Have you got skin that is crimson, rough and scaly? Then it’s time to do something about it!
Generally, dry, or cracked skin happens when your moisture barrier needs improving.
Composed of fatty acids, cholesterol, and ceramides, one of the main functions of this barrier is to keep your skin healthy and hydrated.
It does this by retaining moisture. However, should your barrier become damaged, it starts to lose this ability. This can quickly result in you experiencing severe skin hydration issues, as a result of your sensitive skin layers being exposed to dry air.
Thankfully moisture barrier damage isn’t a permanent affliction and there are several things you can do to improve both it, and the overall look, of your skin.
However, you can also improve the way your skin looks and feels just by making a few changes to your diet and lifestyle.
With that in mind, here are 8 ways to hydrate your skin from within.
Adopt any, or even better, all these tactics, and you should start seeing a noticeable improvement in its appearance within just a couple of days.
1. Drink plenty of water!
Our body consists of about 60% of water, which performs major functions like removing toxins and carrying nutrients to your cells.
It also ensures that your skin cells remain plump enough to prevent dehydration and drying.
As well as maintaining the elasticity of your skin, people who drink plenty of water are less likely to suffer from wrinkles, soft lines, scars or various signs of aging too.
Therefore, it is recommended that women drink at least 2 litres of water every day, while men should consume around 2.5 litres.
2. Try a hydrating treatment
A hydrating treatment can be as simple as adding a hydrating serum to your routine.
Or take a step further and utilise an injectable hydrating treatment like bio-remodelling injections!
VCI believes that bio-remodelling injections are a great way to deal with more severe issues. The injections stimulate collagen and elastin production by deeply penetrating the skin to provide hydration.
3. Limit consumption of coffee and alcohol
Love coffee and alcohol? Well as nice as they might taste, they are not the best for your skin.
Coffee’s high acidity can affect your hormones and the levels of your skin’s oil production. If drunk with dairy products, you are also at a greater risk of developing acne. Whilst its dehydrating effects could also cause skin inflammation and redness.
Likewise, if you drink lots of alcohol, toxins can clog your skin’s deeper layers, potentially causing it to inflame. Which in turn can present itself in the form of flushing, bloating, puffiness, increased wrinkles and other premature signs of aging.
4. Eat foods with plenty of good fat and protein
Our skin has a natural moisturising factor (NMF) which performs the essential functions of desquamation, plasticity, stratum corneum hydration and barrier homeostasis.
As it is a lipid layer, it benefits from the consumption of healthy fats. Therefore, to keep your skin healthy, you should try and eat more foods that are rich in good fat and protein.
This includes the likes of nuts and seeds, including walnuts, chia seeds, flaxseed, almonds and sunflower seeds, all of which provide natural healthy fats. Alternatively, Avocado is an excellent source too.
Given that your skin is made up of protein, to maintain its structure, it is essential to include more protein in your diet too from the likes of tofu, eggs, cottage cheese and poultry.
5. Quit smoking
Smoking is linked to an increased risk of a host of illnesses including cancer, heart disease, lung diseases, stroke, diabetes, tuberculosis, rheumatoid arthritis, emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
But did you know it is also very bad for your skin too?
Toxins found in cigarette smoke have been proved to seriously damage elastin and collagen – the fibrous components of our skin that is responsible for keeping it supple, smooth and firm.
The less elastin and collagen your skin has, the more hardened and less elastic it could become. This in turn can lead to deeper and increase wrinkles, as well as signs of premature aging.
6. Eat collagen-rich foods
Talking of collagen, if you are not getting sufficient protein or fat in your diet it could lead to your skin drying up.
Therefore, you would need to increase your reserves of collagen to ensure your skin remains plump.
One of the best ways of doing this is through drinking bone broth, which experts claim is naturally high in protein, good fats and collagen.
Its properties are so good, they also act as a very effective internal lubricating moisturiser.
As well as bone broth, other collagen-rich foods you might want to eat include garlic, eggs and citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruit, limes and lemons.
7. Eat more vitamin A-rich foods
To maintain its elasticity, your skin can also benefit from the consumption of foods rich in vitamin A.
This includes the likes of sweet potatoes and carrots. as well as other fruits and vegetables like spinach, watermelon, muskmelon, cantaloupe, celery and lettuce.
Foods that are rich in vitamin A help stimulate the production of fibroblast, which are cells that develop tissue and keep skin healthy and firm.
8. Consume more Omega-3 rich foods
Another way to enhance your skin’s hydration is to eat more fatty fish like salmon. That is because it is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids.
These acids are very beneficial to your skin as they improve its barrier function and regulate its levels of oil production. Which in turn keeps irritants out and moisture intact.
If you don’t like fish, you can take fish oil supplements, although too much of it may cause toxicity.
Alternatively, flaxseeds are another good source of Omega-3 fatty acids.
Conclusion
We all want healthy skin that is smooth and positively glowing. But sometimes our life and choices get in the way.
If you currently have skin that is dry, patchy and irritates you, we hope this article has shown you that it doesn’t have to stay that way.
While cleansing your skin is a very good start, if you sleep well, eat the right foods and reduce your intake of coffee, alcohol and cigarettes, you’ll give your skin plenty of opportunity to hydrate from within.
