Diet & Lifestyle Changes for Better Skin Health

Hi guys,

I get asked about skincare often and it’s not just about applying external products but also some internal changes and lifestyle changes required for good overall skin health.

Of course, you can’t control the hormonal changes during that time of the month but try to make some regular changes for the skin to improve and improve each day.

Some changes have worked well for me.

1. Excluding/limiting sugar

This will be the number one change required in your diet. Excess consumption of sugar leads to chronic inflammation which leads to acne and in the long term, loss of collagen and elastin which will make your skin dull and age the skin faster. This includes all forms of sugar, which are a part of ingredients in most processed/packaged foods. Read your labels, before buying anything. Check the quantity of sugar as a % and if it is more than 3-4% of the total, do not buy it. I know it is difficult to give up sugar altogether, so try and eliminate it slowly. First, from your tea or coffee which you consume daily, then restrict the sweets to once a week and limit the portion size. You can switch to natural alternatives like honey, maple syrup, or artificial sweeteners like stevia (nothing with aspartame) but again in limited quantities. Some other alternatives are coconut sugar and jaggery which are not exactly better in terms of calories but they at least have some nutrients, in case you crave something sweet and cannot resist.

2. Excluding/limiting dairy

Milk and milk products are highly processed these days and are loaded with hormones which lead to acne and breakouts. If you cannot stop having dairy products completely limit your intake. Yogurt and buttermilk are better since they are probiotic and are good for gut health. Limit the milk, cheese, and paneer intake, or try and switch to alternatives like tofu, soy milk, oat milk, or any nut milk.

3. Exercise

Try and get some body movement every day, at least 20 minutes a day. Walking, jogging, running, stretching, home workout, yoga, whatever is comfortable for you. Blood circulation and muscle movement during exercise are important for both your body and skin.

4. Massaging/Dry Brushing

Body massage, facial massage, or just dry brushing at home, works the same way as exercise and is even better post-exercise. Again it helps with blood circulation and lymphatic drainage, i.e. it removes the toxins from your lymph nodes. Try to include some sort of massage in your routine at least once a week, if not more.

5. Cleansing the skin

It is equally important to cleanse your skin thoroughly each night and apply some moisturizer for your skin to work on, while you sleep. Your skin regenerates at night and that is the most important time for your skin to be nourished. That is the main reason why everyone advises not to sleep with makeup on 😀 But again, just removing it with a face wash and not cleansing properly will be of no use as some makeup could still be clogged in pores. Start with an oil or balm to melt all your makeup at first emulsify it with water and wash it off. Then go ahead with a face wash, again use a cleansing tool is preferable as your fingers cannot remove the makeup in your pores thoroughly. But the cleansing tool shouldn’t be harsh as that will, in turn, break your capillaries and lead to excessive dryness and irritation. I love using the Foreo LUNA 2 as it is super gentle and removes my makeup thoroughly. I can even see some leftover makeup on the device after a good first cleanse! The opposite side can be used for light massaging which helps absorb skincare products better. You can also try the LUNA Play which is a smaller version and perfect for travel.

6. Sleep

It is important to get 6-8 hours of sleep (depending on the body and physical work during the day) every day. And also to have an approximate fixed time range for your sleep, if not exact, as the body gets used to going into sleep mode around that time. As mentioned earlier, your skin regenerates when you sleep and if the body and skin don’t get the required sleep, your body will be tired and lethargic and your skin dull and lackluster. It will first be visible through your eyes, leading to dark circles, puffy eyes, under-eye bags, etc. Along with good sleep, massaging the eye area also helps in increasing the blood circulation around the eyes which means fewer dark circles and under-eye bags and delays in wrinkles. 😀 I love using a good eye cream and massaging the eye area with the Foreo IRIS every night before sleeping. I wake up to fresher-looking skin and eyes, with no bags or puffiness 🙂

7. Supplements

Your body does not receive all the nutrition from food and with the changing lifestyle and highly processed foods (including chemical-laden fruits and vegetables). It is important to supplement the body externally with nutrients. Even though all vitamins and minerals are equally important for your body, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Vitamin B, Vitamin D, Omega 3, Iron, and Zinc will keep your oil and hydration levels in place, and in turn will help with acne and breakouts and overall health of your skin and hair. Try and include foods that have more of these vitamins or a daily supplement orally. (get it prescribed by your physician)

8. Water

This has been spoken about quite a lot already, having 8 glasses of water a day is the standard we have read for everything since the time we were kids 😀 But it’s true, water helps in flushing out all the toxins and waste from your body. If you have acne-prone skin and break out a lot, just add one additional litre of water to your daily intake and you will see a major difference in your skin in 10-12 days. In case you are already having enough water, you need not increase it. If you have too much water and not enough salts/sodium, that would do more harm than good with low blood pressure, etc. Everybody is different and try and figure out what works for your body. Ideally, between 2-3 litres is good but it also depends on your exercise/physical activity (how much you sweat, etc) and if you have more water, make sure you include some salts in your body.

And goes without saying, sunscreen is the most important and without that, anything else you do is of no point.

These are some of the changes required for good, healthy, glowing, plump skin. If you try and incorporate these changes, you will surely see a huge difference in your skin health.