Your skin deserves your attention.
We rarely stop to appreciate our skin, even though it is much more than just a covering. Today I invite you to get to know your skin better. Pick a time when you are alone, perhaps after taking a shower. Start from the head; how is your skin under the hair? Is there dryness? Do you have dandruff? Identify if you have any problems and note your skin on the face, neck, chest. Note if moles have appeared that you did not have before, what is its texture?
Here are some surprising things about our skin:
It is the largest organ in the body, weighs about nine pounds, and performs several functions that help maintain health.
Scientifically speaking, the skin is a complex apparatus of tissues that work together to protect the body in multiple ways. It forms a defensive barrier at the most apparent level, protecting your internal organs from foreign invaders like bacteria and viruses. But it is not just a passive wall: in the outermost layer of the skin, Langerhans cells actively protect against infection, forming the first-line defenses of the immune system.
Our skin is also a sensory organ. The nerve endings on its surface collect and transmit information about the surrounding environment to our brain. The brain then translates these nerve impulses into sensations of heat and cold and touch, pressure, and pain. If you touch a boiling pot, for example, the warning signs cause you to back off in an instant before further damage occurs. Or, if the room is too hot or too cold, we’ll go turn on the fan or put on a sweater. AH, but our skin also contributes to active temperature control! When you’re hot, it helps you cool off by sweating and widening your blood vessels. When you’re cold, those blood vessels contract to keep your body warm.
Finally, the skin is also a manufacturing plant that uses energy from the sun to produce vitamin D, which is essential for many bodily functions.
Your nutrition habits matter
So far, everything we have seen about our skin is fantastic. However, it is quite paradoxical that although our skin renews at least once a month, it ages. Individual factors and the environment in which we operate can delay or accelerate skin aging. This article will address an element that combines both personal choice and contextual patterns, nutrition.
Skin health has long been associated with nutritional patterns, including all possible aspects, from beauty to its integrity and even aging. Nutrition is related in multiple ways to the appearance and clinical courses of various common skin diseases, such as acne, atopic dermatitis, aging, or even photoprotection.
Many studies show that these and other skin conditions have a strong association with individual nutritional patterns. Many of these studies provide evidence of dietary interventions that have demonstrated the beneficial effects of essential nutrients on skin’s damaged structural and functional integrity and have restored its appearance and health. Although the topic could be broad, this article intends to provide the most relevant and well-documented information on the role of nutrition in some skin conditions and its impact on the biology of the skin.
As a quick Internet search will reveal, there is much misinformation on the link between skin and diet. Some recommendations are ineffective, while others are potentially harmful, such as untested dietary supplements or severely restrictive elimination diets. Therefore, physicians must be well-informed in this area to provide evidence-based recommendations.
While women are transitioning to menopause, multiple factors will accelerate skin aging; I have referred to some in previous articles. Unhealthy eating habits can worsen the appearance of signs and symptoms during perimenopause and post-menopause. As you age, your nutritional needs change. Before menopause, you should have about 1,000 mg of calcium daily. After menopause, you should have up it to1,200 mg of calcium per day. Vitamin D is also essential for calcium absorption and bone formation. Vitamin D can significantly cut your risk of spinal fractures. But too much calcium or vitamin D can cause kidney stones, constipation, or abdominal pain, especially if you have kidney problems.
A healthy diet and exercise may relieve the symptoms. Include more calcium and protein-rich diets in your food.
Let’s talk about some at-home tips and tricks available to get the desired results.
Foods to eat:
A healthy diet can help ease the symptoms and keep your skin healthy.
- Calcium-rich foods such as milk, fish, broccoli, and legumes
- Red meat, poultry, eggs, leafy green vegetables, nuts, and enriched grain products
- Fiber from whole-grain bread, cereals, pasta, rice, fresh fruits, and vegetables
- Eat fruits and vegetables
- Drink plenty of water
Foods to avoid:
- High-fat foods found in fatty meats, whole milk, ice cream, and cheese
- Limit sugar and salt intake
- Avoid spicy foods, caffeine, and alcohol
Did you know you can nurture your skin directly by using edible products over the skin or by eating healthy?
Try these tips to welcome healthy skin the easy, at-home way:
1. Create natural masks. Many elements in nature can help give your skin a healthy look you want. Some of those items may already be in your kitchen or garden! If you want healthy, glowing skin, here are some ideas for making natural facial masks:
- Prepare regular oatmeal (not instant), let it cool, and then apply it to your face for about 30 minutes. Once you rinse it off and dry your face, you’ll instantly feel the benefits of the exfoliating properties of natural oatmeal.
- Crack some eggs, discard the yolks, and briskly whisk the whites. Then, apply it to your face for 30-45 minutes. While it’s on your skin, you’ll feel your skin start to tighten. Using an egg mask once a week will result in healthy-looking facial skin.
