HOW TO GET GLOWY SKIN

Skin health has been all the rage lately - which is understandable, everybody wants to feel great and look their best in today's society.

It can be quite overwhelming and challenging to sift and decipher through all the content thrown at us everyday when it comes to skin health; whether that be via a Tik Tok on how Hailey Bieber gets her skin to look like a glazed donut, or through a Youtube video of a renowned dermatologist who provides us with the science on skin health.

Today, my job is to help shut out all that background noise and provide you with the facts - as they are, when it comes to what our skin needs (both topically and internally) to thrive, the importance of certain foods for skin regeneration and some daily habits you perform that will optimise skin longevity and wellbeing.

Let's begin with the basics - what is our skin?

| THE SKIN |

Did you know that the skin is our body's largest organ?! Yes, an organ. This means that we should treat our skin just like we treat our heart, liver, kidneys etc.

Our skin does many things everyday (some of which you may not even be aware of) to protect your body, such as: being a protective shield against germs, light, infection and heat, regulating your body temperature, enabling tactile (touch) sensations and much more. The skin and its affiliates: hair, nails, oil glands and sweat, make up your body's integumentary system i.e. the set of organs forming your body's outermost layer.

Alrighty, now that all the scientific jargon is out of the way, lets understand how best to optimise our skin health.

| MY 4 TOP TIPS FOR SKIN HEALTH |

Many people are of the belief that because our skin is external, that we don't necessarily need to feed it but rather, apply products to it in order to keep it glowy, wrinkle-free and supple.

This isn't entirely true.

In my opinion, what you put inside of your body has a far greater impact on how your skin will look compared to what you topically apply onto it.

Now, this isn't to say that you don't need to be cleaning, moisturising and keeping your skin out of the sun - these actions are important to take.

Our skin has it's own microbiome - so yes, technically you have two microbiomes in your body: one that comprises of your gut and the other that is your skin.

Now, that isn't to say that everybody needs a 10-step morning and night-time skin routine with lotions and potions worth over $500. In fact, less is more when it comes to external skin maintenance. Also, everybody's complexion, skin texture and needs are different - your friend might have oily skin and you may have dry skin, this means that what your friend applies topically onto her face will differ drastically to what your complexion will require.

Keep this in mind next time you go and purchase an expensive face cream out on a whim that a friend 'recommended' since it worked for them...

To put it frankly, make sure you wear sunscreen to protect your skin and to prevent DNA damage, creases, wrinkles and melanoma. Ensure that you are cleaning your face daily to rid any pathogens or bacteria that may have mounted onto the skin's surface and always remember that you don't need 100s and 1000s of products to apply onto your face daily to create that beautiful clean, dewy glow you are after - that in fact all has to do with what you eat, drink and of course the biggest component - your genetics!

Just as the great Hippocrates once said - "All disease begins in the gut", this also refers to inflammation.

When the body is inflamed this can show up in a myriad of ways - fatigue, suppressed immunity, stress, bloating, irregular bowel function, and for many - acne and skin inflammation.

This is where diet comes into play - you are what your body absorbs.

Read. that. again.

You could eat a copious amount of whole-foods and healthy protein and drink 3L of water per day, but, if your body is not absorbing the nutrients from these foods and the molecules from the H20 - then it simply is of no use.

I've had clients and friends mention in the past that they still feel dehydrated and thirsty even though they are drinking litres upon litres of water per day. Their skin is still breaking out, they still feel bloated and constipated.

A common reason why this occurs is due to their electrolyte levels being completely out of whack...

Skin health tip #1 - Add a pinch of salt to your water

In order for our body's to re-hydrate our cells, there needs to be enough sodium in our bodies to absorb the hydrogen and oxygen molecules found in water. Now, I'm not saying to go overboard and salt everything you pop in your mouth; it's just something to be cautious about if you are noticing that you're skin is not feeling hydrated even after drinking 2-3L of water per day.

Simple add 1-2 pinches of good quality Celtic or Himalayan salt into your water bottle per day and reap the benefits of proper hydration!

Now, back to inflammation - what to do if you feel you're always bloated and have improper digestive function?

Skin Health Tip #2 - Fix your gut

This is perhaps the most important piece of advice you will take-away from today.

