Nutrition Edit

Summer has officially ended, and many of us have been embracing the sunshine or traveling on holiday. Over exposure to the sun can wreak havoc on our skin causing discolouration, accelerated ageing and wrinkles. It’s important we recover our skin from the summer months and start to prepare our skin for the colder months ahead. With the cold weather and low humidity levels, this can cause dry, cracked skin and this type of environment can strip away some of our skin’s moisture. Discover our tips from our skin experts below on how to recover and reset your skin for a smooth, hydrated complexion.

• Hydrate from the inside with omega 3

Evidence shows that omega-3 may reduce the symptoms associated with too much sun exposure such as skin redness and inflammation [1].In addition,omega-3 fatty acids also help play a part in managing oil production and hydration of the skin[2], which is fantastic skin preparation for the upcoming change in weather. Foods containing omega-3 fatty acids include salmon, mackerel, oysters, sardines, chia seeds and flax seeds. Incorporate some of these foods into your diet for glowing, radiant skin.

• Safeguard your skin with antioxidants

Antioxidants are essential ingredients in supporting the skin from further oxidative stress triggered by UV light and environmental changes. As we can’t create these naturally ourselves, we need to consume these from sources of foods such as blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, artichokes, and kale.

• Support your skin with vitamin C

Vitamin C helps protect your skin from oxidative stress*, which can be caused by many factors including free radicals and lifestyle such as poor diet, sun exposure and certain environments[3].During the summer months, we are exposed to more intense heat and can be prone to making poorer diet choices including drinking more alcohol, which all have a negative impact on our skin.

Vitamin C is also in high demand in the body during the colder seasons. It is involved in immunity**and can help support the skin from free radical damage and is an essential co-factor in the production of collagen***. It’s evident that vitamin C is essential for overall skin health, so ensuring you are adding this as part of your diet is key. It can be found in foods such as, citrus fruits, peppers, broccoli, and berries. 

• Hyaluronic acid and ceramides are your friends

Water is skin’s best friend. Skin appears more supple and youthful when it has a high-water content. There is water inside every skin cell, held by fats in the cell membrane. When water isn’t held within skin cells, the skin can become dry and flaky, which is prone in happening in the colder months. Also, there is a lot of water in the skin between skin cells and skin structures, particularly in the dermis layer which is 90% water. This serves to plump up skin, reducing the appearance of lines and wrinkles. The water between the skin cells and structures depends on hyaluronic acid.

There is only one food source that contains hyaluronic acid, which is bone both. There are however food sources that will assist the body in making hyaluronic acid including oranges, kale, tofu, almonds, and sweet potatoes.

A study was completed amongst 40 men and women, where they took oral supplementation containing hyaluronic acid. After 12 weeks, the results showed an improvement in wrinkles, stratum water content, transepidermal water loss, and elasticity[4]. Indicating this all helps to support dry skin conditions and promote younger-looking skin.

With the combination of weather changes and dry air in central heated houses, the winter has been shown to reduce natural moisturising factors (NMF) in the skin. The level of NMF’s and ceramides drop in winter. So, if we don’t have sufficient ceramides, the stratum corneum will be compromised, which can result in dry, flaky skin.

Skin Moisture Lock contains hyaluronic acid and ceramides, discover more here. This also forms part of our Skin Moisture IQ skin box with a daily dose of five supplements for hydrated-looking skin. 

• Continue with the SPF

As well as adding the right vitamins and nutrients to your diet, there are several lifestyle habits you can adopt to help maintain skin health. Continue to apply SPF all year round, not just the summer months. It’s important to protect your skin from UV rays, even when it’s overcast, and the sun isn’t shinning.

• Hydrate and moisturise

Keep your skin hydrated by drinking the recommended 2 litres of water per day. This helps support skin health as well as overall wellbeing. Every time you wash your skin, you strip your skin from its natural oils and natural oils help lock your skin with moisture. That’s why you should always moisturise your skin after washing your face and showering daily.

For a full skin recovery and reset, hydrating your skin from the inside with omega 3, safeguarding your skin with antioxidants* and supporting your skin with vitamin C*** is essential. As well as adding hyaluronic acid and ceramides to your skincare regime, moisturising and continuing with the SPF is going to keep you a step ahead for a smooth, hydrated-looking complexion.

*Vitamin C helps protect skin from oxidative stress

**Vitamin C contributes to maintain the normal function of the immune system

***Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of skin.

Sources

1.Omega-3 Polyunsaturated fatty acids: photoprotective macronutrients. National Library of Medicine. Pilkington S, Watson, R, Nicolaou A, RhodesL. MA

2.Healing fats of the skin: the structural and immunologic roles of the ω-6 and ω-3 fatty acids. Science Direct. MeagenM.McCusker, MDJaneM.Grant-Kels.

3. Everything you should know about oxidative stress.September 2018.

4. Oral Hyaluronan Relieves Wrinkles and Improves Dry Skin: A 12-Week Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Study. National Library of Medicine. Tzu-Fang Hsu1, Zi-Rong Su1, Yao-Hao Hsieh July 2021.