To take care of our skin and appearance, in addition to creams, facial masks, and peelings, it is necessary to act from the inside, by eating healthy, possibly supplementing the diet, and practicing physical activity constantly to eliminate excess toxins and promote the release of stress.
Beauty (particularly female beauty) is a topic that has kept busy illustrious philosophers, writers, poets, painters and sculptors over the centuries. One of the canons commonly accepted since ancient times as an indicator of beauty is the appearance of the skin. Today more than ever, it is difficult to keep a radiant skin due to the high levels of free radicals, with consequent oxidative stress, caused by pollution, chemicals, more aggressive sunrays, psycho-physical stress , lack of sleep, poor nutrition, smoking and alcohol.
The most visible expression of the oxidative stress to which we are subjected is found on our skin, where premature wrinkles, spots and loss of elasticity appear. Free radicals impair cellular functions, thus causing premature aging. To slow down this process, nutrition and proper integration come to our aid. In fact, there exist antioxidant molecules that “sacrifice” themselves and are oxidized in place of our cells, protecting them. Among these molecules, we find:
- Vitamins: vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin C, vitamin E
- Minerals: manganese, copper, selenium, zinc
- Other: olive oil polyphenols
The skin, contrary to common thinking, is a complex tissue that, together with the liver, kidneys, intestines and lungs, is part of the organs that are called “emunctors”, responsible for eliminating metabolic waste. The deterioration in the quality of the air we breathe and the food we eat causes an increase in potentially harmful substances with which we come into contact, increasingly overloading our internal detoxification systems. In addition, the liver presides over the production of vitamin D (essential for the formation of collagen which gives structure and elasticity to the skin) and synthesizes glutathione, a very important antioxidant that gives the skin a radiant and shiny appearance. It is therefore important to have a healthy and impurities-free skin and to cleanse the liver and kidneys.
Another aspect that affects our skin health is mental well-being. In today’s society, we are often subject to strong stress due to numerous reasons ranging from pressure at work to family life. This also has repercussions on our external appearance since the stress factors, together with poor nutrition, represent a risk for many inflammatory skin diseases such as dermatitis, acne and psoriasis, not only in predisposed subjects. In addition to adopting a lifestyle that reduces stress factors or that helps us manage it (sports, yoga, meditation), we can refer to natural remedies that contribute to the normal psychological function such as:
- Biotin
- Folate
- Magnesium
- Niacin
- Thiamine
- Vitamin B6, B12 and C
In conclusion, to take care of our skin and appearance, in addition to creams, facial masks, and peelings, it is necessary to act from the inside. In fact, the outer skin reflects the oxidative state of our cells, intoxication of our body and mental stress. It is therefore necessary to eat healthy, possibly integrating the diet with the use of food supplements, and to practice physical activity constantly to eliminate excess toxins and promote the release of stress.