Like we mentioned prior, gut health is at the root cause of most issues in the human body. We know so much about the gut-microbiome but not everything - research on the microbiome is constantly evolving and we are constantly discovering new ways in which to support our gut and our digestive health.

When it comes to 'fixing' a problematic gut, there will be different methods for every individual since no two people are the same. The key thing to remember here is that there is a strong mind-body connection when it comes to the gut. It listens to everything you say both internally to yourself, and externally to others. Stress is also another key factor when it comes to an upset gut.

Why do you think you get butterflies in your tummy when you're nervous, or when you feel your bowels might honestly explode before you have to give a big presentation at work - anxiety, stress, fear & distress are emotions which are all tied to our digestive system, these emotions will predict whether or not your brain tells your gut to 'rest and digest' or 'flee from danger' i.e. the parasympathetic and sympathetic state of your nervous system.

Once stress, sleep and mental wellbeing is taken care of - then we can look into food choices...

Skin Health Tip #3 - Eat for your gut and watch your skin glow

Now this next topic is quite controversial in the nutrition field.

I personally advise my clients that if they really want to support proper gut health and functioning, it is best to avoid high-inflammatory foods such as:

• Dairy

• Gluten

• Red meat

• Alcohol

• Artificial flavours, preservatives, colours and sweeteners

• Processed grains and sugars

• Vegetable oils and fried foods

These foods do no good for our guts and if over-consumed, may result in acne break-outs, redness, eczema, psoriasis and many other skin conditions.

This isn't to say you can't ever eat your favourite home-made lasagna with a glass of wine ever again - 80/20 is the key here.

However, I do advise that if you find that you're body is sensitive to these types of foods and that you experience pain, vomiting or physical upset after consumption, it's probably best to eliminate these foods from your diet completely - your body knows what it needs and what it doesn't. If you're constantly getting bloated, headaches, nausea or acne break-outs after eating Greek yoghurt or bread for example,

dairy and gluten are most probably not for you.

Now that we understand what to avoid for skin health, let's talk about what our skin thrives off!

• Antioxidant-rich and collagen building foods: goji berries, royal jelly, blueberries, blackberries, pomegranate, hemp seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds, walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, chicken/bovine bone-broth, oysters, sardines.

• Foods containing fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E & K: olives, sweet potato, pumpkin, tomatoes, green-leafy vegetables, fennel, papaya, citrus, pineapple, carrots, fennel, oily-fish, nuts and seeds, coconut.

• Anti-inflammatory herbs, spices, extracts: turmeric, milk thistle, ginger, cinnamon, fo-ti, green tea extract (EGCP), ginseng, oregano, peppermint, mint extract, tea-tree extract, rosemary, apple cider vinegar, parsley, dill, basil.

Skin Health Tip #4 - Control external factors

Now this final tip is a little bit harder to manage than the previous three.

We all live busy busy lives and are constantly on the go non-stop. I truly don't think that it was until after life went back to normal post-pandemic that we all realised how hectic and chaotic day-to-day life in the 21st century really is.

Little things like our environment, pollution in the air, toxins in cosmetics, perfumes and cleaning products are what we call 'exogenous factors' which can lead to a disruption in our body's state of homeostasis (balance).

These external pollutants can in turn destroy our health - remember, our skin is the body's largest organ, it absorbs everything we immerse ourselves in.

Poor air quality, that expensive moisturiser you bought the other day thats filled with artificial fragrance, the detergent you use to wash the dishes with - all of these bits and bobs are irritants to our skin, once absorbed into our bloodstream.

It's important to re-assess what you are topically applying onto your skin, to perhaps consider purchasing an air purifier if you find that your external environment is heavily polluted or even to make the switch to more natural cleaning products compared to commercially available chemicals.

Making these simple changes can really improve your overall wellbeing which consequentially will improve your skin quality and health!

| THE FINAL TAKE-AWAY |

As I mentioned at the beginning, I have tried my best to give you a simple yet factual break-down of how you can optimise your overall health and 'feed' your skin to ensure that you're providing it with the utmost attention and quality it deserves and requires.

Remember that every individual will have different needs and different skin concerns, so it's important to do your own research and trial and error certain things to figure out what your skin needs from you.

If you have more serious concerns about the condition of your skin and aren't sure what to do about it, it's always best to seek professional aid from a specialised dermatologist who can assist you in getting to the root of your skin concern.