Stores and online shops have hundreds of topical products that promise to help people solve their skin problems. Some of these creams and lotions may help prevent skin from drying out or prevent damage from UV radiation. You have to be careful with skin care products and read the labels to be sure that you aren’t lathering chemicals on your skin.
You may have used these products and found that they provided some relief, but very often, it is just temporary. In truth, healthy skin often begins on the inside and what you consume really will eventually make a difference in how your skin looks and feels on the outside.
Drink Plenty of Water
When you see a leaf drooping on a plant in your garden, your first instinct is probably that it needs to get watered. To preserve your smooth skin, you also need to make sure that you stay hydrated. Constant but mild dehydration is actually a very common problem with people.
The amount of water that you need to drink in a day may depend upon how active you are and your environment. However, a rule of thumb is to aim for about 1/2 of an ounce of water for each pound that you weight. If you are a 120 pound woman, you might aim for about 60 ounce of water each day.
Yes, that’s just about a gallon of water, and if the amount surprises you, you probably don’t drink enough. If you eat a lot of high-water content food or consumer other hydrating drinks, you may not need as much water. But be careful. Some drinks, life coffee or beer, can actually dehydrate you.
If you are in a cool environment or pretty inactive, you may not need as much water as you would if you were active and sweating. A better gauge than measuring water is to check your urine once in awhile. If your urine is light and clear, you are probably fine. If it’s cloudy and sort of smelly, you could be dehydrated.
Also, don’t drink too much water at one time. People have actually made themselves sick and even died because they caused an imbalance in their salt levels by drinking too much at one time. It’s better to consume a reasonable amount at one time.
The Right Foods
Of course, a diet that’s rich in nutrients because it includes a lot of produce is also critical. For example, citrus fruit is great for skin because it’s rich in vitamin C. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps flush out toxins and will make skins tone more even.
It is also best to avoid refined food. The main culprit that causes premature aging is refined sugar. This causes inflammation over time and the most visible result of this might be the way that your skin looks.
Lots of prepared food comes with added sugar, so it may take some care to avoid it. In addition, it is a good idea to replace white flour and rice with the whole-grain versions.
Essential fatty acids come from the healthy kinds of oil that doctors tell you to eat these days. Olive and almond oil are a couple of good examples. Essential fatty acids give your body what it needs to help repair itself. You should not avoid fat but instead, focus on eating the right kinds of fat.
People with certain allergies or sensitive skin conditions know that eating the wrong types of food can aggravate their problems. Even though the link between food and skin isn’t as rapid or drastic with most people, it still exists. With a proper diet and proper hydration, it is very possible to maintain and heal your skin problems from the inside out.