When skincare is an all-consuming passion, it’s easy to become blinkered in our thinking on skin health.
Undoubtedly the creams we put on our faces make a massive impact on the health of our skin. No matter how cynical we are, there simply wouldn’t be a vibrant skincare industry if that wasn’t the case.
But equally, topical solutions are just a part of the answer. Other factors are at play when it comes to skin health, including diet, exercise and even our thought processes. A few weeks ago I sat down to discuss this very matter with nutritionist and detox expert Zoe Palmer-Wright, who was meeting journalists at a Solgar-hosted event to celebrate the re-branding of their beauty supplements (more on that coming up).
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| Zoe (middle) with me (left) and Solgar UK head of nutrition Alice Bradshaw (right) |
Zoe explained that free radical damage through our lifestyle choices is a massive cause of premature skin ageing, but that there are things we can do to put it right. Here are Zoe’s top 10 tips to naturally radiant and younger looking skin.
- Avoid certain beauty product chemicals such as Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS), Propylene Glycol and Parabens (there is evidence to suggest that some are carcinogenic and cause skin irritations)
- Limit bad foods in your diet including sugar (attacks collagen), processed foods, trans and hydrogenated fats (swap margarine for butter, look for foods containing Omegas 3 and 6)
- Eat more antioxidant-rich plant foods such as blueberries and citrus fruits, as well as fresh veg (kale, broccoli and carrots etc - strive for a rainbow coloured diet)
- Get 15-30 minutes of sun exposure daily. While UV rays damage skin there is a massive problem of Vitamin D deficiency in the UK through our obsession with sun avoidance and SPF creams
- Adopt the 80% rule (eat to the point where you first feel stomach pressure)
- Detox regularly by juice cleansing/ fasting (it aids skin repair)
- Take food supplements including collagen, hyaluronic acid and vitamin c. These will help to top-up our levels should we not be getting enough from our diet
- Avoid stress and eliminate negative thoughts. Practice positive thinking – it will reduce mental and emotional stress-induced free radical damage to skin cells
- Take up yoga or some form of exercise that involves turning our body upside down. Seriously, doing head, hand and shoulder stands send blood and oxygen flowing to the scalp and face
- Beauty sleep. The amount we need varies from person-to-person but on average we should be getting between 5-8 1/2 hours each night
Vegetable Pic Credit: Search Influence.
