Skin Enemies

Skin is the largest organ of the body. Healthy skin is beautiful as it radiates a healthy glow. We do a lot of things and spend a humongous amount on products to get beautiful skin. Instead of looking outside for answers, if we bring about some changes in our daily schedule or tweak our daily routine, we will be doing a favour for our skin. A holistic approach works wonders for the skin.

Here are some common troublemakers that rob away the healthy glow of your skin. Try to eliminate or reduce these factors from your daily life to discover a ‘Beautiful You’.

1.       Stress

It is one of the biggest enemies of beautiful skin. Its affects are disastrous.  It can lead to under eye bags, dark circles, acne, rashes, dry and flaky skin, fine lines, hair fall and grey hair. Stress causes body to produce more of stress hormone cortisol which causes skin problems.

What you can do

It is not possible to get rid of stress completely but the good thing is that you can manage it and say good bye to all your skin problems related to stress. Healthy eating, regular exercising, proper sleep, indulging in interest and hobbies can all alleviate stress. Meditation and being with nature helps in bringing about a sense of calmness and peace.  

2.       Excess of Tea and Coffee

As they say excess of everything is bad and same holds true for tea and coffee. They are diuretics; they cause water to expel from the body. Tea makes body acidic and in acidic medium, the nutrients are not properly absorbed.

What you can do

Limit your intake of tea and coffee and never drink on an empty stomach as then it leads to secretion of acids which not only harms the skin but also the body. Drinking in moderation will help maintain your skin quality as this will not mess with your beauty sleep. Make sure to drink plenty of water to counter the diuretic effects. Find alternatives to tea and coffee such as milk with turmeric, herbal teas, green tea and so on.

3.       Processed Foods

Foods such as cookies, cakes, pastries, pizza or anything made from white flour or has sugar has harmful effects on the skin. Processed foods have lost their vital nutrients so the body doesn’t function efficiently. In absence of proper nutrition, skin looks dull and is prone to skin problems.

What you can do

Substitute processed foods with unprocessed and raw food. If this is not possible then try to include more of whole grains, fruits and vegetables in your diet. Substitute sugar with its unprocessed counterpart or honey. Raw foods have live enzymes that help in proper digestion and thus proper absorption of nutrients. A switch in cooking habits can help reduce wrinkles, puffy eyes, acne and age spots.

4.       Smoking

Smoking depletes cell of oxygen and nutrients. This leads to dull, dry and ageing skin. Nicotine in cigarette causes narrowing of blood vessels and thus reduces blood flow so the body is not able to absorb proper nutrients.

What you can do

There is no alternative to this except to stop smoking. As soon as you get rid of this habit, you will see a gradual improvement in your skin.

5.       Alcohol

Just like smoking alcohol is also not good for skin. It dehydrates the body and deprives the skin of vital nutrients. Dry skin is one the main reasons of wrinkles and premature ageing. It also robs body of vitamin A which is needed for cell turnover. Due to poor cell turnover, skin looks dull and flushed.

What you can do

Moderation is the key, if you must have your drink. One or two glasses of red wine can actually be beneficial for your skin. If you love your drink, then try to increase water intake so that the body doesn’t get dehydrated.

6.       Inactivity

7.     

Inactivity or laziness of any form is detrimental for your skin. Inactivity or sitting at one place depletes cell of oxygen.

What you can do

Get up and start moving. Aim at least half an hour of exercises per day. Any form of physical activity which increases your heart rate, makes you sweat is good for your skin as it helps in getting rid of toxins from the body, opening the pores and increases blood circulation. Increased blood circulation helps in proper absorption of nutrients. Choose an activity which you like or alternate your activities as per your mood so that you don’t get bored.

7         Sleeplessness

Less or poor sleep affects the skin. It is during sleep only that our body and skin is able to replenish and repair and bring back the glow. Poor sleep can lead to dull skin, puffy eyes, dark circles, acne and dull skin. Bright screens of computers, laptops and mobiles affect the brain and skin as the brain sends the signal that it is day time and this causes disruptive sleep.

What can you do

Switch off any electronic device an hour before bedtime so that your brain gets the signal that it is time to sleep. Avoid late nights. Have a light meal and make your room sleep friendly.

8         Dieting

Dieting is worst form of torture to our body and skin. Crash diets wreck havoc on our skin. It causes dull and lifeless skin with symptoms of premature ageing. Dieting leads to sudden weight loss and this leads to deficiency of vital nutrients to the body.

What You can do

Instead of dieting or yo-yo diets, keep control of your portion size. Eliminate junk and fast foods.

Eat everything but in moderation and always opt for local food as it has the right nutrients and is easily available.

Be happy in your own skin and don’t stress about your looks. Banish the skin enemies and welcome beautiful skin.