How Your Lifestyle Affects Your Skin

Many of us already know that the way we live our lives can be reflected within our skin. Aside from some hereditary conditions, the skin is almost entirely determined by lifestyle choices. In order to improve skin, reduce blemishes and clear pores, you will often need to consider the way you are living carefully and how it is impacting your skin. Before you can begin to make changes for a healthier complexion, you need to understand exactly how your lifestyle is affecting your skin.

Smoking And Alcohol And The Effects On Your Skin

Many of us enjoy a glass of wine after a long day or pop out for a cigarette during a lunch break, but these habits are some of the worst things you could be doing to your skin. Alcohol leads to dehydration and can leave your skin with fine lines, wrinkles and swelling. In addition to this, it can affect your complexion and leave your skin red and irritated.

When it comes to smoking, there is nothing about it that look attractive, and the same goes for a smoker’s skin. Smoking deprives your skin of the nutrients it needs to stay bright, clear and youthful and prevents collagen and elastin production.

Over Stressed And Over Tired

Two other huge factors that impact your skin are stress levels and sleep. When we are stressed, our bodies undergo hormone imbalances which often present themselves on the skin. Stress can affect your skin’s ability to absorb and retain moisture, leaving skin dry and patchy. Acne and blemishes can also be made worse by stress and eliminating as much stress as possible will help to improve skin.

If you sleep for less than 6 hours a night, then this can also have drastic effects on the skin. Tired skin is often dull and lacking radiance, as well as resulting in dark circles, under-eye bags and signs of ageing.

Best Nutrition For Glowing Skin

The vitamins and minerals that you put into your body have a direct effect on your skin, and ensuring you are getting the correct nutrition for healthy skin is vital. Avoiding overly processed food and high sugar is a great first step for improving skin. There are a few nutrients you should try to include in your diet to enhance your skincare;

Essential Fatty Acids

Many people hear the word fat and instantly think of it as a thing to be avoided, but your skin needs healthy fats to stay fresh and renewed. Essential fatty acids are required by the skin and make up some of the basic building blocks of the skin membrane.

Getting enough of these polyunsaturated fats will leave skin hydrated, plump and younger-looking as they help produce the skins natural oil barrier. The body alone isn’t able to produce these essential fatty acids, so we need to add them to our diets ourselves. Udo’s Choice Ultimate Oil Blend is an easy and simple way to up your intake of these essential fatty acids and can easily be added to smoothies, salad dressings and pasta.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C has become almost legendary in the skincare industry, as the benefits of it are undeniable. Getting enough Vitamin C can help fix uneven skin tones, fine lines, rough textures, acne scarring and general dullness. This vitamin is a potent antioxidant and works to help repair damaged skin cells. The collagen-boosting nutrient is found in everyday foods such as peppers, citrus fruits, kale and broccoli.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is essential for supporting healthy skin and eyes because it produces retinol which stimulates the production of new healthy skin cells. By eating a diet high in Vitamin A, you can support good skin health. Many animal products are good sources of Vitamin A, including salmon, eggs, shrimp and dairy. Carrots, tomatoes, and leafy green vegetables are also excellent sources of Vitamin A.

Vitamin E

This vitamin is a common ingredient in many skincare products and for a good reason. Vitamin E actually refers to a family of antioxidants, and there are roughly eight different types that all benefit the skin. Good levels of Vitamin E in your diet can help the restore sun damage and heal acne or blemishes.

You can find Vitamin E in many kinds of cereal, seafood, green vegetables and nuts, making it really easy to incorporate into your diet. It is also a great product to apply topically to skin for further benefits, including treating dry and flaky skin.