Tips for Healthy Skin

By having clear, glowing, radiate skin can make you look and feel amazing. 

It has been proven that what you eat has an affect on, not only your overall health, but also on your outer appearance as well, including your skin. 

Keeping and maintaining your skin looking healthy does not necessarily mean using expensive beauty products.
Here are some tips on what you should eat and do to maintain having healthy looking skin.

Keeping Hydrated 

Water

It is very important to keep your skin hydrated. (Especially if you have dry skin)

By drinking plenty of water, this will help to keep your skin moist and hydrated. Water not only helps to hydrate the skin, which rejuvenates skin cells, it also helps to flush out toxins from the body.  

The build up of toxins in the body can cause skin problems such as acne. Proper hydration can also help to eliminate sunken eyes and circles under the eyes. 

Try and avoid drinking too much dehydrating drinks such as: Alcohol, Coffee, Tea, Soft Drinks, Milk. 

 You should try and drink a minimum of 6-8 glasses of water a day. 

Green tea

Green Tea is rich in antioxidants that reduce inflammation and protect cell membranes and protects the body from free radicals. It also helps to reduce the damage of sunburns and overexposure to ultraviolet light. 

Green Teabags are also good for getting rid of under eye dark circles. After making the cup of green tea, make sure you take out the teabags and let it cool for abit. Place the teabags on the eyes for a short period of time allowing the tannins in the tea to treat puffy eyes and dark circles. Green Tea bags can help to reduce swelling and tighten the skin around the eyes. The caffeine reduces puffiness by shrinking the blood vessels, it also gets rid of the dark circles by decreasing the dilation of the blood vessels under the eyes. 

Sleep 

To help skin stay healthy, you should make sure that you get at least 8 hours of sleep a night. Sleeping is important, as we sleep, skin rejuvenation takes place and the cells undergo a process of repair. When we sleep, this is the time when the skin restores and recovers from any harm it has suffered during the day. 

It is advised that all make up should be removed before going to sleep, as this can interfere with the skin's rejuvenation process. 

Exercise 

We all know that regular exercise is good for our body, by exercising regular it helps to keep the skin elasticity which prevents wrinkles. Exercising also helps to increase the blood flow, this helps to nourish skin cells and keep them vital, as blood carries oxygen and nutrients to working cells throughout the body, this includes the skin. Blood flow also helps carry away waste products, including free radicals, from working cells.

Healthy Diet

We all know that eating healthy is the key to having healthy skin. 

Food offers nutrients required at every cellular level and contain healing and nourishing qualities. 

The best foods for healthy skin are: 

• Salmon (along with other fatty fish/Walnuts, Soy Milk), these are high in healthy fatty acids such as omega 3 which helps to keep cells membranes healthy by keeping out harmful substances as well as allowing nutrients to enter cells and exits with waste products. 
• Foods which contain Vitamin A or beta-carotene such as Carrots, Sweet potato, mango, spinach, tomatoes and papaya. Vitamin A foods contain a high level of antioxidants, which prevent free radical damage of skin cells. Vitamin A is required for developing and maintaining skin cells. 
• Whole wheat food - these have a great benefit to the overall skin and also helps to prevent skin cancer risks.
• Foods which have a B-complex vitamins such as: Avocados, Blackberries, Blueberries, Strawberries and Beans. 
• Yoghurt - Low fat yoghurt has good bacteria that is good for your digestion, it also makes your skin healthy.
• Foods which contain Zinc such as: Oysters, Sesame seeds, Beef, Roasted Pumpkin and Peanuts. 
• Water

Facial Routines

Cleansing

It is very important to cleanse your face and keep it clean, however depending on your skin type should depend on how often you cleanse your skin. For example, people with oily skin should not cleanse too often. When washing your face, make sure you do not scrub too hard. By doing this, it removes the required oils that the skin needs to regenerate. You should also use lukewarm water in the morning when cleansing the face, as hot or cold water could cause broken capillaries. When washing the face, you should wash lightly and in circular motions, this helps to keep the blood flow in your skin and does not allow the essential oils to escape. 

Exfoliate 

Exfoliation is a key skin care element which some people tend to miss out in their weekly skincare routine. By exfoliating it helps to remove the dead skin cells on the surface of the face. Regular exfoliation over time, will increase the skin's capacity to absorb moisture, reduce fine lines and diminish acne. Make sure you use a gentle scrub which contains tiny grains. Using big grains can sometimes tear the skin. 

Moisturize 

By applying moisturizer it helps to restore the oils that our skin has and helps to keep the skin hydrated. Moisturizing for men is just as important as the oils in men's skin can be lost more easily than those in women. However becareful not to overmoisturize as this can clog your pores. 

Is eye cream essential? Eye creams have been recommended by beauty experts, this is because the skin around the eye area contains no fatty tissue and is therefore very thin and susceptible to wrinkles. Eye creams are formulated to thicken the eye area.

It is important to protect yourself from the sun by applying sunscreen. Too much sun exposure can cause wrinkles, freckles, age spots, dry and rough skin. It has been advised by experts to avoid the sun during the hours of 10am and 4pm as this is when the sun is at its highest intensity hours. 

Different types of Herbs can also be used in maintaining healthy skin, which could also help to treat and prevent skin problems.

• The Aloe Vera plant (also known as Aloe Barbadensis) is a great benefit towards the skin. Aloe Vera has the ability to stimulate healthy cell growth and repair damaged tissues. Aloe Vera is good for all skin types. 
• For people with Dry Skin - Make a facial sauna with comfery or calendula. Drink Chamomile, dandelion or peppermint tea.
• For people with Oily Skin - Make a facial sauna using lemongrass and rosebuds.   

Don't Smoke

As we all know, Smoking causes premature aging and yellowing of the teeth and skin. The tobacco that is released into the air dries out your skin, while the smoke you inhale constricts the flow of blood to blood vessels, narrowing the tiny blood vessels in the outermost layers of the skin, which decreases blood flow. Smoking also damages Collagen and Elastin, these are fibres that give your skin its strength and elasticity.