Skin care products are a vital part of any healthy skin regime, but they shouldn’t be the only thing you use. Buying thoughtfully-formulated products that feature plant ingredients rather than harmful, artificial chemicals is a great first step toward taking conscious care of your skin. Other lifestyle factors, such as diet, sleep, and exercise, can also have a huge impact on your skin’s health.
Skin Health and Balanced Diets
It’s important to stay hydrated and eat healthy foods to maintain healthy, glowing skin. Healthy foods give your body the building blocks needed to heal wounds and maintain vibrancy and elasticity. They also balance bacteria on your skin. Dermatologists suggest that you consume a wide variety of fruits, vegetables and leafy greens every day. Make sure you get your healthy fatty acids in a variety.
Inflammation can worsen acne symptoms and other skin conditions. To control inflammation throughout your body, you could try switching to a dermatologist-approved anti-inflammatory diet, or at least make it a point to avoid inflammatory foods, and seek out anti-inflammatory foods instead. These diets may include foods that are not vegan, but it is easy to modify them to fit a vegan lifestyle.
Food allergies and sensitivities may also manifest on the skin. Keep a food diary if you suspect that your unusual breakouts are caused by what you eat. You can quickly determine what is causing your breakouts and learn how to reduce the amount of food you consume. White sugar, dairy products, fried foods, and fast food are some of the culprits. To get to the root of your breakout and find the right diet for you, we recommend consulting a dermatologist or nutritionist.
Exercise
Exercise can help reduce inflammation in your body and promote circulation. It may also help maintain your telomeres’ health, allowing your body to remain youthful on a cellular level. At least 30 minutes moderate or 15 minutes intense activity should be done each day. Exercise promotes lymphatic drainage, the body’s natural way of removing toxins.
Healthy Sleep Cycles
One of the worst things you can do for your skin is to skip a good sleep. Insufficient sleep causes your body to produce more cortisol, which can cause inflammation in your skin and throughout your entire body. Your body produces less collagen and hyaluronic acids as inflammation sets in, leading to a loss of suppleness, brightness and smoothness. Sleep is also important for your body to balance hydration and other processes.
Stress Management
This factor, along with the one above, is often the hardest to maintain. We have discussed how the stress hormone cortisol contributes to skin damage and ageing in various ways. It is therefore important that you manage stress in a healthy manner! There are many ways to manage stress, but the best one is the one that works for you. Exercise, crafting, journaling and relaxing with friends are some of our favorite ways to manage stress.
Vitamins for Skin Health
Vitamins for your skin are best obtained from your diet. Your body processes vitamins better from food than from supplements. Vitamin C supplements are safe and can be very effective in promoting skin health. Consult your doctor if you are deficient in vitamin A, vitamin B or E. Magnesium and phosphate are also good supplements for those who have skin problems. Always consult your doctor prior to beginning any supplementation, especially if you are pregnant or nursing.
Sunscreen for Healthy Skin
It’s important to use sunscreen daily to prevent UV-induced skin damage. Your body will produce free radicals over time in response to UV radiation. These rogue atoms can damage your skin irreversibly, causing wrinkles, fine lines, dark patches, and loss of suppleness.
The Right Amount to Cleanse
Dermatologists recommend cleansing your skin twice a day, once in morning and evening. They also suggest cleaning it after exercise or heavy sweating. It’s not necessary to use harsh chemicals like denatured alcohols to clean your skin. A gentle, natural cleansing balm such as our Blood Orange Cleansing Balm will do the job perfectly without harming your skin. It’s important to remove all makeup and sunscreen applied during the day at night in order not to clog your pores. If you want to follow the Korean double cleansing routine, use a water-based cleanser such as our Charcoal Cleanser and then a cleanser with oil, like our Coconut Oil Cleansing milk or Blood Orange Cleansing balm.