How to clear your skin from the inside out – everything you need to know
Did you know clear skin starts from the inside? When you focus on taking care of your body first, it will reflect on the outside with radiant and glowing skin.
If you’ve ever eaten something and found it had a negative effect on your skin, or you suddenly break out, you’re not alone. When you’re indulging in a variety of sweets, junk food, or something your body struggles to digest like gluten or dairy, it can have an everlasting effect on the way your skin looks and feels.
Clear skin starts by working from the inside out, and prioritising gut health to ensure you don’t have to bat another eyelid at a blemish on your face.
So, what are the best ways to take care of yourself to help skin glow? It begins with a healthy and balanced lifestyle.
1. Hydration
If you’re not drinking enough water, there is the potential for toxin build up in the body, which leads to blocked pores, inflammation and breakouts. According to Novus Health, water also plays a crucial role in the body’s detoxification process meaning the more water you drink, the more cleansed your skin will be from the inside out.
Being hydrated also means eating the right foods. Water rich fruits and vegetables such as cucumber, watermelon and celery are ideal for in fluxing the body with, not only water, but also important nutrients and antioxidants that will ultimately reflect in your radiant skin.
2. Diet
Prioritising your diet is the most important thing you can do for your skin. Keeping a healthy and balanced diet will allow your body to absorb key nutrients, antioxidants and fatty acids that are essential to skin health.
It is important to consume whole foods as part of your diet when watching skin health. Fruits, vegetables and protein rich foods all will have an ultimately positive impact on the way your skin looks naturally, and really bring out your natural glow.
This also works hand in hand with hydrating your body. When you consume the right nutrients, you are also allowing for hydration, which assists in maintaining skin’s moisture and healthy skin cell function.
Here are some of the best foods that will help with glowing, radiant skin:
Avocados
– With vitamins C & E, allow for skin softness and hydration
– Contain antioxidants, protecting skin from damage
– Healthy fats ensure skin stays moisturised and firm
Tomatoes
– Contain a great amount of the antioxidant lycopene, which acts as a sunscreen for your skin from the inside of your body
– This is also beneficial for the prevention of fine lines and wrinkles, that particularly may be caused by sun damage
– Positive effect on skin texture
Fatty fish
– Such as salmon and herring, fatty fishes are rich in omega-3 fatty acids
– Help to keep your skin hydrated and smooth
– A deficiency in omega-3 can lead to inflammation, redness and dry skin
Lemon
– Considered a natural source for tightening pores, firming skin and blurring blemishes
– Drinking lemon water specifically helps to aid digestion
– Allows for a natural detox which will show in your skin, working from the inside of your body and showing on the outer surface.
Nuts & seeds
– Such as almonds, walnuts, chia seeds and flaxseeds, are all packed with zinc and vitamin E
– Protects skin from damage and improves texture
– The selenium in nuts will also help increase infection-fighting white blood cells
Apple Cider Vinegar
– We know you’ve heard this one and whilst it’s not the most enjoyable, a shot of apple cider vinegar a day has been proven to have various health benefits.
– Bobbi Brown has mentioned apple cider vinegar supplements or mixed with water is great for digestion and debloating, which works hand in hand with a glowy complexion.
– It contains antimicrobial and anti inflammatory properties, contributing to the balance of skin pH
3. Sleep
During sleep, our bodies focus on cellular repair and regeneration and getting at least eight hours each night is a must to help this process.
We also produce natural collagen when we sleep. This is the protein which helps maintain the skin’s elasticity and firmness, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Enough sleep also means increased blood flow, delivering more oxygen and nutrients to the skin, aiding in cellular repair and promoting a healthy, natural glow.
Sleep also allows for the necessary time and resources for the skin to recover and regenerate leading to a more radiant, clear and youthful looking complexion.
Trending on Tik Tok and Instagram now also is Kourtney Kardashian’s ‘Lemme’ products, including Lemme Sleep melatonin and magnesium gummies. The reviews all point to yes, saying they knock you out almost immediately and allow you to have a quality, deep sleep. They are a great suggestion if you struggle with sleeping a full 8 hours or lack quality in your sleep.
4. Stress management
Like sleep, this is a less physical step to clear your skin from the inside out, but a necessary one. Managing your stress will allow for your body to relax more and allows your skin to have a break and function healthily.
Stress triggers the release of hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline which can disrupt the skin’s natural barrier and cause various issues such as breakouts and increased fine lines and wrinkles.
It is important to manage these feelings through practices like meditation or deep breathing exercises which allow the mind and body to relax. Exercise is also a great way of lowering stress levels, through the release of endorphins in the body, allowing for a boost in mood and therefore reducing stress.
Controlling this and being aware of your stress levels will ultimately allow your body and your skin to function better and have better health overall, improving certain aspects such as elasticity and allowing for a natural glow.
5. Detoxification
Finally, detoxing overall is a great way to improve the natural radiance of your skin. Consuming detox juices – such as green juices with celery, cucumber and kale – every so often will allow for a factory reset of your skin and give it time to soak up all the goodness of these ingredients.
Detoxification helps to remove impurities and debris from day-to-day life that can clog pores, cause inflammation and influence skin conditions like acne.
Detoxing does not only include consuming a healthy juice occasionally, it can also mean taking extra time to cleanse your face (even double cleansing), using an exfoliating face wash once a week, and avoiding particular foods and beverages such as alcohol and refined sugars.
An overall detox goes hand in hand with stress management techniques also, allowing for better skin cell turnover and function and an overall natural radiance and glow to be formed.
