Your skin is an amazing, complex organ; not only does it provide an all-important barrier between you and the outside world, it also helps regulate your body temperature, produces essential Vitamin D, protects you from UV rays and much more!

Your skin does a lot for you, so how do you love it back?

 

Let's unpack our top 3 tips for looking after your skin below.

 

Eat for Whole Body Health

It takes work to change your diet and buying a new cream or serum certainly feels like a simpler fix; but consider the fact that many essential compounds, including vitamins, sugars, and minerals, are often large and/or water-soluble. What this means for your skin is that these compounds simply can't pass through the skin barrier to the actual living layers of skin when applied topically (i.e. directly to the skin).

 

Diet therefore plays a crucial role in your skin's health, as it provides vitamins and other compounds to your skin from the inside.

But what should you be eating, and what should you cut out, to best take care of your skin?

 

That's where things get tricky!

 

You've likely heard that foods like sugar and dairy can be bad for your skin, however, in the case of diary, the scientific evidence is simply not strong enough to determine a direct causality.

 

Sugar does present a more clear-cut case, with most experts agreeing that a high sugar diet is bad for your skin.

However, a high sugar diet is bad for your entire body. So, the key takeaway when it comes to skin care and diet, is that eating a balanced diet, high in nutrients and fibre and low in processed foods, promotes health across your entire body, including your skin. We recommend reading science-based articles like this one, to help you work out the whole of body skin care diet that is right for you.

 

Follow the Science When Selecting Products

The amount of choice we face when it comes to skin care products is enough to make anyone feel giddy. Adding to the confusion, is the fact that our skincare needs are individualised because they are influenced by our environment, genetic makeup, age, and diet. This means relying on a skincare routine that has worked for someone else is not necessarily the way to go. Instead we suggest relying on science based product review blogs or websites like this this one, by Australian science educator and PHD graduate, Michelle Wong.

 

Sunshine - the Right Amount?

Ever since the early 1980s Australians have been instructed to slip slop slap, and many of us have understandably absorbed the message that direct sunlight is bad for our skin, both because it can prematurely ages the skin and because over-exposure can lead to skin cancer. However, new research findings suggest that moderate sun exposure may actually help protect the skin from the serious harm caused by excessive sun exposure! Of course, more scientific research is required to determine if this is actually the case, however, we know that moderate sun exposure is good for us generally so, as with diet, looking after our whole body health may actually offer the best outcomes for our skin too.

 

At Healthway Clinic we specialise in providing dermatological solutions, contact us today to find out how we can best help you.