Most people believe that keeping your skin beautiful and healthy depends on what you do to nourish it from the inside. While there is no denying this fact, the outer skin must also be looked after.
The outer skin is the first line of defense against harmful external elements, including pollution, ultraviolet (UV) rays, and pathogens. When this barrier weakens or is compromised, it compromises the inner skin, making it vulnerable to several diseases.
Some of the most evident damages of compromised outer skin appear as wrinkles, dryness, fine lines, and dullness.
Therefore, your approach should be holistic if you want to ensure your skin’s health, beauty, and rejuvenation. With that said, here are some ways to make your skin healthy and beautiful.
1. Include peptides in your skincare
Peptides play a crucial role in many physiological processes in the body, including maintaining your skin. And Peptides are naturally occurring small chains of amino acids that can easily penetrate the skin, targeting fine lines and wrinkles.
Peptides also stimulate cellular activities and signaling pathways within the skin, promoting collagen production – a protein known for giving structure, elasticity, and firmness to the skin, and enhancing skin hydration by improving moisture retention, reducing oxidative stress, and protecting skin from external aggressors.
The creation and application of specific peptides for ensuring skin health is called peptide synthesis. It can occur through laboratory processes by creating novel peptides and incorporating them into skincare products.
To ensure effective peptide synthesis on your skin, opt for peptide serums and moisturizers instead of cleansers, as they stay on the skin longer. The more time peptides remain active on your skin, the better their effects.
2. Stay hydrated
Staying hydrated is essential to ensure skin health from the inside out. When you drink enough water throughout the day, your body filters out toxins and reduces the chances of acne breakouts – resulting in clearer, healthier skin.
Hydration also promotes the skin’s natural moisture balance, preventing it from becoming dry, flaky, or tight, ensuring its suppleness and radiance. Well-hydrated skin also has fewer fine lines and wrinkles, which results in a smoother and more youthful appearance.
The specific quantity varies for each individual and is influenced by age, weight, activity levels, and climate factors. In most cases, drinking at least 64 ounces (eight glasses) of water daily is recommended. You may need to drink more water if you are physically active or live in a hot and dry area.
Moreover, if you don’t want to drink water, you can also consume herbal tea and fresh to keep your hydration levels up.
3. Limit exposure to the sun.
You might have heard multiple times that spending time under the sun promotes the production of vitamin D. While that is true, excessive and unprotected exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) can harm your skin immensely.
Spending time under the sun for long periods can cause skin issues, including sunburn, premature aging, dark spots, and a higher risk of skin cancer.
Sun exposure wreaks havoc on your skin due to UVA and UVB. The former penetrates deep into the skin, exacerbating wrinkles, fine lines, and age spots. The latter damages your skin from the outside.
So by restricting exposure to the sun, especially during peak hours (mainly between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.), you can protect your skin to a great extent.
Other measures you can take to protect your skin against the damage of the sun are:
- Wearing long sleeves and wide-brimmed hats.
- Using a high SPF sunscreen to protect against both UVA and UVB rays.
- Covering your face when exposed to the sun.
- Staying under the shade as much as possible when outdoors
As for meeting your body’s vitamin D needs, even brief and controlled sun exposure is also sufficient.
4. Avoid smoking
Smoking damages the collagen and elastin fibers in the skin, making you look old by stripping your skin of its freshness and radiance.
Smoking contributes to wrinkles due to three major factors:
- The presence of harmful chemicals in cigarettes.
- The drying effect of tobacco.
- The repetitive facial expressions associated with smoking.
Firstly, nicotine and carbon monoxide constrict blood vessels in your skin’s outermost layer, impairing blood flow to the skin. As a result, your skin does not get enough oxygen and nutrients. The deprivation of essential nutrients causes your skin to have a lackluster appearance, including wrinkles, uneven skin tone, and slower wound healing.
Secondly, as a smoker inhales and exhales through the mouth, the skin around the lips loses moisture and becomes dehydrated. It is common knowledge that dryer skin is more prone to wrinkles as it lacks the required moisture to maintain suppleness and elasticity.
Lastly, some people make certain facial expressions while smoking, contributing to the formation of wrinkles and fine lines on the face. Smokers often purse their lips while inhaling and squint their eyes to prevent smoke from going into their eyes.
The repetition of these facial expressions over time combines with the detrimental effects of tobacco to cause wrinkles around the mouth (smoker’s lines) and eyes (crow’s feet). So by avoiding smoking, you can significantly reduce the chances of premature aging, preserving the vitality and beauty of your skin.
5. Eat skin-healthy foods
Some foods have been recognized to improve your skin’s health; try to incorporate those foods into your diet.
Tomatoes are one such fruit with cancer-prevention properties. Additionally, a study found that daily consumption of tomatoes mitigates sunburn-induced damage. The pigment (Lycopene) present in tomatoes is responsible for providing you protection against UV damage.
Olive oil is another dietary element with skin-benefiting properties. The intake of olive oil is linked to a reduced risk of facial photoaging, which refers to collective damage to your skin in the form of dark spots and wrinkles resulting from sun exposure.
Eating dark chocolate in limited quantities is also beneficial for your skin. Cocoa flavanol present in dark chocolate improves your skin’s function and structure. They make your skin smooth by reducing scaling and roughness on it.
Green tea is also associated with rejuvenating drying skin cells through compounds called polyphenols, which is why it is often recommended to soothe your skin or promote wound healing.
Conclusion
There are numerous ways to keep your skin healthy. Some involve applying topical products such as peptides, sunblock, and moisturizers on your skin. At the same time, others require you to achieve a healthier lifestyle. Whichever ways you choose, make sure to be consistent in your efforts for sustainable results.
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