Take it from someone who has battled acne for most of her teen and early adult years, the route to clear, glowing skin isn’t an easy one. And it took me around 10 years, a plethora of skincare products, and XYZ amount of diets to understand that there is no shortcut. You see, skincare doesn’t follow a one-size-fits-all motto and it depends on several factors that are centred on you. For me, it all started with hormonal acne around my teens. The hormonal imbalance resulted in tiny whiteheads and blackheads on my forehead and a couple of pimples on my cheeks. Once my hormones came to their senses and got their act together, I was acne-free for a brief period, until it came back with a vengeance in the form of cystic acne across my cheeks, forehead, jawline, and chin. I won’t lie, it wasn’t just physically painful, it was emotionally draining.
From falling prey to marketing gimmicks (btw, nothing can zap a zit overnight) to slathering on home remedies to even cutting out on foods I loved, I tried it all! My efforts went in vain because I made one mistake –– I didn’t look at treating my skin holistically and I wasn’t patient. Great, healthy skin needs to be treated with care both inside and out, which makes it more of a lifestyle choice than just slathering on a few products and calling it a day. After all, there could be so many reasons that are causing your skin to react a certain way! And let me tell you, it takes time. So, what is the ‘Feel Good Skin’ lifestyle? Read on to know more.
How to approach skincare more holistically?
#1 - Watch Your Diet 🍲
You are what you eat, and that stands true for your skin too! One thing I noticed that was a trigger for my breakouts was my diet. A lot of foods are high in sodium, sugar, or dairy, which makes it unhealthy for your skin. Sugar breaks down your collagen and elastin, causing your skin to lose its elasticity and heal a lot slower. Deep fried foods that contain a lot of vegetable oil trigger inflammatory hormones that cause acne to worsen. For me, it was heavy foods like red meats or prawns that often caused me to breakout. Watching my diet allowed me to map out one of the biggest triggers for my acne.
Your diet is the ultimate source of many vitamins, minerals, and proteins that are essential for general wellbeing, including your skin’s! Therefore, consuming foods that are rich in vitamins A, C, D, E, and K, essential fatty acids, and antioxidants, are really necessary! Make sure to include a lot of leafy greens, avocados, walnuts, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and broccoli to name a few. If you have a bit of a sweet tooth, opt for dark chocolate instead of regular milk chocolate.
You can even consume supplements like Cosmix’s Feel Good Skin powder, which is packed with skin-loving superfoods that boost its health. It contains ingredients that your skin needs to synthesise new cells by replenishing lost nutrients. It aids in retaining moisture while healing environmental damage.
#2 - Follow A Skincare Routine 💆♀️
Treating your skin topically is also important when trying to maintain its health. The skin goes through hell and back, especially with environmental aggressors like pollution, dirt, and UV exposure looming over it constantly. Therefore you require a little treatment and protection from the outside world too! You don’t have to invest in a vanity kit full of products –– stick to the basics, but follow a routine religiously.
#3 - Exercise Away 🏃
No, I am not kidding! Exercise is not only a great way to destress yourselves, but also helps improve your skin’s quality. It helps increase blood flow to your skin and keeps your skin cells nourished. By exercising you even flush out the toxins like free radicals from your system. Since stress can cause a lot of skincare issues too, exercise decreases the body’s increased hormonal and immune responses that cause it.
#4 - Get Your Beauty Sleep 😴
Beauty sleep is a real thing! Getting your daily shut-eye of 7-8 hours a night doesn’t just rest your body and mind, it helps your skin too. While you sleep your body works the night to repair itself, which is reflected on your skin. During this time, it produces newer collagen which aids in improving texture, faster production in newer skin cells, reduced signs of ageing, and so much more.
Lack of sleep often leads to decreased blood circulation to the skin, which makes it look tired, dull, and uneven. A good night’s sleep means your body has more time to improve blood circulation to the skin, resulting in a healthy glow. Plus, it keeps the dark circles and puffiness at bay too!
A note from Cosmix
Skincare is more than what meets the eye and topical products only scratch the surface! Your skin is the largest organ of your body and is a reflection of everything that’s happening inside. While it does react to external factors, it is super sensitive to internal factors as well. It’s your body’s tool for communicating issues occurring within, so keeping an eye out for the signs through your skin is imperative to understanding what may be happening inside. Dive deep into glowing skin with a lifestyle that’s good for your body, mind, and skin!
