Nourish your skin
BESIDES giving your skin the loving, tender care it needs, you have to nourish and protect it as well. Here are three key ingredients that you must provide your skin with daily:
Water
This component is necessary for many vital functions. These include enabling cells to absorb nutrients, aiding in the functioning of metabolic processes, flushing toxins out of the body, removing impurities from the skin that can lead to pimples, and hydrating skin to keep it plump and smooth.
Water is continually expelled from the body through various biological processes. Therefore, we need to consume a recommended six to eight glasses of water daily to replace the loss.
Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) An important constituent of a healthy diet, EFAs are essential for building the lipid-based cell membranes that retain water and nutrients within the cell, and act as a barrier protecting skin against UV damage and pollutants. If you lack EFAs, your skin-cell membranes can’t function effectively.
EFAs consist primarily of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-6 is found in many types of food like grains, edible oils and poultry.
Omega-3 isn’t as readily available, and is found in food such as cold-water fish, like salmon and sardines, flaxseed oils, kidney beans, walnuts and spinach.
Antioxidants
Every cell in our bodies requires antioxidants to stay healthy. Found in foods such as fruits, vegetables, wheatgerm, nuts and oils, antioxidants help fight the free radicals that destroy healthy cells.
Antioxidant-rich foods contain skin-beautifying ingredients like vitamin A, C, E, selenium, thiamine, beta-carotene and zinc. Vitamin C is essential for building collagen for firm skin, while vitamin E protects cell membranes and fights UV damage. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network