Simple steps to keep your skin protected against the cold
As the cosy nights draw in and the winter chill descends it’s a time to pay greater attention to our skin. Windy days, central heating and lack of good sunshine may leave us dreaming for a brighter and more hydrated complexion. With festivities and all the enjoyable food and alcohol, our skin can end up looking a little neglected. This is how I advise my clients to winter-proof their skin to feel good on the inside and look great on the outside.
Skin hydration
Our skin needs plentiful amounts of omega 3 to stay looking thirst-quenched, soft and glowing.
It’s also required to balance female hormones and may be helpful at keeping breakouts at bay.
Because Omega 3 are ‘essential’ they must come from diet or supplementation. This means you need to be eating 2-3 portions of oily fish per week. Fish such as:
- Mackerel
- Sardines
- Salmon
- Trout
- Herring
Be honest with yourself, if you are not hitting this target then you either need to make more of a conscious effort to increase oily fish or to supplement.
Other oils - such as those from nuts, seeds or avocado -are also beneficial but people do tend to lack omega 3 oils the most!
Healing minerals
Zinc and selenium are excellent skin nourishing and repairing minerals. But the body also has an increased requirement to support the immune system.
If your reserves are low, the body will cleverly prioritise your remaining zinc and selenium so that immune cells can, say, fight a virus. This is at the expense of your skin health.
Therefore, to avoid this happening, replenishing these minerals even more so during the winter months is important.
Foods that contain these minerals include:
- Fish
- Meat
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Vegetables
Alcohol
Alcohol is especially drying and ageing to the skin.
This doesn’t mean you cannot enjoy a glass of wine with friends but you should help to support your body detoxify naturally, especially when drinking more around the festive period.
For more ways to embrace the season well see 'Henrietta's must-haves for winter'.
