“Healthy skin isn’t always flawless and flawless skin isn’t always healthy.” Andy Milward.
A recent Tik Tok video (to me they are all recent) shows a young woman with horrible skin applying several layers of makeup, transforming her face into a gorgeous geisha. The problem, of course, is that the makeup has to eventually come off. How much more preferable would it be to know that your natural skin is radiant, fresh and healthy. Health is your greatest wealth and healthy skin is real, pure, natural beauty.
The skin is the largest organ in the body and like other organs, if not given a proper maintenance milieu in which to thrive, can feel, look and function at less than optimum levels. Then out come the band aids as folks try to reverse unhealthy skin with products, like acids, chemicals or high dose Vitamin A that actually, for many people, can irritate or aggravate unhealthy skin.
So what exactly is healthy skin and how do you keep this organ at its best. “Skintellectuals” often toss around terms like skin immunity, microbiome, cleanical skin or prebiotics, but healthy skin involves several angles and aspects that combine to optimize your health.
- First, do no harm. I always refer to the four S’s: Smoking, Sun, Sugar, and Senescence (hard to avoid but easier to treat) as causing the most grief to this organ.
- Secondly, understand that skincare means healthcare…from the inside out. This, of course, means the usual when it comes to eating properly, exercising, getting the proper amount of vitamins and Omegas, avoiding toxins like alcohol, etc. Many well known and common health conditions are associated with an unhealthy reflection in the skin.
- Thirdly, strengthen the skin barrier. The strength and health of the skin depends on the strength and heath of each cell and their membranes. Nurturing, hydrating and strengthening the cell and its membrane is critical and creates a functional skin barrier, one that keeps all important hydration in and irritants, microbes and pollutants out. This, for example, is where Omega 3s or ceramides play a significant role.
- Fourth, replace what is depleted, whether by time or toxins. Healthy skin needs to have several lost essentials restored. Vitamin C, moisture, collagen, antioxidants are just a few protectors that need to be addressed for most people.
- Finally, one size does not fit all, and so specific conditions need to be addressed, ranging from eczema and dryness to inflammatory conditions such as rosacea and acne. While some conditions like psoriasis or pigmentation issues may not be cured, they can certainly be controlled.
For real skin health, make sure you read the label of your skincare products looking for effective and protective formulations containing; Vitamin C; niacinamide (Vitamin B3); hyaluronic acid; collagen enhancing peptides and Omega 3 or ceramides.
“Happy skin, happy within.”