Nourish Your Skin From the Inside Out

Skincare tips for healthy skin at every age

“A glowing complexion conveys health, confidence, and youthfulness — who doesn’t want that ? The best concealing makeup will never replace the glow of oxygenated, lustrous, hydrated and naturally healthy skin.”

What you put on your skin is very important, but the true secret to beautiful skin comes from the inside, by nourishing your body with skin-friendly nutrients, foods, and more.

Here are my 5 evidence based suggestions to support your skin to be healthier and brighter at every age.

1. Eat Skin-Friendly Foods

What you put into your body directly affects your skin . It goes without saying that a whole foods-based diet is the first step toward improving the look and feel of your skin. 

Certain foods can help you manage chronic inflammation as well as hydrate and nourish your skin. Fruits and veggies contain powerful antioxidants , little messages that signal your cells DNA and help protect your cells from free radical damage. These free radicals can be formed by unresolving and excessive stress, smoking, environmental toxins and pollution, sunlight and ultra processed foods. There is also tremendous benefit incorporating gut-healing probiotics and fibre-rich prebiotics to get truly luminous skin. These are best commenced once your unique microbiome is reviewed as broadly no one size fits all.

Some of my recommended choices for your skin are : 

2 + litres water per day mandatory (remember your skin is an excretory organ)

• Avocado

• Beetroot 

• Berries, the darker the better

• Oily, non farmed fish 

• Flax, chia, and hemp seeds (omega 3s)

• Pears 

• Papaya

• Red cabbage

• Spinach 

• Broccoli

• Tomatoes

• Watermelon

• Pumpkin seeds 

• Pomegranate

• Green tea walnuts almonds

• Cold pressed extra virgin olive oil

2. Avoid Processed and sugary foods, drinks

Have you noticed people with dusky dull skin, excessive wrinkling or actual brown patches on their skin ? These commonly result from internal tissue changes below the epidermis and are related to glycation (and in some instances liver disease.)

I like to explain this chronic build up as tissue imbalanced between sugary load, inflammation and the lack of tissue anti oxidants to quence the developing oxidative damage. These brown patches are commonly called “Glycation end products” and result from the oxidation of sugars within the tissue. Think tissue RUST. Damaged tissue becomes dull, looses it’s firmness, elasticity and healthy function. Please note that Anti wrinkle injections and fillers cannot correct this underlying metabolic state and only provide short term bandaid supports.

Unfortunately, although visible on the skin, this oxidative damage can also be occuring in the brain and the endothelial lining of blood vessels so there is potential for much broader disease implications including cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s disease . Prevention is key here.

3. Collagen, Collagen Boosters, & Vitamins

There is a lot of hype around collagen in the “beauty” market. Be discerning with your source.

Collagen is a protein that declines with age, causing skin to sag, wrinkle, and appear dull and sallow. Having enough collagen can help keep your skin supported. Adding more collagen into your routine can help you promote not only skin quality, but connective tissue and bone health.

There are a few ways to replenish collagen: First, try a collagen supplement made with hydrolyzed collagen for better absorption. You can also up your intake of protein and vitamins that promote natural collagen production, including vitamin C and biotin.  My preferred for mature women is Designs for Health Whole Body Collagen as it addresses not only hair skin and nails , but also connective tissue and bone, containing 3 patented technologies.

As with all supplements, I advise care when selecting brands and caution around marketing claims. Greenwashing is very real in the wellness space. By that I mean products which are making big claims about ingredients and benefits. The supplement space is under regulated and relies on the manufacturer to substantiate their claims, often without independent 3rd party assessment. I am aware of several international brands removed from the market in the last year due to minimal active ingredients, artificial filler ingredients and unsubstantiated claims. This is more common in the weight loss, body building and skin health cluster.

Australian practitioner brands generally hold a high standard by international comparison.

• Vitamins A, D, and E — all fat-soluble vitamins — play key roles in skin health

• Vitamin A deficiency can cause skin issues and rashes and is implicated in some autoimmunity (care with pregnancy)

• Vitamin C is particularly effective at brightening skin when applied topically in a cream or serum. It’s been shown to help reduce brown age spots, soften skin and wrinkles. 

4. Enhance Your Skincare Routine

Keeping your skin nourished and hydrated with natural skincare products will support your skin as you age. Consider developing a simple morning and night time skincare routine. It should only take you a couple of minutes and not be overly expensive.

• a non foaming clean and natural cleanser (read labels)

• a clean and natural moisturizer in the morning and at night without toxic load and with skin friendly natural ingredients (read labels)

• quality serums with natural ingredients can help you get your skin nourished and glowing and support the delicate acid mantle. These are very skin type specific as rich serums may create breakouts in oily skin zones

• if you’re planning to go outside, don’t forget your SPF, I recommend only mineral based.

• don’t overdue the “beauty therapy” treatments. These can damage the delicate outer layer if too aggressive. Go to a therapist who really understands skin and is not trying to sell you something.

To remind you …The life cycle of a skin cell is generally 4-6 weeks. Be careful signing up to any treatments that you are being told you need more frequently than this. A damaged cell need time to repair and renew.

Estimates are that a massive 90 percent of skin aging is related to sun exposure. It’s linked to everything from premature aging, excessive wrinkles and skin cancer. Protecting your skin in the harsh sun is foundational.

Although not a vitamin, Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a compound found throughout the body, and especially concentrated in the skin. Like many other molecules, hyaluronic acid declines with age. You can replenish HA with supplements and topical hyaluronic acid serums. When applied topically, hyaluronic acid can instantly plump up skin. 

A very big component of my clinic work revolves around restoring HA stores within the skin layers. This is one of the most profound adjuncts to maintain healthy glowing skin by holding tissue moisture and lustre as you age. We can discuss more.

5. Boost Your Antioxidants

Natural powerful antioxidant ingredient foods and supplements are shown to help prevent sunburns, and defend against damage caused from the sun. Along with sunblock, studies show that nutritional antioxidants and ingredients like green tea extract, alpha lipoic acid, Astaxanthin can provide some essential support you need to keep skin healthy and safe in the sun. Eating antioxidant rich foods like blueberries, dark chocolate, garlic, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and more, can help promote protection against skin damage and rapid aging of the skin.   

When it comes to aging, skin is a sensitive and personal issue and often the first to show signs of premature aging. Prevention is key.