The 5 essential things you must do for younger, healthier-looking skin right now.

Your Best Skin Care Boosters.

Skincare begins with what we put in our bodies, which starts with water… lots of it.

No amount of under-eye cream, the best skincare brands or hydrating moisturiser can cover up chronic dehydration, insufficient sleep or a diet lacking micronutrients.

Drink Water

Consume 8-10 glasses of purified water every day (2 litres)

You lose a lot of water while you sleep simply from breathing. Re-hydrating first thing in the morning by drinking 2 glasses before you have anything else will help wake up your digestion and keep your cells in fantastic shape.

It will also help balance the hormonal responses that tell you that you’re hungry when you’re really not.

To create (and keep) this habit going, I recommend filling three large water bottles of filtered water the night before and have it ready for the next day. Drink as you go about your day. 

Also, try to use filtered water. Your liver is already one of your hardest-working organs and has to filter the water if you don’t...... your skin will love you for it too!! 

Sleep well 8 hours per night.

We all know the benefits of sleeping 8 hours or more a night and how it can affect us mentally. Feeling sluggish, mentally drained, lacking energy, etc.…but did you know how much lacking in the sleep department can physically affect you? There are so many studies out there that have linked not getting 8 hours of sleep a night and how it can affect your body in several ways, including: 

• Changes to your digestive system

• Decrease cardiovascular health

• lowering the immune system

• Dull Skin

• Undereye Circles

• A decrease in Mental Health

To learn more about how you can improve your sleeping routine, check out My Top 10 Ways to get the best nights sleep. — Grace Carter

Supplement.

Essential Fatty Acids

Essential fatty acids (EFAs) help maintain your skin’s natural barrier, protecting it against exterior damage. They help reduce skin dryness because it supports the skin’s barrier, which reduces moisture.

These healthy fatty acids can also diminish the symptoms of inflammatory acne, thanks to their anti-inflammatory properties. 

You can get EFAs in your diet by eating seafood, nuts, seeds, seaweed, and certain legumes.

In an EFA supplement, choose one derived from natural fish, krill, or mussels that are sustainably sourced. 

Vitamin C

Antioxidant vitamin C is essential to the health of your skin. It promotes would healing and protects your skin from environmental stress. It’s also one of the critical nutrients your body requires to make collagen, a building block that helps keep your skin healthy and youthful.

You can get vitamin C from food sources by incorporating plenty of fruits and vegetables into your nutrition, especially leafy greens and citrus fruit. Green tea is also a good source of vitamin C.

B Vitamins

B-vitamins are well known for their mood supporting properties. Still, they also play important roles when it comes to maintaining the health of your skin. Vitamin B12 helps your body maintain a healthy balance of bacteria--leading to a reduction in acne-causing bacteria. There is also suggested a link between vitamin B3 and a decreased risk of skin cancer.

You can get your B-vitamins in milk, eggs, cheese, meat and fish, green leafy vegetables, soy products and whole grains. It’s best to eat a wide variety of these foods to get a diverse range of B-vitamins in your diet.

Supplementing B Vitamins can be fantastic for your skin and overall health if you are deficient.

Vitamin E 

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble, essential nutrient with anti-inflammatory properties. Vitamin E helps support the immune system, cell function, and skin health. It’s an antioxidant that fights the effects of free radicals produced by food and toxins’ metabolism in the environment. Vitamin E may be beneficial at reducing UV damage to the skin.

Zinc 

Many people are deficient in Zinc. Zinc plays an essential role in skin health. Due to its anti-inflammatory effects, Zinc is especially beneficial for inflammatory acne and related scarring. It reduces the signs of blemishes because of its potent antioxidant and calming ability on the skin. Some research indicates that Zinc helps control oil production in the skin by regulating the androgen (male) hormone.

Use Good Skincare

Now is not the time to skimp. As we age, our skin has less tolerance for fillers and irritants. It’s essential to do your research on the best skin care brands for your specific skin type. Choosing a good quality moisturiser right for your skin is vital as you don’t want to either over nourish skin because your skin will get lazy in producing its own natural oils. Still, on the other hand, you do want to go too light, either!

Exfoliate dead skin away.

Every 28 days, a new skin cell is born in the dermis, and over time, if the skin top layer isn’t exfoliated, it can leave the skin looking dull and dry. Choose an appropriate type of exfoliant for your skin and exfoliate on the regular. Could you be cleaning your face better? — Grace Carter

Use Skin anti-aging ingredients. 

Retinol is well known for its anti-aging properties. It increases skin cell turnover and treats a whole range of skin issues from hyperpigmentation and sun damage to acne and fine lines and wrinkles. 

The problem is that retinol isn’t for everyone. Retinol is very active on the skin, making it too intense for some people (susceptible skin types). Retinol can cause dryness, irritation, sensitivity, redness, and extra sensitivity to sunlight.

There are, however, natural ingredients that work like retinol but are much gentler, such as Bakuchiol.  

Bakuchiol is safe for all skin types and has antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-aging properties. Bakuchiol boosts collagen production (the protein in the skin that keeps it plump and firm). It increases cell turnover (your skin’s natural renewal process). This helps to soften the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, smooth skin texture, reduce acne, fade dark spots, improve firmness and elasticity and brighten dull skin for a healthier, glowing complexion!

It is also 100% natural and vegan.

When it comes to finding the best skincare brands, some of my go-to brands include Arbonne and AHAVA. Both skincare brands offer clean ingredients and are not only great for your skin but also the planet as well. In my opinion, Arbonne is one of the best skincare brands and isn’t like most other skincare brands you see today. They develop our skincare products by carefully selecting botanical ingredients known for specific beneficial properties. Arbonne has introduced several formulas that make skin look more healthy, youthful, and beautiful every day through innovation in science.

When it comes to AHAVA, they are all about saying no to fillers and fluff and…

saying yes to the beautiful balance between nature and science. 

When you look at AHAVA products, you’ll see:

• You will never find parabens in AHAVA formulas.

• All products are vegan, just like AHAVA products have always been.

• AHAVA products endure strict allergy testing and are approved for sensitive skin.

• Our natural ingredients are sourced from nature, never from GMOs.

AHAVA formulates products without the questionable compounds sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), Phthalates, and Triclosan.

Protect and prevent with SPF - Use it multiple times daily!

I’ve heard this a gazillion times, “I use SPF when I go to the beach or when outside”. But what about the rest of the time?

The thing is that without realising, people touch their face (more than they think), which then transfers the SPF onto their hands and fingers, reducing the amount left on the face.

The other issue is that after applying SPF to the face, its effectiveness simply runs out after a couple of hours and therefore needs to be reapplied.

So, use SPF multiple times daily if you want great skin - prevention is better than cure.