While regular visits to DNA Skin NYC are always good to have on your schedule, there are plenty of ways that you can also help your skin at home. Nutrition not only fuels your body, but it also has a significant impact on the vitality of your skin.
Hydration is another key component in supporting your body’s largest organ. While many understand that water and proper nutrition are part of an overall healthy lifestyle, there are also other nutritional options to start incorporating at home. Learn more about the importance of diet, vitamins, and your skin with these 5 edible ways to keep your skin healthy.
Vitamin C
Well known as one of the key players in a healthy diet, Vitamin C has a plethora of benefits for the entire body. When it comes to skin health, the ascorbic acid in Vitamin C is “an essential component in the synthesis of collagen and an antioxidant that helps to fight free radical damage in the skin,” according to Ginger Downey, MS, CNS of Dermascope.
Consuming Vitamin C rich food is one of the ways to add more of this vital element into your diet. Choosing to add papaya, bell peppers, strawberries, and broccoli into your diet will help boost your body’s Vitamin C absorption. Doing so will lead to better skin elastin and hydration.
Topical Vitamin C options are also available for those clients who want to apply this vitamin to the skin. However, remember that Vitamin C oxidizes quickly when exposed to air. Instead, try choosing a lipid form of Vitamin C that can help the skin soak up this vital nutrient.
Vitamin E
As a vitamin that sits in the shadow of Vitamin C, we believe that Vitamin E does not get the credit that it deserves. This lesser-known nutrient does wonders when combined with a healthy diet and hydration. Vitamin E helps keep skin soft and supple when applied directly. The European Journal of Pharmaceutical Science stated, “Vitamin E is the most potent lipid-soluble antioxidant for skin hydration.”
There are many options when it comes to what type of Vitamin E to use on the skin. To better reduce free radicals and New York City pollution, we recommend that clients use Vitamin E in tandem with Vitamin C to help create healthier skin. When applied together, the two vitamins strengthen each other. Another way to consume more Vitamin E includes adding more seeds, nuts, avocado, sweet potato, and vegetable oil to your diet.
Vitamin B
Niacin, or Vitamin B3, is one of the most well known of the complex vitamin family. Vitamin B3 helps repair DNA and the effects of stress. In the city that never sleeps, Vitamin B3 is a game-changer for clients looking for healthier skin. You can add more Niacin to your diet by eating peanuts, chicken, tuna, and turkey. Niacinamide is the topical form of Vitamin B3 that helps to strengthen the skin’s acid mantle or top film of the skin that protects the body from bacteria.
Vitamin B5 is another key ingredient to healthier skin. Not only is it a required component to help digestion, but it also helps with steroid hormones. As the body’s largest organ, hormones directly affect the skin in a very visible way. Eating more lentils, avocado, cremini mushrooms, and salmon to your diet can boost your ingested Vitamin B5 levels.
Vitamin A
If you have been around the skincare world or stepped into any skincare retailer, you have probably heard a thing or two about Vitamin A. This critical vitamin is fat-soluble and comes in multiple forms, with the most popular being Retinol. The topical form of Vitamin A helps support cell growth and overall turnover. While there are many Retinol creams in the world of skincare, clients can still ingest this vitamin by adding liver, dark leafy greens, and sweet potatoes to their diet.
Fatty Acids
Omega fatty acids are important to overall health. Both Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids are vital to skin health and can’t be produced within the body. This means that adding these omega acids to your diet is an essential part of healthy skin.
While you need both Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, many clients have an imbalance of the two. Omega-6 fatty acids are found in canola, soybean, and palm oil. An abundance of Omega-6 fatty acids can lead to scaly skin and broken capillaries. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in fish, fish oil, walnuts, and flaxseed. Issues with acne, eczema, rosacea, and psoriasis are examples of low or unbalanced fatty acid consumption.
Your skin health is directly related to your environment as well as the food that you eat. Combining both a healthy diet that includes all of these vitamins and fatty acids, along with high-quality topical products, will improve your overall skin. There is no need to use a multitude of unnecessary products to achieve that healthy glow!
For more information about these edible ways to keep your skin healthy, contact Angela or Daniela, our licensed estheticians at DNA Skin NYC. We offer online consultations to help you find the right products for your unique skin.