Most of the time, when someone looks at you, your skin will be one of the first things they see. It’s also the body’s largest organ, and acts as the first defense against all sorts of nasties including dirt, pollution, and bacteria. We need to make sure we look after it and keep it looking good. That doesn’t mean getting a tan. The less you tan, the less likely you are to notice wrinkles at an early age.
Another way to prevent skin aging is to keep it hydrated, keeping a layer of fat under the skin surface to stop essential moisture from being lost. This doesn’t mean stuffing yourself with carbs and cheese, but you can up your intake of ‘good’ fat and other useful food groups.
Find out more below.
Antioxidants
It’s thought that the major antioxidants, Vitamins A, C, and E, decrease the risk of skin damage by neutralizing free radicals that can damage skin cells. You’ll find Vitamin A in foods such as leafy greens (spinach, kale, chard) and orange vegetables (pumpkin, sweet potato, butternut squash, pumpkin). Vitamin C is found in tons of fruit and vegetables that should be included in any healthy diet, including oranges, grapefruits, strawberries, and mangoes.
You’ll find Vitamin E in a lot of topical skin products, but eating it conditions the skin from the inside, too. Find it in vegetable oils, spinach, nuts, seeds, olives, spinach, and asparagus.
Eating good fats
The ‘good’ fats are thought to be good for your heart, joints, and skin. These ‘good’ fats, the omega-3 fatty acids, can be found in fish, walnuts, enriched eggs, and flax seed. You can also opt for monounsaturated fats found in olive oil, canola oil, almond oil, hazelnut oil, avocados, olives, almonds, and hazelnuts. Buy nuts boxed wholesale at Planters.
Whole foods
Many dermatologists tell their patients to have a diet rich in ‘whole’ foods. But then, what does that even mean?
Generally speaking, ‘whole’ foods are vegetables, fruits, legumes, eggs, yogurt, nuts, and oils that are rich in monounsaturated fats, multigrain bread (multigrain only), tea, and water. As well as eating a lot of these foods, limiting whole milk, butter, potatoes, sugar, processed meats, and red meat can also be beneficial.
It’s thought that whole foods also protect against heart disease and cancer, with studies showing those who are over 70s, and eat a diet containing more whole foods, had fewer health issues, fewer wrinkles, and less skin aging than those who didn’t. This is likely because these foods are packed with antioxidants, phytochemicals, and monounsaturated fats.
Limiting alcohol
Alcohol dehydrates the body, including the skin. This happens every single time you drink. There’s a reason why you wake up the next day after a heavy night desperate for a glass of water. As well as dehydrating, drinking too much is also thought to deprive the skin of vitamins and nutrients it needs to stay in good condition. Limit your alcohol intake, and your skin will thank you for it.