As well as being the largest organ of the human body, your skin is often the first thing that people notice when they first meet you. It’s therefore not surprising that having skin problems impacts many women much more than simply feeling like they don’t look their best.
Skin issues, from acne to dryness, and even wrinkles has many women hiding away until they feel ready to face the world again. A recent study by Sanex Zero% discovered that 61 per cent of women believed bad skin days had affected their mental well-being. Of the poll of 2,000 women, one in four have cancelled a date, a fifth have avoided seeing their friends, and 40 per cent have been ‘too ashamed’ to take a selfie – all because of ‘bad’ skin.
Thankfully, there are a number of holistic lifestyle factors that contribute to the health of our skin, such as the food we eat, how much sleep we get and the personal care products we use. A spokesperson from the survey commented: “Adopting a holistic approach is essential if you want to establish healthy skin on your body. With so many women admitting that bad skin knocks their confidence and disrupts their lives, finding an approach that achieves healthy skin is clearly important.”
So, if you want to refresh that melanin glow, here are some top tips to achieve healthy skin:
- Say goodbye to unnecessary chemicals:
Some fragrances and colours are skin irritants and have no actual benefits for the skin – they simply look and smell nice.
According to the research almost two thirds of British women are concerned about the chemicals in their personal care products so it’s best to avoid unnecessary chemical ingredients and look for shower gels and deodorants that are kinder to skin.
- Avoid low fat diets:
When it comes to holistic health, achieving a healthy balance is really important. Choose healthy fats for healthy cell function – this can be added into your diet through foods such as avocadoes, fish, nuts and seeds and plant oils such as flax and hemp.
Another tip is to ditch the processed margarines. If you’re going to have butter then make it organic natural butter which has less synthetic ingredients.
- Try light exercise:
Getting up and moving daily will boost circulation, and getting your muscles moving will increase your levels of ‘happy’ hormones or endorphins and blood flow. This in turn will give your skin a lovely healthy glow.
It doesn’t matter whether it’s a light stroll or training at the gym, as long as you’re moving your skin will feel the benefits.
- Get an early night:
Lack of sleep increases the visible appearance of ageing, such as dark circles caused by sluggish circulation.
With that in mind say goodbye to your phone or tablet at least an hour before going to bed and try to get a good night’s sleep – your skin will thank you for it.
- Reduce sugar intake:
A high intake of sugar can cause an inflammatory reaction within the skin resulting in a whole host of skin conditions, from acne and rosacea to premature ageing and dry skin.
A little treat every now and then won’t hurt, but try to keep an eye on your sugar levels if you’re looking to keep skin healthy.
- Curb the caffeine:
Too much coffee or caffeinated drinks can put extra stress on the liver and digestive system which impacts your body’s natural detoxification process.
This build-up of toxins can have a negative effect on the health of your skin causing issues such as dry skin, redness and sensitivity.
- Skincare shouldn’t stop at your face:
There can often be a temptation to focus on the health of the skin on our faces but we must remember that the whole body is covered in skin which is the largest organ of your body – so we need to make sure we are giving it the care it deserves.
Our skin absorbs a percentage of the products we apply, so choose products that are gentle on skin with natural moisturisers.
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