The Natural Glow

The skin is usually the first indicator of your body’s age. Getting wrinkles is a natural process we cannot avoid. Lifestyle, genetics and environment all play a role in a body’s age. You can’t change what your body is programmed for from birth, but by making simple healthy choices you can slow down the aging process of every organ in your body, including your skin.

Your Largest Organ
Skin is your largest organ covering your entire body with a surface area of around 2 square metres. And it weighs a lot too – around16 percent of your body weight!It can be as thin as 0.5mm on your eyelids, or as thick as 4mm or more on the palms of your hands and the soles of your feet.

Consisting of two main layers, the outer epidermis and the inner dermis, your skin is constantly renewed. When the cells in the deepest layer of your epidermis divide, they make new cells which are pushed towards the surface.

Because of the close contact with the environment, cells on the surface of your skin eventually die and flake off to be replaced with new ones pushing from the inside. About every 30 days, your epidermis is entirely renewed.

Why Do You Have Wrinkles
It is not a secret that in your 30s and 50s your skin doesn’t look as fresh as when you were a teenager. With every year, the cells of our skin lose elasticity, become thinner. The reason is that your body becomes less efficient at renewing the old tissues and skin cells divide more slowly. So, everything that dries your skin can be blamed for your wrinkles.

The most common cause of drying skin? Spending too much time under the sun with minimal or no protection. causes the outer layer of the skin and collagen to break down more rapidly than it can be rebuild making skin thinner.

Air pollution and cigarette smoking also bring the development of free radicals in the skin causing it to wrinkle. Interestingly, gravity plays a role in why we get wrinkles because it pulls at skin inducing sags and jowls to form.

Nourishing your body, Nurturing your skin
Rejuvenation of your skin should start from the balanced diet. Before you start any beauty therapy, try to look at what you eat, and, most importantly, how well you absorb all nourishing ingredients of your meals. If don’t give your internal cells and organs what they need to maintain and restructure themselves, there is no way your external skin, nails, hair will radiate with vitality and youthful zest.

Hydrate Your Skin From Within
As with all body cells, hydration should top the list of life essentials. When skin is dry, every wrinkle is accentuated, making you look older.

Start every morning with a glass of water sparkled with some lemon juice to cleanse your system from toxins and metabolic by-products. Make sure that you drink at least two litres of water a day

Herbal teas, pure vegetable and fruit juices are excellent hydrators and fountainheads of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and enzymes paramount to preserve the energizing youth of your entire body.

Avoid drinking carbonated water and sodas. These contain sodium and dissolved carbon dioxide which causes acidity and dehydration.

Nourish Your Skin From Within
Check your menu every day. Eating small frequent meals every four hours will give you constant energy supply, prevent hunger pangs and fatigue. What exactly you eat with every meal is just as important as what products you put on your skin.

Good balanced diet should come from a variety of foods - complex carbohydrates from whole grains, fresh vegetables and fruit, lean protein from fish, dairy, eggs and meat, ‘healthy’ fats from vegetable sources, and a perfect combination of all nutrients plus fibre from sprouted or cooked legumes.

Base all your meals around good sources of carbohydrates from fruit, vegetables, whole grains and legumes. Try to limit your intake of refined carbohydrates found in white bread, pasta, rice, cakes and sweets.

Lean cuts of meat, fish, low-fat dairy, and a combination of grains and legumes are your best natural protein sources. Protein is essential for building new healthy skin cells.

Eat fish and flaxseeds. These are admired for the amounts of irreplaceable Omega-3 fatty acids which improve the complexity of your skin, hair and nails, reduce inflammation, and prevent the clotting of blood platelets.

Vitamins A, B and C are an absolute must for glowing skin. Vitamin A (from meat, poultry and dairy) heals wounds, treats acne and psoriasis while reducing scarring and wrinkles. Vitamin B (found in chicken, organ meats, eggs, dairy, whole grains, nuts and legumes) gets all metabolic functions going, keeps immunity in top shape, and makes sure that your skin, hair and nails are as healthy as they can be. Vitamin C (abundant in spinach, citrus fruit, broccoli, strawberries, parsley and tomatoes) has shown its magic in collagen production, detoxification, and wound healing.

