Top five ways to keep your skin healthy

Your skin is a barometer of your internal health. You will hear this from every ancient wisdom expert. One of the biggest blunders that many people make with having great skin is falling into the loop of prescription antibiotics and topical steroids or antibiotics. This just disrupts a healthy gut and skin microbiome and prevents long term recovery.

For someone who has come from having the worst urticaria, acne, and eczema, which a dermatologist could not cure, to having fantastic skin that does not break out anymore, I’ve broken down everything into top five aspects to bring your attention to.

Relying on expensive treatments is not the ultimate route to having great skin. Not everyone can afford it. It has to do with smart choices with food, skin products, supporting key systems, managing stress, and the right form of exercise. Even if you change one of these areas every week, you will find your skin improving dramatically.

Right foods for great skin health

Your plate is a critical part of having great skin. You need to look at two key aspects. The first is to eliminate all potential triggers of skin inflammation and the second is to add foods that can support glowing skin.

Some of the skin inflammatory triggers include gluten, dairy, refined sugar, tomatoes, cheese, chocolate, wine, beer, fermented foods, soy sauce, bone broth, aged meat, avocado, coffee, tea, eggplant, pineapples, strawberries, mango, yeast, mushrooms, mustard, and dried fruits for a period of two to three months.

If your skin clears up, you can add them back one at a time. In the meantime, make sure that you increase proteins to help the skin repair, add plenty of phytonutrient rich colourful vegetables and fruits, and collagen if you are open to it. This will create a strong foundation for healthy skin.

Right skin products

When it comes to products, here is an area where I most often see clients struggle. They have piled up a long list of expensive products suggested by friends, dermatologists, and their own research. Eventually nothing works and they are lost.

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It will help to remove all products if you are not sure whether they contain harmful endocrine disrupting ingredients. Doing as little as possible is probably the best way to great skin. Stay with a simple steaming and clay mask once a week. Always wait until it dries completely. During the week, use a simple cleanser from a safe and clean source. Follow with a light gel-based moisturiser and then use a clean and light foundation to protect you from the environment. At night, let your skin just be free. It has its own way of rebalancing.

Support the right systems

The key systems within your body that support great skin are a heathy gut, optimal liver detoxification, and healthy hormones. The best way to keep your gut healthy is to ensure healthy elimination patterns.

Constipation is a big reason for poor skin health. When you struggle with it, your body cannot have healthy hormones. Have soaked basil seeds or chia to ensure that you never get constipation.

Keep your liver healthy by cutting out fried foods and bad fats. Giving your liver a break with low fat for just a few days can also be great. If you keep your gut and liver healthy, then your hormones behave much better as well.

To support healthy hormones, make sure that your meals have ample protein and plenty of fibre and healthy fats. Many people do not get enough fat in each meal.

Mange your stress

Elevated cortisol keeps inflammation high, especially skin inflammation. Even with people who take a lot of effort to eat healthy, one of the most neglected area is high stress. Playing something, which helps you relax deeply like a meditation or slowing down your breath is a wonderful way of relaxing deeply. When you relax on a subconscious level, your body shifts into what is called a parasympathetic state, where you lower cortisol and your body can rest, digest better and heal. It supports better digestion, immune function, and hormones, all of which support great skin.

Right exercise

When your skin is inflamed, aggressive forms of exercise might make it worse. The best combination of exercise for great skin is yoga, walking, and weight training. Including inverted poses in helps to improve blood circulation to your face and your skin glows after a practice. Yoga also helps move the lymphatic system, which is your waste disposal system.

Walking long distances, even bare feet, helps your lymphatic system to move forcefully, and helps your body’s overall detoxification. Pushing yourself to walk anywhere from 5 to 15 km a day a few times each week can be the best way to support glowing skin.

Don’t worry if you cannot do all of this together. Just look at where you can begin and slowly start to shift them one by one. Remember though, you might get quick results with skin treatments and medication, but they are never long lasting. If you change your lifestyle and rebalance your system, you will come to a point where your skin glows and it remains that way all the time!