Beautiful Inside Out

Lifestyle

Make sure your moisturiser has ingredients that help keep your skin dewy. Humectants are ingredients that draw moisture into your skin and keep it there. Some people also make their own winter moisturisers, or enhance their current ones with the ingredients mention above.

Get a warm mist humidifier

Remember that point above about indoor heat drying out your skin? Heating units suck the moisture out of the air, leaving you with dry, itchy skin. A humidifier can help remedy that. Humidifiers will help infuse the air in your home with moisture, keeping your skin hydrated and helping you breathe better as well. Make sure you purchase one with a hygrometer, which measures the amount of moisture in the air and keeps it at a healthy range. Depending on the size of your home, you may have to get more than one to place in different rooms.

As far as drinking water is concerned, drink it because it’s good for you, but it probably won’t help with dry skin. Many doctor’s doubt that drinking water combats dry skin, but it does help your body function optimally and clear it of impurities resulting in clearer skin, so drink up anyway.

Take shorter showers and warm water

Water can be bad for your skin… Too much hot water from steaming hot baths or showers, that is. Nothing can take the glow out of your skin like those ultra-luxe, steamy hot baths or showers that can feel so good after a day spent battling the urban tundra. But, like many things that feel so good, too much of it can make you look so bad. Hot water is a skin killer in the winter as it sucks all of the moisture and oils out of your skin, leaving it itchy and dry.

Dermatologists recommend to reduce the time in the bath and not to have the water too hot. Oatmeal or baking soda added to the bath water has the advantage of soothing itchy skin. Try to limit your hot baths to once in a while, and if you do take them, follow up with intense, creamy moisturisers while your skin is still damp, ensuring you pat dry with a soft towel rather than rub, to make sure that it really soaks into the skin.

Showers are convenient but in winter shower every other day instead of every day, keeping your shower time to less than 10 minutes.

Do not overdo the soaps and avoid bushings to scrub the body

Harsh soaps are also culprits, so bathe with creamy moisturizing body washes and soaps. The ideal is to use a liquid body soap or pH more compatible with the skin, which is acidic or neutral, or even an oil bath for body which dispenses soap.

Hydrate before, during or after bathing

Always keep a moisturiser around to apply during or after bathing so you can restore the hydration of your skin that may have been lost with hot water. Just follow the recommendations of the chosen product, if you go to wet skin, use in the shower. If for dry skin, apply after leaving the shower.

It is good to keep a hydrant in the bag or on the desk if you notice any greyish patches on the body during the day to get back that shine quickly on the skin.

Special tip: Black skin specialist, dermatologist Katleen Conceição says the best products for hydration at this time of year are cotton based and macadamia nuts.

Do not overdo it when washing the face

Contrary to what happens to the body, the black skin is usually oilier in the face, especially in winter. There is an increased activity of the sebaceous glands and oiliness in the face of the T-zone, as well as the top of the back and shoulders.

The experts recommend products that help in cleaning the face without too much dry up: "Use liquid soap astringent whenever possible or after bathing, a balancing of skin prone to oiliness."

Excess face washing often, the skin can react feeling that is not enough hydrated, and even produce more sebum to compensate for the loss. Up to three times a day if the third is very necessary, are sufficient.

Sunscreen in winter too!

Because of skin melanin, the protection factor need not be so high during the winter, but you cannot stop using sunscreen on any time of year.

The Black skin is not exempt from the need for sun protection even if you are from a tropical country where you are always exposed to UV rays You always need to keep your skin protected.

Tip: If you do make up your face, go for BB (Beauty Balm) Cream, it has good coverage and comes with sunscreen. It's a way to keep the skin protected in daily makeup routine. If properly use, the product can even dispense with the use of sunscreen during the coldest season of the year.

Intensify hydration at night

Use body moisturiser during or after bathing remain for the night adding care of the feet and hands as well this time. This type of hydration has a better effect when applied at night. You can find moisturising gloves and socks for overnight wear in the toiletries section of any good department store, chemist or online.

Your lips and the thin skin around your eyes become more fragile during the harsh winter season. Use lip balm always, even before bed, and a separate eye cream you should apply gently using your ring finger, without dragging the skin.

Tip: Wearing a SCARF can exacerbate the problems caused by cold weather. As you breathe, condensation can form on the material and rub against your skin, so look for breathable materials that wick away moisture.

