Healthier Skin from the Inside Out: Natural Solutions for Dry Skin
By Dr. Pamela Frank, BSc(Hons), ND
You’ve applied a ton of moisturizer and still you have dry skin? That’s because the health of your skin is determined by internal factors as well as external factors like cold, dry winter air. Maintaining healthy, soft skin means addressing the internal and external factors that affect your skin.
Water
Water moisturizes your skin from the inside out. Every one of your skin cells is like a little bag of water. If you don’t take in enough water, your skin cells may look more like dry, shriveled up raisins instead of plump, moist grapes.
EFA’s
The shell of your skin cells is an oily layer that helps hold water in and selects what is allowed to enter and exit your cells. Taking in healthy fats, called essential fatty acids, helps build a healthy shell that keeps moisture in. Eating Omega 3 fatty acids from whole foods like eggs, nuts and seeds and fish are especially important when dry winter air hits.
Vitamin A, C & E
Because of their antioxidant value, vitamins A, C and E are important for healthy skin. The antioxidant effect helps fight free radicals and oxidative stress that can damage your skin. Topical vitamin C cream has also been shown to improve skin quality and fight aging.
Make it edible
I always recommend that you only use products on your skin that you would put in your belly. At least 25% of the chemicals that you apply to your skin are absorbed into your blood stream and the liver must then detoxify them and remove them. The chemicals in moisturizers can have unwanted estrogen like effects. I like extra virgin organic coconut oil to protect my face and lips from winter’s dryness and wind because it’s edible (hello, it’s going on my lips!) and it has anti-inflammatory effects.
Exfoliation
Scrubbing your skin can damage it because it strips off protective oils that keep moisture in, creating redness and inflammation. Exfoliation also removes superficial layers of skin before the underneath layers are ready, exposing tender new skin cells to the elements before their time. Gently cleaning your skin with a washcloth and water and following that with an edible moisturizer is more soothing and gentle on your skin.