Getting the Glow
Whether your skin is dry, normal, or oily, the two most important products you need are a good moisturizer and a mild cleanser. Just these two will take years off your face giving your skin the protection from the environmental damage. Air and sun dehydrate the skin, and once that moisturizing barrier is lost, the integrity of the skin is disrupted – which means it can crack, peel, itch, burn, sting. When you leave your skin dehydrated for a long period of time, keratinization occurs.

Heal and Moisturize
Aloe vera gel is one of the most hydrating and healing plants you can find. It is widely used for the treatment of various skin conditions, such as minor burns, sunburn, cuts and abrasions, wounds, and frostbite. Aloe vera can decrease the redness and swelling of the skin from sun damage, serve as mild analgesic and anti-inflammatory treatment. For hydrating and cooling treatment, you can either smear some fresh gel from the plant, or purchase a prepared solution.

Honey has been used as a medicinal aid for wound healing for centuries. Sun-gold nature’s gift is a superb source of polyphenolic antioxidants, various enzymes and organic acids with anti-microbial properties, vitamins and minerals known to minimize free radical damage to tissues created by daily living..

Pure vegetable oils from nuts and seed are rich in phytosterols, vitamins, minerals and essential fats. These will restore the smooth oily surface and prevent dehydration as they penetrate deep into the dermis helping your skin’s natural ability to regenerate new layers. Choose jojoba, sweet almond, olive, evening primose or borage oils. Shea or cocoa butter are brilliant as well.

Clean and Exfoliate
Regular polishing of the skin will eliminate dead surface cells, stimulate blood circulation and promote a fresher, smoother complexion. Using exfoliating gloves or mitts, rub your dry skin with small circular motions before you get into the shower. On the wet skin, massage in a scrub made from fine oatmeal or other grains, clay, yoghurt and flaxmeal.

Dairy products and milk are terrific for cleansing your skin. They are loaded with ceramides, the skin lipids that fill in the gaps between cells in the outer skin layer. Additionally, milk will help keep skin acidity level in check and maintain skin tone. For oily skin, try skim or buttermilk. For dry complexion, whole milk or goat’s milk will add some lipids to the outer layer and lock in natural moisture.

AHAs and BHAs (Alpha and beta hydroxy acids) are found in milk, lemon juice, vinegar, blackberries, grapes, oranges, tomatoes, and apple juice. They cleanse the top layer of skin by dissolving the glue that holds dead skin cells together allowing the body’s natural emollient oils to reach the surface cells. HAs and BHAs help cleanse oily skin and remove blackheads, help moisturize and relieve dryness. Organic apple cider vinegar or lemon juice are all-natural AHA with seven percent acidity, which is a lot milder than contained in most formulas. Avoiding sensitive areas, dab on your fingers and pat it onto face, leave it on for ten minutes or so and then rinse.

Be sure you don’t wash your face more than twice a day to remove excess oil. It will only irritate your skin and cause it to become red. Washing strips oil and moisture. Besides, tap water contains chlorine which causes oxidative damage. When bathing choose warm water over hot. It is not as drying. Using an antibacterial soap, cleansing pad, or blemish stick with tea tree oil or camomile will help to destroy the bacteria in the pores and reduce the inflammation.

Natural Masks
Bananas are one of the most skin nourishing fruits best suited for dry and aging skin. Mash one banana, 2 tablespoons each fresh cream, honey and oat flour, apply to the clean face and leave on for 30 minutes, then rinse off with water – smooth skin voila!

Cucumber and avocado mask will slough off dead skin cells and reveal truly radiant, dewy-fresh skin with the from its cooling and refreshing effect. Mix 1/2 cup coarsely chopped peeled cucumber, 1/2 cup coarsely chopped peeled avocado, 1 egg white, 2tbsp yogurt and some powdered milk. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, apply to face and neck and leave the mask on for minutes. Rinse with warm water and cool with a splash of cold water after that. Gently pat dry and let your skin breathe the energy!

Elena Voropay is a professional health writer and science journalist with a passion for natural health. She is a Certified Nutritionist, Personal Trainer, Iridologist and Herbal Medicine Specialist. For a wealth of information, visit her web sites at www.AustralianNaturopathy.com and www.AustralianFitness.com

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