Lastly, keep consistent with your routine, applying lotion two or three more times throughout the day, and your skin will thank you.

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Guadeloupe born Christina Louis-Huet is a highly experienced, qualified beauty therapist and gaze specialist who has studied and graduated in France. She is currently working in London.

Our skin makes up a big part of the outer shell we present to the world each day, and we want to keep it happy and healthy-looking all year round.

The winter months bring harsh, cold winds that irritate the delicate skin on our face and hands. Winter also brings dry conditions that strip skin of its natural moisture. This dryness can lead to red patches and excess dead skin cells.

Your face is the first thing that is attacked by the winter air lacking moisture. The problem increases if you already have dry skin. Make moisturisers your best friends in winters. If you have overly dry skin, you can also consider the use of olive oil for the face. The aim is to keep the face heavily moisturised at all times, especially when going out.

The Black and mixed race skin is generally thicker and has a higher sebum and melanin content, so it is less sensitive to skin aging, but more sensitive to dehydration than white or Asian skin, that is why it needs more hydration. The black and mixed race skin is not naturally drier but it adapts better to the tropical than to the European climate. In a drier climate, darker skin keeps water deeper.

Dehydration makes skin become taut, flakes and becomes whitish and rough in places (especially after showering): hence the importance to hydrate well on a daily basis as well as in a dry climate, particularly if the water is hard. Naturally, as with any skin, dehydration can very well cause an increase in sebum flow and therefore make the skin oily.

Avoid itching or scrubbing dry skin patches.

Understanding the structure of the skin

Skin is our biggest organ and it’s our first line of defence against the elements.

When skin is moisturized, it has a stronger barrier to resist damage.

The epidermis is normally composed of fat (lipid) and protein. The lipid portion of the epidermis helps prevent skin dehydration. When the skin's fatty oils are removed, the skin loses its protection and loses moisture more easily. As skin becomes dry, it also may become more sensitive and prone to rashes and skin breakdown.

Thanks to harsh winds and extreme temperature changes, your body’s ability to produce the sebum and lipids that keep your skin hydrated is reduced during the winter months, and your skin literally dries out. And if you’re really unlucky, your dry skin can be accompanied by things like peeling and cracking, thanks to the weather exacerbating dermatitis skin conditions like eczema. Indoor heating makes the situation even worse as the dry, hot air sucks any remaining moisture out of your skin. After all of this, you may think that it’s nearly impossible to combat winter dry skin, but that’s not true. There are things you can do to make sure that your skin’s supple glow makes it through the winter unscathed.

Simple lifestyle changes can help prevent and relieve dry skin.

Moisturize, and then moisturize some more, and then…

…moisturize some more! This cannot be understated. The lovely, light “oil of essence” or whatever it is you use in summertime is not going to work as well in the winter.

If you normally use a water-based moisturiser, and you continue using it in winter, it is the perfect way to end up with dreaded “ashy” skin. In winter, choose moisturisers that’s oil based instead, preferably in cream form. Creams are better at combating dry, ashy skin than oils are. Oil-based cream moisturisers will literally create a protective seal on the skin that will protect you from extreme cold and dry heat. They may not be the preferred option at other times of year, but petrolatum based products are often used during the winter to treat the most severe cases of dry skin due to their staying power on the skin.

Choose lotions that contain ceramides. Ceramides are naturally occurring lipids in your skin’s outer layer that help it retain moisture. Low ceramide levels in your skin mean that your skin is more vulnerable to drying out. Lotions enriched with with these lipids can help replenish their levels in your skin, resulting in softer, more moisturized skin that is protected from wind and cold.

Many people love shea butter for its ability to give them rich, supple skin in even the harshest weather conditions. Many people use it on the face as well, although some people feel it clogs their facial pores. You be the judge. Extra-virgin coconut oil is another great, natural skin moisturiser that can do wonders in the cold winter months by keeping the skin supple and soft. Many night creams are oil based, so in a pinch, you can use those.

PREPARE YOUR SKIN FOR WINTER

Influence of the winter season on the skin

by Christina Louis Huet, 3rd January 2017

Vitamin A for Skin Repair

Oranges, carrots, cantaloupe for example have elements essential to improve dry, flaky skin due to their high level of vitamin A. You can also find it in leafy greens, eggs, and low-fat dairy foods. Skin product improved with vitamin A can make your wrinkles and brown spots look better. Those products, called retinoids, are common prescription treatments for acne and other skin conditions.

