As the body's largest organ, the skin is very important to maintain since it has a number of essential functions, from protecting the body from potential infections to regulating body temperatures. Therefore, it is very important to always maintain skin health through the habits you make, since healthy skin is note merely achieved by having proper skin care only. On this week's journal, we will be explaining a number of habits you can do to help improve as well as maintain your skin's health from the inside. Read on!
1. Consume a good amount of fruits and vegetables
Taking care of your inner wellbeing will eventually come out through your outward appearance. Such is the case if you control what food comes into your system, it will manifest in a form of healthy body, including healthy skin.
Therefore, it is always wise to consider what you're consuming and aim for balanced meals. Adding a portion of vegetables in every meal, for example, may help increase vitamin and mineral intake that are beneficial for maintenance of cells inside the body.
2. Reduce consumption of certain foods
As a continuation of the previous point, not all foods are created equal. Some may taste good but not exactly good for your body, and vice versa. You don't necessarily need to stop eating your favorite fried food or treats that you often eat during the weekends, but it may help to cut down the consumption of these foods to a minimum. According to experts, frequent consumption of fried foods and ones high in carbohydrate they may be the culprit of occasional acne you might experience, since the saturated fat found in fried foods can also damage cellular structure of the dermal and epidermal part of your skin.
3. Stay hydrated
Another thing to pay attention to is how much you are drinking water every day. It is recommended by experts to at least consume 6-8 glasses of water, or roughly around 2 liters per day. This is beneficial to keep you away from dehydration, your organs function properly and joints well-lubricated.
Equally, you should also watch your caffeine consumption. While it won't necessarily affect your skin immediately, excessive long-term consumption of caffeine may cause accelerate skin aging due to lowered collagen production, making the skin lose its initial tightness and elasticity.
4. Get enough sleep
If there is one thing that can counteract the accumulated bad habits that affects your skin, sleep might be the simplest yet almost always an overlooked solution. Losing a couple hours of sleep every night might not seem significant. However, that build-up can cause deficiency in your sleep routine and hampers the body's ability to regenerate cells and restore skin health.
When you constantly get enough sleep, it's easier for the body to expel toxins out, and this can benefit your skin in a good way. Sleep routine also determines your hormone levels, collagen production, as well as skin cell turnover, all of which are crucial in achieving a healthy and glowing skin.
5. Manage stress
Have you ever had a breakout during a stressful period in your life? Just like the type of foods you consume can make or break your skin, your stress levels can also determine how your skin looks and feels. The body responds to your psychological state, which can then trigger flare-ups or development of acne when you are stressed out. The reason for this is because stress triggers the body to produce cortisol, a hormone responsible in regulating oil (sebum) production in the skin. Increased production of cortisol is correlated to higher oil production, which can then cause clogged pores and acne breakout. Stress also causes increased inflammation in the body, another reason for acne to show up.
Therefore, it is important to manage stress as good as you can to avoid health problems. Exercise and doing your hobbies are good activities to start with. Some of the previous points mentioned, like having a proper sleep routine can also help lower stress levels, thus preventing breakout.
