Snow. Here in the North, we are getting lots of the fluffy white stuff, along with bitterly cold weather and biting winds.
Add to this the dry heat that many people experience in their homes and workplaces, and you will likely start to see some changes in your skin, specifically dryness.
Dry skin is not only caused by environmental stresses such as weather, but also because of poor nutrition.
Here are 5 nutrition tips to keep your skin moist and soft:
- Hydrate! When cells are dehydrated, they lose their plumpness and structure. Make sure you are drinking at least 1.5 quarts of water a day (alcohol and caffeinated beverages don't count!) Limit alcohol, coffee, tea, sugar and saturated fat. Alcohol dehydrates the skin, and sugar hastens the aging process. Caffeinated beverages can move fluid out of the body, worsening dehydration.
- Eat foods rich in essential fatty acids (good fats) such as fish, nuts and seeds. For more severe conditions, consider supplementing with fish, flaxseed or evening primrose oil. Coconut Oil is an amazing way to keep your skin moisturized and beautiful. You can eat it, or put it right on your skin as a moisturizer. It is a very gentle and effective make up remover as well.
- Eat fruits and veggies that are high in vitamin content. Vitamin C is essential for collagen production, which helps to keep the skin supple. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people who ate foods rich in Vitamin C had fewer wrinkles and less age related dry skin than those who had a diet low in Vitamin C. In addition to Vitamin C, fruits and vegetables contain other important minerals and vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, potassium and antioxidants to fight the aging process. A good multivitamin and mineral supplement can also help if you are unable to get the required amounts of fruits and vegetables into your diet.
- Look into poor calcium metabolism - calcium is a drying mineral, and if it's not processed properly, it can get dumped into the "wrong places", including the skin. To find out if you are metabolizing calcium correctly or not, get a hair mineral analysis done by a qualified health practitioner.
- Look into your thyroid health, as low thyroid hormone levels (hypo-thryoidism) can cause many symptoms, one of which is dry skin. An underactive thyroid prevents the essential fatty acids from being used properly. A simple blood test done by your health care practitioner can let you know if you are hypo-thyroid or not. Once diagnosed, in addition to medication, there are many ways nutritionally to help you with the symptoms.
It's not only what you put on your skin
While cold weather and nutrition can be two very important reasons why you have dry skin, you may also need to dig deeper in your health to see what is causing your skin to become dry. Things like vitamin and mineral deficiencies, gluten and other food sensitivities and intolerances see the effect of those on their skin. Be aware of what you are putting on your skin as well - Harsh chemicals, including skin care and personal care items, such as soaps, bleach, and household cleansers wreak havoc on our skin. Skin is our largest organ and it only takes 26 seconds for something put on the skin to be absorbed into our body.
The saying 'you are what you eat' can also be adapted to 'you are what your body can absorb'
What are your favorite natural skin care items? What do you do to keep weather from affecting your skin?