Cooked pumpkin is one of the top sources of beta-carotene. The body converts beta-carotene into vitamin A (a half cup of cooked pumpkin packs nearly 400% of your daily value for A), which is essential for the growth of skin cells. This, in turn, “helps keep skin soft, smooth and wrinkle-free,” says nutritionist Drayer.

Vitamin C: Power Over the Sun

The sun can be tough on your skin. Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid can help protect you. It also helps undo sun damage to collagen and elastin, which firm up your skin. Get vitamin C from red bell peppers, citrus fruits, papayas, kiwis, greens, brussels sprouts, blackcurrants, strawberries, blueberries, broccoli, guava and pomegranate. When pomegranate is topically applied, the incredible antioxidant, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory and anti-aging-rich fruit properties may promote the production of collagen and elastin, encourage radiant skin, while speeding healing. It is a favourite in anti-aging and sun care products. Early research also shows that ellagic acid, an antioxidant abundant in strawberries, protects the elastic fibres that keep skin from sagging.

Kiwi, this little fruit packs a wallop of vitamin C—nearly 120% of your daily needs in one medium kiwi. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition demonstrated a diet high in vitamin C was associated with less dryness and less noticeable wrinkles.

Vitamin E: Booster of Skin Health

Another antioxidant that may help save your skin from sun damage and inflammation is vitamin E, also known as gamma tocopherol. Get it from vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, olives, spinach, asparagus, and leafy greens.

Eating a handful of almonds every day boosts levels of vitamin E. You'll get a surge in moisture too--a boon for those prone to dryness. However sunflower seeds are one of the best natural sources of this antioxidant, which works hard to fight free radical damage within the body.

Fight Free Radicals with CoQ10

Your body makes a key antioxidant called Coenzyme Q10. But as you get older, you make less of it. It's involved in making energy and helping your cells work. You can find CoQ10 in fish like salmon and tuna, poultry, organ meats like liver, and whole grains. If you use a skin product that has CoQ10, it may help soften wrinkles and other signs of aging. Older individuals will require the advanced version, Ubiquinol CoQ10.

Two minerals Selenium and Zinc contribute to healthy skin cells promoting repair and softness protection against sun damage and age spots. They are respectively sourced in broccoli, eggs, fish, nuts, shellfish and tomatoes; lean red meat, poultry, seeds and whole grains.

Beans or legumes

Don’t forget to add beans to your skin beauty regimen. Legumes, as source of proteins, help repair cells that have suffered free radical damage. During digestion, protein breaks down into amino acids, the building blocks of cells. Amino acids help to speed the repair and regeneration of skin cells and collagen.

Whole grains

Whole grain bread, pasta, and cereal are surprisingly high in antioxidants (whole wheat cereal, for example, contains a comparable amount to most fruits and vegetables) and “eating additional antioxidants is key to youth-proofing your complexion, says Drayer."The levels of the body's natural antioxidants decrease with age, so adding them to your diet becomes even more important."

Tomatoes

Reach for tomatoes. A German study found that lycopene-rich tomato paste helped participants prevent sunburn when they combined it with olive oil, taking 5 tablespoons daily for ten weeks. Even better, skin had more collagen. Another reason to toss an extra tomato into your salad: German scientists report that higher skin levels of this antioxidant correlate to fewer fine lines and furrows.

Soya

Fine wrinkles and skin firmness improved after women in their late 30s and early 40s ate foods like tempeh that contain the soy isoflavone known as aglycone, found one study. Volunteers consumed an amount of aglycone comparable to 3 ounces of tempeh a day for 12 weeks.

Soya, like tempeh or tofu, is a good substitute to meat and poultry.

In addition, eat lots of alkaline-rich fruits and vegetables. Alkaline minerals like calcium, potassium, and magnesium are what keep our skin, hair, teeth, and bones strong and healthy. If your diet is not balanced and contains too many acidic foods, your body will leach off of the alkaline minerals available to it. Eating more alkaline-rich foods will help restore this balance and keep these important nutrients available. Use the following link The Definitive Acid & Alkaline Food Chart to assist you.

