your skin is an ôr-gan.
how to help your body give you the skin you want.
I have loved science for as long as I can remember, so it’s no surprise that I have a deeeeep fascination for the body’s largest organ, the skin. The details of how it functions on a day to day basis blows my mind! Unfortunately, the fascination and respect that I have for this organ also comes with a bit of frustration. Skin is often looked at as just this exterior shell when in actuality is is a living, and very active extension of our bodies. When it breaks out or gets dark spots it’s actually doing what it was designed to do with the exact situation at hand. Here are the top three things that you can do to help your skin help you.
wear sunscreen everyday.
I get it...I really, really do! When skin has that bronze glow it seems to look soooo much better! Not to mention, most of the time spent acquiring it has to do with having fun outside. The problem is that that glow is actually an indication that you have damaged your skin and it’s in protection mode. It is triggering its malenin production producing its own type of sunscreen against the sun’s UV rays. If the damage accumulates over time this “sunscreen” can stick around causing unevenness in the skins tone or unsightly age spots. I’m sure you’ve heard that the sun’s rays are divided into UV-A and UV-B rays. The UV-B rays are the ones that cause you to burn and are the ones most commonly thought about. (Sunburns can hurt! )The UV-A rays are the ones that typically cause all the problems. Since UV-A rays are longer they hit us even on cold, cloudy days and penetrate the skin deeper causing damage all the way into the tissue’s DNA sequencing. This can cause mutations(skin cancer) and result in some serious lines and wrinkles. I’m always telling people that SPF is the best anti-aging product you can use as taking this preventative measure will save a lot of money in skincare procedures later on.
wash your face at night.
Do you ever wonder why in facials we dim down the lights? Yes, it promotes relaxation, but there is also more of a scientific reason behind it. When the body is at rest the circulation in your skin increases causing it to regenerate and heal itself. This also allows for skincare nutrients to be received or penetrate a bit better. Another reason this is important is at the end of the day our face ends up being one of the dirtiest places on our body! Generally speaking it is always exposed to the pollution, dirt, and bacteria that we are surrounded by every day. This can cause pores to become clogged and actually age the skin itself. Washing your face at night therefore will help you to achieve those skin goals much easier!
you are what you eat.
Nutrition and the skin is one of my favorite topics! I could go on about this particular subject for a veeeery long time. (Don’t worry I won’t.lol)What you put into your body is going to have a direct effect on your skin just like any other organ. So if you’re eating tons of sugar, dairy, processed foods or any other inflammatories (nightshade veggies are a big culprit for some) your skin is very likely going to become inflamed as well. Eating improperly doesn’t just cause inflammation, but can also cause a process called glycation. Glycation happens when there is an excess presence of glucose in the skin’s fibers. This triggers a reaction in which the sugar molecules adhere to the skin’s proteins, collagen and elastin, and breaks them down. This causes the skin to age much quicker and gives it that crepey look.
Soooo at the end of the day, ask not what your skin can do for you, but what you can do for your body. It will reward you in the end!
