We can improve the health of our skin, hair, and nails by nourishing its basic qualities – we need to keep it well-hydrated, well-oiled, and acidic.
Be in the sunlight and fresh air every day for at least an hour (build up gradually to avoid sunburn). Stop covering your skin with makeup or sunblock – avoid sunburn by a combination of building your tolerance to strong sunlight, by increasing your exposure gradually day by day, and by covering up with clothes and hats and staying in the shade when you’ve reached your limit. We need the vitamin D our skin makes from sunlight for the health of our skin as well as the rest of the body – it is essential for good immune functioning of the skin itself.Vitamin D on Human Health
Keep yourself well-hydrated. Aim to drink eight glasses of water a day, with a little pinch of good quality sea salt or Himalayan salt in some of them if needed. If this seems an impossible huge amount because you currently drink very little water, make a start by gradually increasing how much you drink. Cutting out alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, and sugar, and reducing salty foods, will help you stay fully hydrated. Water as an essential nutrient
Up the omegas. Essential fatty acids, especially omega-3s, are needed to make quality sebum and therefore protect the skin. Omega-3 essential fatty acids are needed for healthy cell membranes and are the key ingredient of the body’s own anti-inflammatory homemade drugs. A lack of them is very common today and can be the main underlying cause of any inflammation – based problem anywhere in the body (including skin and joint inflammation, asthma, heart disease, and even cancer).
They are found in dark green leafy vegetables, seeds – such as flaxseed, chia seeds, and nettle seeds; walnuts; soybeans; and non-vegetable sources, including eggs.Health benefits of Omega - 3 Fatty Acids
Do what you can do to reduce stress. Stress is a major cause of illness. The skin is so rich in nervous tissue, and so tied up in our self-image and our relationship with the outer world, that it is very reactive to stress. The fight-or flight reaction of our sympathetic nervous symptom affects the skin powerfully: to protect us from serious harm during potential danger, the blood vessels in the skin constrict tightly, to ensure minimum bleeding if we are cut. This means if we are stressed a lot (or all) of the time, the skin has a chronically diminished blood supply, which impairs its ability to excrete toxins and obtain the nutrients it needs for rejuvenation and healthful functioning. De-stressing your life as much as you can therefore be essential for the health of your skin (and everything else). Having fun and learning to actively express love and appreciation for ourselves and others – including our children, and friends – counters stress. One major cause of stress is giving ourselves a hard time. Many of us suffer low self-esteem. Cultivating self-love and acceptance counters habits of self-criticism, blame, and self-doubt. Loving ourselves means we are more able to love others. This requires a lifetime commitment.Stress and Health
Give your face some love with a face massage. While applying oil to your face, massage your jaws and your eyebrows to release stress. Do some “face yoga” by alternating between a big smile and a kissing posture. Remember to breathe. Firmly but lightly scratch your head, then pull your fingers to the ends of your hair, all over your scalp. Gentle massage your ears. Finish by stroking your face gently and lovingly.
Plan a detox diet for a month, to eliminate toxins and problem foods from your diet. After the period of detoxifying, reintroduce foods gradually, one at a time, in order to observe the effects. Sometimes, especially with severe or longstanding chronic skin conditions, there might not be much improvement in the initial time of cutting the food out, but if you reintroduce a food you are tolerant to after having a break from it, usually the skin will react with a flare-up, telling you that it’s best to cut that food our for a long period, and perhaps take steps to heal your gut.essential nutrients
Strike a pose with the specific yoga asanas (poses) recommended for the skin: Dhanurasana (Bow Pose), good for promoting circulation in the whole body, encourages lymph drainage, therefore detoxifying by pressure on the abdomen, and is a very good stress-reducer. Shoulder stand, plow, and downward dog are all helpful, due to their powerful effect on the circulation. The deep relaxation of Shavasana (lying flat on your back, hands at your sides, facing the ceiling switches on your parasympathetic nervous system – the state of deep relaxation in which all repair, rejuvenation, and healing happen.Benefits of Yoga
Dry skin brushing has a good general tonic actin for the skin, because keeping it clear of too many dead cells and stimulation of the lymphatic and circulatory systems will help keep the skin clear of toxins and supplied with plenty of nutrients for repair and rejuvenation.lymphatic system
Keep the skin well-oiled. Sesame oil is the most compatible with human skin. Try a routine of dry skin brushing, followed by shower- only using soap if needed on the smellier parts of your body, but not all over, or try a soap-free cleanser. After the shower, apply oil all over your body, rubbing it in well – in Ayurvedic medicine it is recommended to rub downward, all over your body, to “pacify the Vata”. Once a week or as you have time, give yourself a thorough oiling by applying generous amounts of oil all over your body for twenty minutes, then take a warm shower.
Consider supplementing. Useful vitamins and minerals for the skin are vitamins C, D, and E (which are antioxidants), and vitamin C for collagen formation. Vitamin A is needed to maintain and repair skin. The B vitamin biotin is needed in the formation of skin, hair, and nail cells. Even a mild deficiency of it can cause problems. Niacin, and other B vitamins, help the skin stay hydrated. Silica makes children’s skin and hair soft and silky, and their nails perfect. As we age, silica levels decrease as calcium levels increase. Silica is an essential component of collagen, and it is also essential for the elasticity in our skin; it also helps keep our hormones balances, which is necessary for healthy skin, hair, and nails. Selenium is protective against skin cancer. Copper and zinc, along with vitamin C and silica, are involved in the development of the elastic fibers of the skin. Zinc is also essential for all tissue regeneration and healing. It is necessary to have a good amount of these nutrients in your diet, but also they are healing and regenerating for the skin when applied externally – you can make use of the nutrient packed name fruit and vegetables by making delicious fresh fruit face packs.