Tips for a Healthy Youthful Complexion

Your skin is your body's largest organ. Unfortunately, many people only pay attention to their skin when there is a problem. Many factors affect the health of your skin such as diet, stress, chemical and sun exposure, humidity, liver function, and the health of your gut microbiome. The good news is that you can boost your overall wellness and promote a youthful complexion at the same time. Here are some tips to keep you healthy on the inside and out.

Stay Hydrated

Your skin is over 60% water, so staying hydrated is the first step in keeping your skin healthy and youthful. Staying hydrated is also critical to your overall health and wellness. Along with drinking pure filtered water, you can also maintain hydration by eating fruits and vegetables that contain lots of water like watermelon and celery. In addition to keeping you hydrated, coconut water contains important electrolytes. Drinking tea is another way to stay hydrated and reap the benefits of the antioxidants and the herbal actions of the plant the tea is sourced from. Green tea specifically has been studies for it's positive affects on skin cells.

Creams and Lotions

What you put on your skin is absorbed into your blood stream. So using non-toxic products is important to your overall health and the health of your skin. The Environmental Working Group has rated and scored the ingredients in commonly used products based on their affect on your health. You can check the most commonly used products here. Some vitamins have been found to be good for the skin both internally and topically. Look for creams and lotions that contain vitamins A, C. and E. And of course, many botanicals and food grade essential oil also contribute positively to skin health.

Exfoliate Your Skin

Regular exfoliation encourages your skin to produce newer, rejuvenated skin cells. You can make your own exfoliating scrub with common household ingredients like sugar and coffee. For your body, you can use organic coconut oil as a base and add sugar/coffee to it. On your face, you can use just sugar/coffee and water as a mild exfoliant. There are also many healthy non-toxic commercially made products. Getting rid of dead skin cells and exposing fresh new cells is an easy way to have a glowing youthful complexion.

Healthy Diet

Eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats will keep you and your skin healthy and more youthful. The fruit and vegetables will help provide the three of the most important nutrients for healthy skin: water, trace minerals, & antioxidants. Processed foods that contain chemicals and unhealthy fats can clog up your liver, damage your gut microbiome, and lead to unhealthy skin. Three critical minerals for healthy skin include silica, zinc, & sulfur. You can get these minerals from many plant based foods. Cucumbers are rich in water, vitamin C, and silica. Radishes contain zinc, vitamin C, phosphorus, and b vitamins that are critical for skin health.

Balanced Hormones

Unbalanced hormones can affect your skin, mood, and so much more. A simple to way start balancing your hormones is to take an adaptogenic herb like maca. Adaptogenic herbs support the body by helping it handle stress. They provide a stable balance in the hypothalamic, pituitary, and adrenal glands. Maca has been used for centuries to enhance energy, endurance, libido and hormone balance. It is native to Peru and is most often taken in powder form. There are lots of other ways to balance your hormones too, depending on what is causing the imbalance. Here are a few more ideas.

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