Our skin can often be one of our most neglected areas, despite it being the largest organ on our body. We do, after all, live in it!
Aside from the itchy, dry skin that air conditioning on long-haul flights can cause, our skin is constantly exposed to new and often harsh environments when away. This means humidity, dry weather, rain — you name it.
Over the years, we’ve really started to take care of my skin. And we’ve noticed a massive difference when I began to look at things from the inside out. Aside from caring for your skin on the surface, often the biggest change can be seen once you start fueling your skin cells from the inside.
Here are a few tips for getting your skin to glow from the inside out!
1. What to eat
We all know the saying, “You are what you eat.” But so few of us really take the time to actually understand and appreciate how the food we put in our bodies affects our overall health, energy, and appearance.
The best way to truly get your skin to glow from the inside out is by ensuring that you’re eating a variety of superfoods. Vitamin C is a powerful superfood and antioxidant. It’s needed to maintain a strong immune system and is a key ingredient in giving you healthy, radiant skin.
Thankfully, it isn’t too difficult to find it in many fruits and vegetables! Besides oranges, you can also get good amounts of vitamin C in blueberries, papaya, strawberries, kiwi, and even sweet potatoes! One easy way to add some of these to your diet is to mix some blueberries in with yogurt or cereal at breakfast.
Foods high in healthy fats such as avocado, nuts, and seeds can also provide a plethora of benefits — plus they keep you fuller for longer!
2. What to drink
One way we’ve managed to make sure we get enough water per day — 13 cups for men, 9 cups for women — is to always have two 1-liter bottles of water in the fridge that we sip from throughout the day. Once we are done with both of them, we know that between those and whatever else we’ve had to drink, my daily water intake is good for the day. And my skin is well-nourished!
Coconut water
A fairly new discovery for us has also been coconut water. Coconut water has intense hydrating properties and is also a good source of vitamin C as well as potassium, calcium, and magnesium.
Fresh juices
Juices and smoothies are also great for getting various nutrients in one healthy serving. The vitamins and nutrients they contain are good for healing your skin and maintaining its health. To avoid preservatives and added sugars — which can wreak havoc on the skin — try making your own rather than buying from the store.
3. What to put on your face
Yes, most creams and ointments are technically both topical — but only the very best products revitalize your skin from the inside out, so it’s worth investing in those you know will penetrate the skin and get to work from the inside out!
Try using masks
Masks can be a great way to provide much-needed hydration, penetrating deep within to draw out excess oils, clear away dead skin, and boost moisture.
Remember that your face isn’t uniform
For example, many of us suffer from oily T-zones, but dry cheeks — so it’s worth catering to each individual area to really make the most of your pamper time and achieve that much coveted ‘glow’.
Pay attention to the seasons
Your skin changes throughout the year, just like the seasons. So what works for you in the summer, often isn’t going to be the best remedy for the winter.
As is often the case, we need a more hydrating and intense moisturizer for the winter months, when the cold makes our skin dryer, and a lighter moisturizer for the summer. Ideally, with an SPF to protect our skin from the harsh UV rays of the sun.
Air conditioning on long-haul flights can be damaging to the skin, and leave your skin feeling extremely dry and tight when you step off the plane. However, since I’ve discovered sheet masks, my whole skin care travel routine has changed!
Sheet masks are a little bit less messy than regular masks, as they are already saturated in powerful skin-loving ingredients. All you need to do is pop them onto your face and leave them for 10-15 minutes so it can absorb all of the good stuff.
Rather than dealing with the struggle of decanting my bottles to meet the liquid restrictions for carry-on luggage, it’s so much easier to just get comfy, put on a sheet mask, and sit back and relax while watching a film.
Use the right oils for your skin
No one wants to have oily skin, but that doesn’t mean natural oils can’t play a role in keeping our skin healthy. You can mix in your oil with a nighttime moisturizer to provide a protective barrier against the cold, harsh air.
If you have dry, flaky skin that reacts to the changing weather, look out for Hyaluronic acid on the ingredients list of any product you use, as it can leave your skin feeling oh so radiant after clearing away all those pesky dry flakes.
Add Comment