Top Nutrients and Foods for Great Skin by Anne Lemons

 

nutrients and foods for great skin

Keeping your skin looking great and improving conditions such as acne, wrinkles, rosacea, and dry skin can be as easy as getting the right nutrients in your diet. There are several key nutrients and foods that are known to help improve the appearance of your skin.

Your skin provides a protective function and is a great indication of internal health. Healthy skin creates a barrier system to protect the body from external factors such as toxins, bacteria, and UV light. The skin is also a major organ of detoxification. Therefore, it’s important to keep in mind that what is happening on the skin surface may be an indication of what is happening on a deeper level. This may include problems with digestion or detoxification as well as nutrient deficiencies.

We can protect our skin and help improve its appearance by getting some of these important nutrients through food every day. These diet choices along with a healthy lifestyle can help keep your skin healthy and looking great! Remember to also get plenty of sleep, drink clean water, exercise, and minimize stress.

Eat foods rich in:

Vitamin A

– Vitamin A helps cell turnover in the skin and improves immune function. Deficiencies in Vitamin A can result in a dry, flaky complexion.

Foods: apricots, cantaloupe, carrots, chili peppers, cod liver oil, collard greens, egg yolks, dandelion greens, grass-fed butter, ghee, kale, leafy greens, liver, spinach, and sweet potatoes

Vitamin C

– Vitamin C is a powerful anti-oxidant that is important for the production of healthy collagen. It also protects against wrinkles and sun damage.

Foods: bell peppers, citrus, dark leafy greens, camu camu powder, broccoli, brussel sprouts, kiwi, strawberries, grapefruit, Incan berries, cantaloupe, cranberry, cherry, red bell peppers

nutrients and foods for great skin• Vitamin E – Vitamin E is an anti-oxidant so this also helps protect that barrier system against the effects of the sun and the environment.

Foods: nuts, olives, spinach, almonds, sweet potato, avocado, wheat germ, sunflower seeds, butternut squash

Zinc

– Helps to improve immune function and wound healing, protects against UV radiation and helps decrease inflammation. It is especially good for acne, which can also be a symptom of Zinc deficiency.

Foods: kidney, liver, red meat, oysters, shellfish, scallops, and pumpkin seeds, ginger, pecans, brazil nuts, oats, and eggs

Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s) Omega 3’s

– EFA’s help to retain water in the skin and plump it up. They also help decrease inflammation in the body and skin for conditions like rosacea and increase skin repair. EFA’s are often deficient in acne conditions. The body cannot produce its own EFAs so these must be obtained through the diet or in supplement form.

Foods: fatty fish like salmon, sardines, tuna, trout, mackerel, herring, white fish, sturgeon. Plant sources include ground flaxseed or flaxseed oil, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, and leafy greens (although plant sources are not considered the best source because they don’t convert well to the critical nutrients you need).

nutrients and foods for great skin

Collagen

– Helps promote skin healing, increases skin hydration and improves skin softness and tone. It provides anti-aging benefits by helping to decrease wrinkles and reverse skin damage.

Collagen peptides also help to improve the hair and nails. Bone broth is a great way to incorporate collagen into your diet. Drink grass-fed organic beef or chicken bone broth, 1-2 cups daily or add grass-fed collagen peptides to your morning smoothie shake.

Selenium

– An anti-oxidant that helps with tissue elasticity and protects the skin from UV light. Food sources are seafood such as tuna and salmon, garlic, brazil nuts, eggs, brown rice, and whole-wheat bread. Brazil nuts are a great source but most people only need 2 nuts a day for adequate selenium intake.

 

nutrients and foods for great skin

Probiotics

– Provide beneficial bacteria for the gut which can help clear up the skin, especially helpful for improving acne. These can be found in supplemental form but also from fermented food products like kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut and other fermented vegetables.

As you can see, just getting more fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, healthy fats, and good bacteria through fermented foods can go a long way to greater looking skin! One caveat though, you will not get the great results you are looking for if you are still eating inflammatory foods like sugar, alcohol, dairy, and gluten. You may want to try cutting down on these or work with someone like a nutritionist or functional medicine practitioner to help guide you through the process.

 

nutrients and foods for great skin  508-561-6050      nutrients and foods for great skin annelemonspt@gmail.com  

nutrients and foods for great skinannelemonswellness.com

It’s All About Pumpkin

pumpk face
Balance, soothe, and soften the skin, as well as stimulate circulation and promote healing with Pumpkin Enzyme Treatment & Scrub.

Must try treatment for this fall: Pumpkin Restore Facial

A Powerful Anti-oxidant Treatment. This Pumpkin Facial removes impurities and exfoliates dead skin cells with a Pumpkin Enzyme Peel, revealing a brighter and replenished complexion. The pumpkin component itself is also a powerful anti-oxidant treatment, rich with Vitamin A and Vitamin C. In addition, it helps protect the skin against harsh free-radicals and is full of anti-aging properties.

Must have product for this fall: Pumpkin Enzyme Scrub

This skin renewal product gently exfoliates dull skin to reveal a brighter, more radiant
complexion. Due to its mild scrubbing action, this formula refreshes your face without stress or irritation. In addition, a blend of supportive, conditioning ingredients nourishes and soothes your skin to maintain hydration and comfort.

 

 

What is BB cream?

BB cream is a multifunctional cream that is known as a Beauty Balm, Blemish Base or Brilliant Beauty.

The cream could brighten skin like a lightener and even skin tone like a foundation. Moreover, it can treat acne like a breakout treatment, hydrate like a moisturizer & protect like a sunscreen.

A German dermatologist invented the concept back in 1960’s. She needed a product that would protect and sooth the skin of her patients after laser treatment, peels and surgery. In 1980’s the product became very popular for its lightning properties among Japanese and South Korean young television soap stars that were camera-ready with their porcelain white complexions.

The BB cream is a great option for women that do not have a lot of time or desire to apply several products in the morning. Our version of the BB cream is Sheer Tint Base. It is made with a blend of  antioxidants vitamin A, C, E & green tea extract. Sheer tint base delicately covers flaws while providing skin with a sheer, healthy glow. Vitamin A is a powerful exfoliant, that decreases sebum (an oily secretion of the sebaceous glands) production and treats acne. Vitamin C improves skin elasticity, decreases wrinkles by stimulating collagen synthesis. It also promotes wound healing, and repairs sun damage. Vitamin E fights off free radicals that cause the signs of aging, repairs dry, rough skin. In addition, green tea extract lightens skin, fights inflammation, rejuvenates skin cells and prevents skin cancer.

Stop by our studio in Brighton and we will find the perfect shade of sheer tint base to match your skin tone.