- Raw Aloe Vera is another great option for creating a homemade mask. Rub the gel onto your face and let it stand for about half an hour. Aloe Vera is good at removing blemishes and cleansing the skin of impurities.
2. Use a daily facial wash. Prepare a cleanser with 1/2-cup cold milk (yogurt if your skin is dry), one tablespoon of salt, and two tablespoons of witch hazel. The homemade cleanser will ensure your face is moisturized and cleansed of bacteria, grease, and impurities that contribute to unhealthy skin, pimples, and blemishes.
3. Perform at-home facials. It’s easy to give your skin beneficial home treatments. One great way is to apply a warm washcloth to your face a few mornings each week. Allowing the warm washcloth to remain on your face for a few minutes will allow your pores to open to prevent them from becoming blocked with blemish-causing oil.
4. Use clean linen. Your hygiene habits can determine how healthy your facial skin will become. It’s crucial to ensure you always have clean linen. Linens exposed to your skin need to be free of bacteria, so the germs aren’t transferred to the face. Some ideas:
- Change pillowcases at least twice a week.
- Ensure your face is cleansed with a facial wash before drying with the face towel.
- Change the face towels at least twice a week.
These are easy tips that can give you the skin you want without breaking the bank. And you may see results faster than with products found on the market! Try these facial techniques today and enjoy that healthy, glowing skin you’ve been seeking.
Thanks for this article that provided a lot of great details about the link between nutrition and skin health. I am a bit surprised to see dairy on your list of foods that help your skin- I always thought that the potential hormones and antibiotics in dairy can have negative implications for acne and other skin issues. Could you share more about this?
Hey, Erica!
Thank you very much for reading my article and commenting on it. I certainly include milk in the diet for glowing skin. However, I must say that there is a good reason not to exclude dairy products entirely. By the way, I do recommend excluding whole milk due to its high fat and sugar content.
First, although there are many theories, we still cannot categorically say that certain foods cause skin problems. There is research linking dairy consumption and acne (trusted source). The evidence is still weak, and none of these studies establish a clear cause and effect, only an association. Others show an association between acne and high-glycemic diets, including lots of sugar, sodas, juices, white bread, pasta, and highly processed cereals. Dairy products packed with sugar and artificial flavors are a terrible choice for everyone because of their pro-inflammatory properties, like any other processed diet.
Milk alone (you can find organic, low-fat dairy) packed with protein, calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B12, vitamin A, zinc, potassium, phosphorus, and selenium (trusted source). Healthy nutrients, minerals, vitamins, proteins, and antioxidants provide health benefits, including healthier skin.
I like to mention that some dairy products like yogurt are known for their benefits when used topically to cleanse, hydrate, and refresh the skin (trusted source).
You can download my 7-day program to see and test foods that support healthier skin. Try it for a week and share the results.
Again, appreciate you taking the time to read and comment on my article.
Thank you for the valuable information about how good nutrition helps your skin, I enjoyed reading your article and I fully agree that good and healthy nutrition is important for a beautiful skin. What I have learned is that drinking enough water to stay hydrated and wash out harmful toxins is also important for a healthy skin, we live in a toxic world, our foods are full of unhealthy chemicals that could cause allergies or organ damage, to me, hydration goes along with good nutrition. This is a great article about skin health, thanks for sharing the information.
Hi Carola,
I am so glad you liked my article. Undoubtedly, drinking enough water is super important to keep the skin hydrated and extend its plastic properties and elasticity for longer. Cleaning the skin and removing dirt from its surface is very important; however, we must also care what products we use. When washing the skin, we also risk hindering the shedding and regeneration of skin cells, especially when choosing abrasive products that are not compatible with our skin type. I talk about this topic in another article where you can find helpful tips.
This has been an interesting article. I cant say that it is a topic that i know a lot about already, so it has been eductional. I’ve been pretty fortunate when it comes to healthy skin. (Touches wood). A friend of mine has Alipecia (if thats hhow you spell it) and claims that raw brocolli helps it. Thanbks again
Hi, Kwidzin,
I am happy you found my article interesting. We all have yet to learn a lot about our skin or our body in general. That is why I research and gather evidence from my practice to share a bit of that experience with my readers. Since you mention alopecia, this is a problem that affects many and is worth investigating. Keep exploring my site, as I promise to post about this and other issues.
Again, thank you for stopping by and leaving your thoughts.
Angela
The topic is very good and concerns many people, especially women. The information you provided is many and varied, all of which are useful and very important for skin care, and one of the important points you made is to avoid some types of foods, these tips are very important not only for the skin but for the body in general.
Important article and very good choice of topic.
Hello AhmedKhalil76!
Thank you for reading a commenting on my article. I am delighted you found it useful and hope you share it with friends, both women and men. I agree that anybody with skin and a body deserves to know how to care about it, 🙂 My site is mostly devoted to these topics, and I strive to provide the most up-to-date information.
Again, I appreciate it very much your time and interest in my article.
Angela:)