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by Tamara Jefferies June 06, 2022 3 min read

As the seasons change, we often look for ways to optimize our skin routine to protect our skin from the elements. Although there's nothing we can do about a weather forecast, we can make simple lifestyle changes to improve our skin's health.

Here are a few simple steps you can take to protect your skin, prevent premature aging and improve your skin health all year round.

Nutrition Tips for Healthy Skin

Healthy skin starts with the nutrients you feed your body, so eat plenty of fresh organic vegetables and fruits and healthy fats like omega-3 fatty acids. The tips below can also help you attain skin that glows from the inside out.

Avoid Toxins

Eat organic foods to avoid the toxins found in pesticides often used in conventionally grown foods. Pesticides can lead to many health ailments, including skin issues.

Research investigating the prevalence of toxic pesticides in produce has uncovered 15 fruits and vegetables, known as the Clean 15, that are reliably safe to eat. Additionally, 12 fruits and vegetables consistently rank the highest on the toxicity scale — high enough to earn them a spot on the "The Dirty Dozen" list. These include many common fruits and vegetables like strawberries, spinach and other leafy greens. By taking in these pesticides through foods we eat, we're making our bodies work harder to detoxify. To minimize your exposure to accumulated toxins, try and buy organic or favor options from the list of the cleanest 15.

Prioritize Variety for Increased Nutrient Intake

When you think about eating more nutritiously, consider specific nutrients that are good for your skin. Nutrients like chlorella and vitamin C have shown to be highly beneficial for skin health. Chlorella is a green alga that's so nutritious it's considered a superfood. It contains omega-3, vitamin A, riboflavin, magnesium and zinc. Chlorella is also high in antioxidants, which are great at buffering free radical damage.

Be Mindful of Food Sensitivities

If you've been eating a balanced wholefood diet and are still having skin issues, there may be certain foods that are causing a heightened immune reaction. You may experience an immediate, more severe response from your immune system to a specific food, like peanuts, eggs or dairy. Any other reaction can also be from a food intolerance or sensitivity. The best way to determine if you have food sensitivity is through a simple at-home lab test.

Self-Care for Improved Skin Health

Self-care can mean many things. But when talking about promoting skin health, self-care becomes specific actions you can take to make your skin as healthy as possible. Beyond drinking enough water, managing stress and getting at least seven to nine hours of restful sleep each night, there are other ways to support your skin health.

  • Dry brushing or Garshana is an ancient Ayurvedic practice of brushing the body with a natural hair bristle brush. Dry brushing is great for exfoliating and brightening the skin, cleansing pores, relieving stress and promoting lymphatic drainage.
  • Self-massage can help improve circulation and blood flow, giving skin a healthy-looking glow.
  • Saunas can be an effective way to detoxify as we sweat out toxins built up in the body. The intense heat can increase blood flow and improve circulation, which can help carry nutrients to the skin. While in the sauna, using natural salts as an exfoliant helps remove dead skin cells, salt, and sebum (oil) from the skin's surface, which can help clean the pores and clear the complexion.
  • Don't smoke. Research has shown smoking ages the skin by restricting the flow of blood, which deprives cells of nutrients.
  • Eliminate toxic household and skincare products that irritate the skin and switch to natural, safer alternatives
  • Long hours spent in the sun can age the skin dramatically because of the exposure to damaging UV rays. So, try to avoid the harsh sun during its most intense hours between 10 am and 2 pm. Wear a hat, protective clothing, and use natural sun cream if you must be out.

Healthy skin doesn't happen overnight, but with just a few simple changes, your skin can look (and feel) great through every season.

Interested to learn more about dry brushing and other ancient practices that promote staying healthy and feeling energized? Listen to this podcast.



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