Skin Nutrition
Skin nutrition is a principle belief that in order to achieve a truly radiant, glowing complexion the skin must be provided with optimal nourishment both internally and externally. By combining internal nutrition, supplementation, physical activity, and active topical ingredients every one of our skin cells get what is required for ultimate radiance.
THE FOUNDATION OF HEALTHY SKIN CELLS
Good and poor overall health is determined at the level of the millions of cells that make up the human body. Vitamins, amino acids and trace elements are needed for the thousand of biochemical reactions that take place in every single cell. Chronic deficiency of these nutrients is the most frequent cause of cellular dysfunction leading to aging and disease. Providing the body with essential nutrients supports bioenergy production and leads to optimal health and glowing, radiant skin.
HOW DIET AFFECTS THE SKIN
A healthy diet and targeted supplementation provide the body with ample nutrition for cellular optimization. Diets high in sugar, excess carbohydrates, alcohol, and processed foods have been shown to be harmful to the skin and increase aging. Healthy eating can be a very valuable tool in the arsenal against visible aging and can help to manage and even alleviate some common skin concerns such as: acne, psoriasis, rosacea, hyperpigmentation, eczema, and dehydration. It’s important to note that even with the healthiest diet, less than 7% of the nutrients we consume ever make it to the lower layers of skin known as the hypodermis. The outer layer (epidermis) is basically devoid of the water and nutrients needed for maintaining skin health, as it’s the last organ to receive any nourishment. This is why the topical application of cosmeceutical ingredients is imperative for achieving, and maintaining healthy skin. Combining whole nutrition, consistent exercise, targeted supplementation, and performance based skin care are key to slowing down the aging process.
NOURISHING YOUR COMPLEXION
Eat your way to radiant skin - What we feed ourselves today turn’s up on our faces tomorrow! We can all attest to puffy eyes and swollen ankles after a salty meal or tired, lackluster skin after an evening of too many margaritas. The positive effects of healthy eating will be just as visible on your face as the effects of negative one. Healthy, vibrant skin starts on the inside and can be enhanced, not achieved, by topical skincare products. Nutritionally balanced skin will see the effects of a professional treatment longer and will need less home care products to maintain radiance. Balanced nutrition can mean many things to many people but there are certain unavoidable truths; we are what we eat!
Eat your hydration - Internal hydration is imperative for proper cellular function. Water is the most essential element on earth and is required for every biochemical process in the human body however drinking copious amounts of water does not provide adequate cellular hydration! You need to eat your water and drink it! Contrary to popular belief you are not 75 to 80% water in fact most adult humans are at best, 50%. Regardless of how much water you consume it’s not enough to keep you hydrated unless it can reside inside of your cells. The water you keep inside the cells, not the water that you keep outside of them, defines true hydration and optimal health. Eating your water in the form of vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and even some meats will supply your body usable hydration to nourish and protect.
The role of water in the body
Keeps membranes moist and increases smooth mucosal linings
Aids in digestion
Regulates body temperature
Assists with oxygen transport
Allows the cells of the body to grow, replicate, and survive
Supports the brain in producing hormones and neurotransmitters
Increases basal metabolic rate to burn calories more efficiently
Aids in digestion by converting food into components needed for survival
Workout - Rigorous physical exercise is essential for transporting necessary nutrients, blood, and oxygen to every cell of our bodies. By increasing blood flow we provide our cells everything needed to keep them vital while also carrying away from them waste products and damaging free radicals. This has a very detoxifying ability by flushing cellular debris out of the system. Moderate to intense workouts are best as the goal is to get the heart rate soaring. If you’re a person who hates rigorous workouts then even a short, 20-minute brisk walk/jog most days of the week will suffice. So in short, kicking up your workouts and sweating it out is the equivalency of taking your skin cells to the buffet line! If you’re still on the fence about incorporating working out into your wellness plan remember this; no one ever got to an older age and wished they’d moved their body less!
Targeted Supplementation - Taking huge amounts of vitamins, contrary to popular opinion, will not provide cells what they need to flourish. I believe that supplements are just that; supplements to a healthy diet. They do not and cannot replace proper nutrition and serve only to enhance and support it. Now having said that, unless you’re consuming large amounts of food that was cultivated using only organic, biodynamic farming techniques, chances are likely that your body isn’t getting everything it needs. This is where bioavailable, plant based supplements come into play. These supplements pick up the slack where your food might lack. Usually a high potency multivitamin (which should include most of these listed below) and a few additional, targeted supplements are enough to keep you packed with nutrients. Below is a list of some of my favorite vitamins for glowing skin and they also happen to be a part of my daily wellness plan.
Vitamin A
Vitamin B complex
Biotin
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B3
Fish oil
Probiotic
Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Calcium
Resveratrol
Selenium
Turmeric
EFA’s (essential fatty acids)
Flavonoids-this is found in chocolate and red wine, score!
Customized skincare - Everyone’s skin is different so thankfully gone are the days of lumping people into categories based on their age, gender, skin color, and lifestyle. To understand what your unique skin needs are a thorough analysis of skin condition, heredity, lifestyle factors, diet, and age need to be considered. Without getting too ingredient/product specific, although these are the key factors in whether or not a regimen is going to work, the following advice is universal for most skin types and conditions.
Topically apply both oil and water-soluble antioxidants daily to reduce free-radical damage to the skin. Yes, you need both!
Avoid overuse of harsh/aggressive exfoliants as they tend to be drastically misused and can strip the skin of its NMF’s (natural moisturizing factors) increasing sensitivity and accelerating aging. Listen to your skin; it talks to you! If it’s red, irritated, flaking, dry, acneic, sensitive, etc, it’s sending you a message, “what you’re doing to me is wrong”.
Use gentle forms of exfoliation, if tolerated, such as enzymes, lactic acid, Vitamin-A, and fine particle physical exfoliation to increase cell turnover and create luminosity.
Incorporate peptides, EGF’s (epidermal growth factors), and stem cells into your daily regimen to increase skin thickness and minimize signs of aging.
Hydrate with appropriate moisturizers targeted for your specific skin condition to decrease TEWL (trans-epidermal-water-loss). Choosing the right moisturizer is key to maintaining hydration and reducing breakout activity.
PROTECT, PROTECT, PROTECT!!! 80-90% of extrinsic (visible) aging is caused from the sun. Even the highest SPF, which anything over 50 is basically a gimmick, only offers protection for 90-120 minute max! Any sunscreen that is aqueous is going to metabolize on the skin after this amount of time. In order to ensure maximum protection sunscreen needs to be applied every two hours. Now really, whom are we kidding? Nobody reapplies that often unless they’re spending a day at the beach! This is where my obsession with mineral based, powder sunscreens comes in. Because mineral powders are non-aqueous they can’t be metabolized on the skin at nearly the same rate as traditional sunscreens. They provide full-spectrum SPF protection for up to 8 hours! The challenging part is that most people don’t apply enough powder to actually attain the level of protection it touts. So remember, mineral powder works amazingly well as an addition, not a supplement, to your daily sun protection. I like to think of it as insurance again Father Time marching across your face!
Have more questions about skin health and what skincare routine is best for you? Call us at 415.409.6500 or book online here!
To learn more, contact our San Francisco office and call us at 415.409.6500.