3 Secrets to Share About Skin
Your skin is incredibly important. Not only is it your largest organ, it is also the first layer of protection, keeping the rest of your body safe from harm. Taking good care of your skin is vital for a healthy lifestyle and your skin can be the first sign that something is wrong or something needs to change.
Given how many huge cosmetic companies there are, it is clear that people do tend to worry about the look of their skin. Unfortunately, rather than learning why their skin is imperfect, we are all guilty of hiding the problem area under a layer of foundation and pretending everything is fine when it might be better to look at our lifestyles for a longer lasting solution.
So what can you do to take care of your skin and make sure that it remains healthy and beautiful?
Well, there are 3 secrets to share that will help you to change your lifestyle and achieve flawless, beautiful skin.
Your Skin is Responsible for Vitamin D Production
Vitamin D is often called the sunshine vitamin because your skin has a role in producing it using sunlight, or UVB. When your skin is exposed to direct sunlight, a chemical already in your skin is transformed into a precursor of Vitamin D which is taken through your liver and kidneys before it is turned into active Vitamin D.
What is amazing about this process is that all you need to do is allow direct sunlight to reach your skin and your body will do the rest. How long you need to stay in the sun depends on how dark your skin is, but essentially, you need to make sure that you go back inside or apply sunscreen before you burn. This means that the best times to get sunlight for Vitamin D is usually in the early morning or evening when the sun isn’t as harsh.
Vitamin D is important for many reasons. It is linked to regulating your mood and fighting off depression as well as boosting your immune system and helping you with weight loss. Vitamin D is also important to your bone health and warding off the chances of osteoporosis as it helps the body to absorb calcium. There are many other studies that show all kinds of other benefits too, from a reduced risk of cancer to reduced risk of multiple sclerosis.
But Vitamin D doesn’t just help your body, it is also vital for beautiful skin. It can help to reduce the bacteria that causes acne to develop, plump your skin up by improving the production of new cells and help to alleviate the symptoms of psoriasis. So if you are currently in battle with acne and hiding indoors - now’s the moment to get out there!
Moisture is Vital For Your Skin’s Health
You might think that moisturizing your skin is a simple case of rubbing either a cream, lotion or oil into your skin regularly. Unfortunately, it is a little bit more complex than this and what goes into your moisturizer of choice is really important for the overall results.
There are 3 things you need to consider:
Humectants - these are chemicals that attract moisture to your skin
Emollients - these are chemicals that fill the spaces between skin cells
Water - the most basic hydration strategy you can get
When you have dry or cracked skin, the problem is that your skin is not producing enough natural oils to stay lovely and soft. This might be because cold winter air is drying you out, you suffer with eczema or you are reacting to any number of chemicals around the house. You need to treat this problem quickly to avoid any infection that may set in while your skin’s protective layer is broken.
The important thing to remember is that your skin should be allowed to moisturize itself and simply adding more and more layers of moisturizer isn’t going to help in the long term as your skin may become dependent. A better idea is to use moisturizers liberally but use the right balance of humectants, emollients and water to achieve the best results.
Fortunately, the beauty industry is catching on to this and there are now more beneficial oils on the market. One natural oil that is currently trending is mango butter which is extracted from the seeds of the fruit. Mango butter isn’t just said to be good for moisturizing, it is also edible and makes for an effective conditioner for curly haired people. You can read more about mango butter here: http://naturalcave.com/posts/mango-butter/.
Fundamentally, though, the amount of water you drink is going to have the most impact on the moisture levels of your skin. The recommended daily intake of water is around 2 litres, but if you live in a hot climate or exercise regularly, you will probably need to drink a bit more. There are lots of tips to help you to drink more water, but a good rule of thumb is to simply drink a glass of water every time you feel thirsty and to keep an eye on the color of your wee (it should be pale yellow).
A Good Diet Makes for Beautiful Skin
Though there are no particular set rules about what the perfect diet is, it is clear that a diet rich in a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, proteins and calcium-rich foods is good for your skin.
What has been shown is that Vitamin A, which can be found in dairy, oily fish and made from good sources of beta-carotene like yellow fruits and vegetables, maintaining and repairing the skin. Vitamin B has also been shown to help form the basis of your skin, but it is also good for your hair and nails too.
You might think that protein is just good for building muscle, but actually, protein forms the foundation for every cell in your body. Protein is broken down into amino acids which are then used by the body to create other substances of use. One such substance is collagen and this is responsible for giving your skin a healthy, plump appearance and will also help to prevent wrinkles forming as you age.
With a healthy, balanced diet, you will give your body, and your skin, the right ingredients to stay beautiful and fit. It isn’t necessarily about eating a certain food or adding supplements to your diet either, just keep in mind that you need a variety of vitamins and minerals as well as a balance of proteins to stay in peak condition. You can do this with an ordinary diet perfectly well, so don’t feel pressured into a fad diet.
For most people, skin is about looking superficially good. We are all guilty of worrying about getting spots or scratching dry patches and yet how often do we treat the problem by covering it up with make-up or slathering on a fancy but ineffective moisturizer? So instead of thinking about how our skin looks, we should all be thinking more about how it works and what it needs.
Your skin is pretty amazing and its ability to keep your body healthy is certainly worth taking care of. The better you look after your skin, the more likely it will be able to look after you. Once you know the secrets of your skin - what it does, how it is built and how you can care for it - you will not only look better but feel better too.