10 Tips to Healthy Skin from the Inside Out

“Healthy skin is a reflection of overall wellness.” –Dr. Howard Murad

With thousands of skin products on the market, it can be difficult to figure out what’s the best way to take care of your skin. Skin care is beyond topical treatments, it’s a combination of what you put into your body and what you put on your body.

Different internal and external lifestyle factors can affect the appearance of your skin. For example, cold weather could trigger eczema, while warmer weather could trigger acne. Too much sun exposure could lead to pigmentation and accelerate aging skin.

There’s a world of tips, but here are some of the most effective ways you can care for your body’s largest organ.

1. cause extensive damage to your skin. It will clog your pores, and can cause breakouts of acne and blackheads. Wipe away excess makeup with a makeup wipe, and follow with a deep cleanser to remove all dirt.
2. Drink water. Simple as can be, drinking water can improve your complexion. Dehydrated skin will result in dry, tight, flaky skin. Drinking large amounts of water can prevent wrinkles and tighten pores.
3. Drink green tea. This can help reduce inflammation, improve elasticity and protect you from sun damage. Green tea also promotes DNA repair to help fight skin cancer.
4. Eat well.
   • Fruits and vegetables are key to internally infusing vitamins into your skin. Foods such as cantaloupes, carrots and sweet potatoes are packed with vitamin A, which keeps your complexion clear. Other skin superfoods include berries, tomatoes, apricots, beets, squash, spinach, tangerines and peppers.
   • Fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel and herring supply omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce inflammation and helps keep skin supple. I have found that fish oil could also help fight lupus and psoriasis.
   • Walnuts are another good source of fatty acids. It supplies balanced nutrients that help the skin function properly and aid in healing wounds and fighting bacteria.
5. Cut back on dairy. There could be hormones found in milk that can trigger acne. If you have acne and drink milk often, try going dairy-free for at least one month and see if you notice any changes in your complexion. If you are worried about not getting enough calcium or vitamin D, you can also find the same nutrients in fortified orange juice, or even a multivitamin with vitamin D and calcium.
6. Don’t touch your face. Picking at your face may be tempting when there’s acne present, but keep your hands off. Do you rest your chin or cheeks on your hands? Notice a breakout? Bacteria can easily transfer from your fingertips to your face with just one touch.
7. Sanitize your phone. When was the last time you wiped and sanitized the screen of your cell phone? Pressing your phone up against your face after touching it with unwashed hands could spread bacteria and clog pores on your face, as well as cause painful pimples or acne cysts. Find cleaning wipes with hydrogen peroxide and wipe down all surfaces of the phone to kill the bacteria off of your phone.

Implementing a few of these steps may improve the health of your skin. Make a habit out of it now preventive measures are always easier than corrective measures. Remember, healthy skin starts within.