denying its responsible for dehydrating your skin.
Alcohol starves the skin of its essential vitamins and nutrients, making it look dull and lose all its elasticity… and who wants that?
Instead why not swap your favourite G&T for a herbal tea like chamomile or peppermint, packed with antioxidants and guaranteed gut health benefits.
3.Hydration is key
As obvious as it may be, hydration is key to maintaining healthy skin. 8 glasses of water are the recommended daily intake, but often we’re too busy that we forget to drink enough.
Water is essential in improving the moisture of your skin and helps to reduce wrinkles by flushing out any toxins. This brightens the skin and makes it appear more youthful. Uh what’s not to love?
I am loving Chilly’s eco – friendly water bottle flasks, which are also plastic free – perfect for when you’re on the go.
4.Reassess your Diet
Yes, your diet really does have an effect in maintaining your skins healthy glow. So, if you want to eat your way to fabulous skin, you have to be prepared to ditch the sugar for a balanced diet, packed with anti oxidant fruit and vegetables and healthy fats, from fish and nuts. These will leave you with radiant looking skin all year round.
5.De-stress with mindfulness
Stress is often responsible for dry skin. Mindfulness is a great way to help control stress. Take a couple of minutes each day to respond to your environment – feel your breathing, notice your thoughts and respond to them in an un-judgemental way.
Paying attention to your body will help you to feel more in touch with your thoughts and emotions, leaving you feeling more positive and productive throughout the day. If you struggle to fall sleep or maybe your early morning commute causes you stress. We recommend downloading a mindfulness app, my favourites are Calm and Head Space.
6.Stay on top of your skincare routine
Don’t underestimate the power of Moisturising. Ok, so it might mean you waking up 5 minutes early, but you’ll be sure to reap the benefits.
By getting into a simple routine, of cleansing and moisturising your face every morning and evening, you’ll be rewarded with healthier, clearer skin, leaving you feeling confident and ready to tackle any problem during the day, completely blemish free
7.Use UV Protection at all times
Sun cream isn’t just for when the sun is shining. Applying sunscreen with SPF 15 – 30 will ensure your skin is protected from harmful UV rays all day long and helps delay the aging process, plus prevent pigmentation of the skin.
Luckily, there are so many skincare products – from foundation to tinted moisturiser, all with built in sunscreen, to make your life just that little bit easier. I’m loving e.l.f. – an Acne Fighting Foundation, containing tea tree oil, which is great at covering up any dark circles and puffy eyes. Oh and did I mention 100% cruelty free.
8.Get plenty of beauty sleep
Ever dream you could sleep yourself younger? Well, you can! Getting 7 – 8 hrs of sleep a night helps the aging process and stabilises the body’s hydration, preventing the breakdown of collagen, leaving your skin glowing and full of moisture.
9.Exercise
You may think sweating isn’t a good look but did you know that sweating whilst you exercise actually helps to remove any unwanted toxins from your body.
So, it’s time to step up your cardio game, because the increase in blood flow helps feed the skin nutrients, giving it its healthy glow.
10.Include fibre
The large intestine removes waste from the body. Making an effort to include more fibre in your diet, can help your stomach work more effectively. As a result, you’ll be rewarded with noticeably clearer skin, that is less congested – which will look so much brighter – you’ll have the confidence to go make- up free.
These are just a few tips to help you understand the function of the gut and improve your skin so that it looks and feels super healthy.
Remember, your skin is the largest organ in the body, so it’s vital that you’re doing all you can to protect it from ageing.
So, what are you waiting for?
Rose Henley
Rose is an Art Historian, Food and lifestyle blogger and health lifestyle writer.
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