What You Eat Matters Than What You Apply – Nutrition & Skincare

Who doesn’t love a flawless skin radiating a charming glow? In the last decade, skincare has caught the attention to a large extent irrespective of gender. There is a significant rise in the number of skincare brands and with every day a new skincare product emerges in the market, claiming to give you the celebrity-like glow. But, are topical skincare products alone enough to attain the celebrity like glow or at least a spotless skin? Let’s find out.

When it comes to skin, what you eat matters more than what you apply on the skin. Nutrition is something that is taken for granted by many who later grumble that their skin is looking dull despite applying expensive creams & serums. For a healthy skin, a healthy diet is a must. This article focuses on how nutrition is an important aspect for a radiant skin. To put it in a simple phrase, you can find your skincare hacks hiding your kitchen more than your dressing cabinet. Start nourishing your skin from the inside first to see a permanent change in the way your skin looks.

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!

Hydration is the first and foremost thing to follow for a healthy and bright skin. Drink at least 2-3 litres of water per day (water intake is based on age, body weight & activity). Water helps to flush out toxins from your body and encourages circulation. Flushing out toxins is important to get rid of dull skin and acne. Water also helps in transporting nutrients to the skin cells, making it look healthy and younger.

Dehydration can often lead to premature wrinkles and Dull Skin. Your skin will also protect itself best from pollution and environmental factors when it is properly hydrated. Apart from water, you can also include water rich fruits and vegetables in your diet like watermelon, muskmelon, cucumber, tomatoes, etc. If you are facing skin troubles you can also increase the fruit intake and reduce caffeinated drinks and alcohol, as they make skin problems worse.

The role of Healthy Fats

While most think of fat as an enemy for a Healthy Skin and body, fat in itself isn’t bad. Healthy fats are good for your overall skin and body functioning. There are many fat-soluble vitamins like Vitamin A, K, D and E. These vitamins will get absorbed by your body only with the presence of healthy fats. So, what are healthy fats?

Healthy fats include ghee, avocadoes, chia seeds, flax seeds, olive oil, walnuts, etc. Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids support skin health by reducing inflammation and strengthening the skin barrier that protects skin from external pollution. Intake of these also help in the skin enhancing its elasticity and overall texture.

Slower healing of wounds or injuries on skin is a sign that you are not consuming enough healthy fats.

Quick tips to add healthy fats to your diet

➤ Add nuts and seeds to your snack routine

➤ For stir fried and slow cooking, try replacing usual seeds oils with olive oil

➤ Add avocadoes to your smoothies, toasts or salads.

➤ Use ghee for tempering curries

➤ If you are a vegetarian, you can consume Omega-3 supplement (Always consult your doctor before use)

➤ You can use nut butter instead of regular butter for bread snacking

Prebiotics & Probiotics – The unsung heroes of Skincare

Gut health is crucial for a healthy-looking skin. If your gut health is poor, it may reflect on your skin, resulting in inflammation, Acne, and paleness.

Prebiotics and probiotics are so important in maintaining your gut health and a healthy digestive system.

Probiotics	Prebiotics
Probiotics are live beneficial bacteria that support and maintain your gut microbiome.	Prebiotics are a type of fiber that feeds the beneficial good bacteria in your stomach.

Both Prebiotics and probiotics are essential to maintain your overall skin health.

Prebiotic rich food sources include raw green bananas, garlic, onions, asparagus, apples, oats, soybeans, etc. Probiotic rich foods include curd, yoghurt, fermented pickles, fermented idlis & dosas, Kombucha, etc. Fermented foods in general are rich in probiotics.

Intaking prebiotic and probiotic rich foods every day can calm down your Acne prone skin and strengthen your skin barrier.

The Vitamins Factor

Vitamins such as A, C, E are necessary to stimulate collagen production in your skin and maintain a younger looking skin. Vitamin A smooths your skin texture and fights acne. It also helps in production of new skin cells. Sweet potatoes, mangoes, carrots and spinach are rich in Vitamin A.

The role of Vitamin C in Skin Care is mostly known by all. Vitamin C helps in increasing collagen production and helps fade away spots on the skin. Bell peppers, citrus fruits, kiwi, broccoli, strawberries are rich in Vitamin C.

Vitamin E repairs your skin cells, moisturizes skin and protects skin from the damage caused by excess exposure to the UV rays. Avocadoes, almonds, sunflower seeds and spinach are rich in Vitamin E.

The Protein Factor

Next is the last but not least, the most important ‘Protein inclusion’ in your daily diet. Protein is your skin’s building block. It provides all the amino acids necessary for collagen and elastin in your skin. Protein rich foods can make your skin look youthful and radiant. The important thing to remember is collagen declines as you age. This is why people start getting wrinkles as they grow older. But, with the help of daily intake of protein, you can keep up your collagen production, paving way for a younger skin. Lack of enough protein can slow up the healing process, and also resulting in a saggy skin. Skin issues like acne can heal faster if your diet is healthy. Unhealthy sugar-rich diets can more often lead to slower fading of dark spots or acne.

Eggs, chicken, lentils, Greek yoghurt, tofu, dairy products and cottage cheese are rich protein sources.

Nutrition is just like a strong foundation for a building. Make your foundation strong for a healthier and brighter skin. However, if you are already facing a skin trouble for which you cannot find a solution through nutrition, feel free to contact us at (phone no). VCare provides a complete solution to all skin concerns including acne, pigmentation, dull skin, sun burns, warts, facial & body hair, and more. Vcare Skin Treatments in the last 20 years have benefitted thousands of individuals facing skin and hair troubles. Book a consultation with us to resolve the issue you are dreading about!