Battling an increase of alcohol, sugary foods and time spent in the sun can wreck havoc on our skin. Here are the top 5 ingredients to incorporate into your diet to keep skin healthy and fresh.
Silly season means a lot of things: long lunches, one too many rosés, beach days, BBQs, the list could really go on.
However, a lot of these fun activities include alcohol, UV rays and dehydration from hot summer days.
Cate Lilja, nutritional, herbal, and complementary medicine scientist and co-founder of Optima Nutricosmetics explains how these activities can interfere with our skin and which ingredients to adopt to save our skin this summer.
Pre and probiotics
With so many parties and social affairs we often indulge in far more ‘occasional’ foods (e.g desserts high in sugar, high fat foods and salt laden party snacks), and alcohol, than we would usually eat, which take its toll on your digestion and microbiome. .
This has knock on effects to our skin – which can include congestion, dull skin and sensitivity. To help combat this, try consuming plenty of prebiotic and probiotic foods to feed your microbiome and support the growth of good bacteria. Doing so can help keep your digestion functioning optimally and support your skin.
If you’re looking for something you can consume on the run, try a pre and probiotic supplement such as Optima Nutricosmetics Complete Skin Food Elixir.
Vitamin C
All of these late nights, cocktails and dietary choices can also have an impact on our immune health, which when depleted can lead to skin sensitivity and inflammation.
Support your immune health with plenty of plant-based nutrients – especially vitamin C and B. For this think citrus fruits and dark leafy greens.
Hydrate with collagen
Getting out in the sun for those Sunday afternoon BBQs can leave you, and your skin feeling dehydrated.
Keep hydration levels up with plenty of water and better yet, boost it with marine collagen, this has been proven to not only hold water in your skin, but also enhance skin elasticity and reduce wrinkle volume.
Antioxidants
It’s fair to say that all these festivities can leave our systems feeling stressed and out of sorts.
Waking up to bad hair and dark circles under your eyes is never a good way to start the day. Glow from the inside out with foods that are rich in antioxidants like blueberries, dark chocolate kale, plums and tomatoes.
Herbal Hydration
Dehydration is a result of too much water out and not enough in. When we’re in the sun our body naturally sweats to keep the body cool, however we need to replenish to prevent against dehydration.
Thirst is often an early warning sign, which means having a water bottle available at all times will help protect your skin as well as your body.
While water may not be as enticing as a carbonated sweet beverage at the beach or a champagne at a lunch, try adding citrus fruits and herbs such as mint and tarragon to enhance the taste of your water and promote consumption.
