Maintain Glowing & Healthy Skin As You Age

Ageing is inevitable, but that doesn’t mean you have to accept poor skin quality as you get older. While it’s impossible to prevent every single fine line, wrinkle, and discolouration spot, you can prevent a lot of them from ever happening with the right skin care regimen early on in life.

The signs of ageing typically begin to show around age 25, but it can be earlier or sooner depending on your diet and lifestyle, skincare, and genetics.

Why is it important to maintain healthy skin as long as you can? It’s about more than appearances; maintaining healthy skin helps to maintain the health of the body and help you live a good, comfortable life as you get older.

What is healthy skin?

There are a few different ways to think of healthy skin.

Objectively, healthy skin has a strong barrier to protect you from infections. It’s not too dry, which can crack and leave you susceptible to those infections. It’s not too oily, which can cause acne and, again, lead to holes in your armour. And it’s not too sensitive, reacting negatively to stimulus or allergens and causing damage.

The purpose of the skin is to protect the entire rest of the body from foreign invaders. If it’s doing that, then it’s healthy!

That’s why it’s important to build up a strong, healthy skin barrier and encourage the skin to stay thick, especially in the elderly. Many elderly people find their skin becomes paper-thin, and the most minor scratch or rub can lead to a painful and risky wound.

But, if you’re asking specific people what they consider to be healthy skin, you might get some different answers.

Some people might say that healthy skin is smooth and unwrinkled, dewy, glowing, or radiant, with even colouration, no dark eye circles, even texture, and supple.

Finding that type of perfect skin can take some experimentation with your skincare routine, as each person’s unique skin requires different care.

How to get good skin?

You can work on growing healthy skin by:

Avoiding damage
Repairing damage
Having a comprehensive skincare routine

In our environment, there are a lot of risk factors that can cause harm to the skin. The number one source of damage is, unsurprisingly, the sun.

The UV rays from the sun can cause premature ageing, worsen wrinkles and hyperpigmentation, and damage the skin’s ability to grow healthy, new cells. It can also lead to the formation of several different kinds of cancers.

Air pollution is another huge risk factor. Especially in the city, emissions from factories and vehicles leave a fine film of contaminants on the skin. Dirt, dust, grease, and other particles and micro-droplets that float around in your environment can also land on the skin and cause clogged pores as well as bodily harm, in the case of toxic compounds.

While research is still being done, early studies suggest that blue light might also cause a certain amount of skin damage.

Water quality also has an effect on your skin. Have you ever travelled to a new city and found that it drastically changed how your skin and hair feel? The chemicals and minerals found in the water supply have an effect, sometimes positive, sometimes neutral, and sometimes negative. Certain types of water can cause dry skin and other troubles.

To avoid these problems, you can ensure to do the following:

Wear SPF every day and reply every few hours. Make sure you wear at least SPF 30, if not higher,
Wear UPF clothing to protect your body.
Wash off noticeable dirt and sweat as soon as possible.
Limit your exposure to screens, fluorescent lights, and LED lights.
Get a filter for your bath and shower tap

Also be sure to follow your regimen of cleansing, exfoliating, and moisturising to remove everything that needs to be washed off each day, and provide nourishment for reparations each night.

Does Diet Help to Keep Skin Young?

The short answer to this question is yes, diet plays an important role in attaining healthy skin. A healthy and balanced diet can help the skin get the right nutrients which supports the healing and repairing of the skin tissues.

If you are looking for an answer to “how to clear your skin?”, the solution comes from your diet. A balanced meal plus a good skincare routine is essential to healthy skin.

From antioxidants to vitamin C, the skin requires nutrients in order to stay healthy. For instance, drinking a lot of water helps in clearing out the toxins from your system, and in return, it helps the skin feel hydrated.

Here are some nutrients that are particularly beneficial for skin health:

Antioxidants: These nutrients protect the skin from damage caused by free radicals, which are unstable molecules that can damage cells and contribute to ageing. Examples of antioxidants include vitamins A, C, and E, as well as beta-carotene and selenium.

Omega-3 fatty acids: These healthy fats can help reduce inflammation in the body, which is associated with many skin conditions, including acne, psoriasis, and eczema. Sources of omega-3s include fatty fish, such as salmon and sardines, as well as chia seeds and walnuts.

Vitamin C: This nutrient is essential for collagen production, which is important for skin elasticity and firmness. Good sources of vitamin C include citrus fruits, berries, kiwi, and bell peppers.

Zinc: This mineral is important for wound healing and can also help regulate oil production in the skin. Sources of zinc include oysters, beef, and pumpkin seeds.

Water: Staying hydrated is essential for skin health, as it helps to flush toxins out of the body and keep skin cells plump and hydrated.

Best Food for Healthy Skin

Now that we know the nutrients we need for young, youthful skin, we need to understand and remember the best fruits and vegetables we need to consume regularly for it.

Antioxidants

Berries: Berries, such as blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries, are packed with antioxidants, particularly vitamin C and anthocyanins.

Green Vegetables: Dark leafy greens, such as spinach, kale, and Swiss chard, are excellent sources of antioxidants, including vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene.

Citrus fruits: Citrus fruits, such as oranges, grapefruits, and lemons, are high in vitamin C.

Cruciferous vegetables: Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts, are rich in antioxidants, including vitamins C and E.

Carrots: Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant that is converted into vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A helps protect the skin from damage and also promotes healthy vision.

Sweet potatoes: Sweet potatoes are another great source of beta-carotene, as well as other antioxidants like vitamin C.

Tomatoes: Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, an antioxidant that helps protect the skin from damage caused by UV radiation.

Omega-3 fatty acids

Flaxseed: Flaxseed is one of the best plant-based sources of omega-3 fatty acids. It can be ground and added to smoothies or used as a topping for yogurt or porridge.

Chia seeds: Chia seeds are also high in omega-3s and can be added to smoothies or used as a topping for yogurt or pudding.

Brussels sprouts: Brussels sprouts contain a small amount of omega-3s, as well as other important nutrients like vitamin C and fibre.

Spinach: Spinach is another leafy green that contains omega-3s, as well as other important nutrients like iron and vitamin K.

Kale: Kale is a nutrient-dense leafy green that contains some omega-3s, as well as other important nutrients like vitamin C and calcium.

Vitamin C

Citrus fruits: Oranges, grapefruits, lemons, limes, and tangerines.

Berries: Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and cranberries.

Guava: Guava is a tropical fruit that also contains other important nutrients like fibre and potassium.

Papaya: Papaya is another tropical fruit that is also high in vitamin A and potassium.

Broccoli: Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable that contains nutrients like vitamin K and fibre.

Brussels sprouts: Brussels sprouts are another cruciferous vegetable that is high in vitamin C, as well as other important nutrients like vitamin K and folate.

Zinc

Spinach: Spinach is a leafy green vegetable that is high in zinc, as well as other important nutrients like iron and vitamin C.

Mushrooms: Mushrooms are a good source of zinc, as well as other important nutrients like vitamin D and potassium.

Kale: Kale is another leafy green vegetable that is high in zinc, as well as other important nutrients like vitamin C and calcium.

Asparagus: Asparagus is a vegetable that is high in zinc, as well as other important nutrients like folate and fibre.

Avocado: Avocado is a fruit that is high in zinc, as well as other important nutrients like healthy fats and fibre.