After 'what foods to eat', then 'what to drink'

We shall not repeat it enough, drinking water is vital to our inside body. Six, eight glasses to 2 litres of water a day will flush away toxins from the digestive system and leaves your skin with a healthier glow, plum because hydrated and firm, meaning more youthful looking. But there’s another reason to fill up on water over other drinks: you’ll save yourself from sugary drinks and juices.

Green tea is also great for your skin. It is rich in antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties. It can help your skin look clearer, can even help prevent the sun from burning your skin.

Herbal teas of any flavour can go toward your water intake as long as they have not been sweetened.

End of part 1

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Guadeloupe-born Christina Louis-Huet is a highly experienced, qualified beauty therapist and Gaze specialist who has studied and graduated in France. She is currently working in London.

In my precedent article, we saw that the cold weather months can bring on a lot of changes to our skin. And, sometimes it's hard to achieve a good skin because of winter. But, the good news is, it is definitely possible to look and feel flawless no matter what the weather is, no matter what time of the year it is!

We try to achieve perfect dermatological harmony where creams, gels, exfoliating scrubs and moisturisers have their place but they cannot replace the benefits placed in the foods we eat to bring that desirable skin vibrancy.

Most of the things we eat are unnecessary to our survival, body and skin. Would not our skin look better if we could just streamline our diet and put the good things in?

Naughty sugar and how it affects skin

In the fight against aging, scientists have tried to understand the aging process. They have understood that sugar, either found in an apple or biscuits, is an aging factor in that its transformation in the body is not without consequences. They call it ‘glycation’. Glycation is a natural process in which the sugar in your bloodstream attaches to proteins, forming harmful new molecules called advanced glycation end products (ironically, AGEs for short).

“Too much glycation allegedly degrades collagen and elastin, causing them to harden and lose elasticity in the same way rust weakens and degrades metal…” “which is a huge factor in determining how resistant your skin will be to wrinkling” explained dermatologist Dr. Ellen Marmur, MD and RealAge.

You can guess that AGEs go off the roof when eating the wrong types of food. The only solution is ditching, with no remorse at all, sugar (snow white and brown), white bread, pasta and rice, flavoured and fizzy drinks, coke and juices, crackers and other food in this category, sweets, fried food, ice cream, fruit juice, ketchup, cream cheese, jam, pizza, hormones laden dairy products, breakfast cereals and snacks, pretzels, potato chips, cookies and cakes, etc., which leads to what Dr. Perricone describes as “a burst of inflammation throughout the body.” Most of us have an inflammated body. It’s time we be reasonable by clearing our cupboards and refrigerators of products better that should be better left on the shelves of the stores than in your homes.

Plus, the more sugar you eat, the more likely it is you’ll develop insulin resistance. So, watch for hidden sugars on packaging.

Understanding the glycemic index, the scale which determines how quickly blood sugar levels rise after ingesting particular foods (hence, the high- and low-glycemic labels), is key to making the right choices for your skin. You can eat plenty vegetables, whole grains, sweet potatoes, and most fruits that are low glycemic-index foods.

Your body needs fats, the good ones

Omega-3s and omega-6s are good fats that help make your skin's natural oil barrier, keeping away dryness and blemishes. Essential fatty acids are not synthetised by the body and have to be ingested. Their presence in the cell membranes promote water retention. Healthy fats help the body absorb essential vitamins and restore or maintain an ideal hormone balance.

Salmon and sardines that are high in omega 3 fatty acids, create strong skin cells, improve skin elasticity, and help prevent wrinkles. Olive oil is the number one of all oils but only buy first cold pressed or extra virgin olive oil quality to get the benefits in flavour and health. A Lancet Oncology study found that extra virgin olive oil support skin resistance to UV damage. Walnuts are a rich source of Omega-3s of the alpha linolenic acid type, a key component of the lubricating layer that keeps skin moist and supple. It aids put shine in your hair and aid in making skin smoother and younger looking. Walnuts are especially important for vegetarians who are skipping fish.

No healthy Cells without your ACE antioxidants

Antioxidants are important to slowing and preventing free-radical damage. You can find them in all kinds of foods, especially colorful fruits and vegetables and beans.

A FRESH AND VIBRANT GLOWING LOOKING SKIN - Part 1

by Christina Louis-Huet, 26 April 2017