BEAUTY FROM WITHIN

For that spring/summer radiant glow

I believe one of the best accessories to complement your Spring/Summer wardrobe is radiant skin, that’s why, with spring just around the corner, I have decided to dedicate this post to discussing some of my personal suggestions for achieving that red-carpet skin glow - yeah I know, the ladies above are likely to have had a bit of a helping hand beyond what I've suggested in this post!

Above you will see the products that make up my ‘cleanse-tone-moisturise’ beauty regime. I do not profess to be an expert in dermatology or cosmetology so I’m not going to make any definitive remarks about these products and/or what products you should use; instead I am just going to report that these beauty products work great for me - I love exfoliating and really see the difference when I do it!

I am however an expert in Nutrition and believe that what we put ‘in’ our bodies can have just as much impact on our physical appearance, if not more, as what we put ‘on' our bodies, so here are a few of the foods I include in my diet in an attempt to achieve and maintain a fresh and as clear a complexion as possible! 

Fruit and Vegetables – As well as being a major source of skin loving vitamins (such as vitamin C) and minerals, fruit and vegetables are rich in compounds called antioxidants, which fight free radicals in your body. Free radicals can cause damage and degradation of the skin’s collagen fibres, which can lead to reduced skin elasticity and resilience (=wrinkles) and a dulled, less plump appearance of the skin! To boost your antioxidant intake you should eat plenty of colourful (red, yellow, orange, green)  fruit and vegetables and aim for at least the government’s recommendation of a variety of five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. 

Vitamin E -  Vitamin E is also an antioxidant and very well known for it’s skin health properties. As an antioxidant it protects the skin from collagen damaging free radicals, and being a fat-soluble vitamin (so gets deep in to the fatty layers of the skin) it can give collagen maximum protection against free radical attack. Key sources of vitamin E include avocados, nuts and olive oil.

Zinc -  Zinc is another important nutrient renown for it’s role in skin health. As well as helping to regulate the hormone that can cause acne and blackheads, it’s is also reported to help regulate sebaceous secretions to avoid the skin becoming too dry or too oily. Nuts and seeds are a great source of zinc.

Omega 3 Fats– Omega 3 is a type of healthy fat (not all fats are bad!), which is important for skin health because of it’s anti-inflammatory properties, and it’s function in the skin’s cell membranes -  omega 3 fats aid better oxygen delivery to the skin, better transport of nutrients to the skin and enhances the skin’s ability to retain moisture (= radiant you!).  The richest source of omega 3 fat is oily fish, which includes salmon, mackerel, trout, fresh tuna (not tinned) and pilchards. I know a lot of people don’t like oily fish, but don’t despair, if you are not an oily fish lover like me (my favourite is smoked salmon), you can opt for a standard omega 3 supplement.

Fluids  I’m sure I’m not the first person to tell you how important good hydration is for skin health and one of the best drinks that I can advocate is good old water, sorry to be a bore!  The good news for any water haters out there is that generally any decaffeinated and alcohol-free fluids will contribute to a hydrated body and hydrated skin (herbal teas, low sugar squash, fresh fruit juice), but I opt for water; it’s cheap (if you’re not too proud to use tap water), zero calorie and it’s available pretty much everywhere so it’s a perfect option. 1.5 - 2 litres of fluid each day  is the general recommendation, maybe more if you live in very hot climates or do lots of exercise.

_____________________________________________

I could go on and on about other skin boosting foods, but I’m sure there are a few other blogs on your blogroll that you need to check out, so I will just leave you with an image of this book, written by a fellow Registered Nutritionist, that I highly recommend -  it’s great for anyone that has skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema too.

I would love to hear about your beauty regime (before you apply the make-up!) ladies…..

Later x

oh and don't forget to 'like' me...... FACEBOOK, but only if you like me of course