What to Eat for a Healthier Complexion

While some vitamin-fortified skin care products undoubtedly give your complexion a boost, if you're not eating a healthy, balanced diet, you're just putting a band-aid on the problem.

Over the Counter Skin Care Products

You should never put anything on your skin that you wouldn't eat. Period.

Most topical skin care products certainly don't fall into that category. The surface of your skin is porous, allowing substances to pass in and out. This means that a portion of whatever you put on your skin is going to end up beneath your skin and in your bloodstream where it will be transported to your organs.

There's a lot of debate out there about which product ingredients are safe and which ones are not. We usually hear that these ingredients are safe in small doses. However, we are not given any information about the lasting effects these small doses have as a result of long-term usage.

Could they actually cause skin damage or irritation?
Do they dehydrate your skin over time?
Do the preservatives in these products have a permanent effect on your internal organs?
Do these small, inconsequential daily doses amount to large daily doses when you use 3 or 4 products that contain the same ingredient?

We don't know if any of these scenarios are true because these products' long-term usage effects aren't tested. That's the scary part. If any of them are true, however, we're certainly traveling in the wrong direction in our quest for beauty.

Edible Skin Care Products

Skin care doesn't get any more natural and long-lasting than a healthy diet. There are no potentially harmful ingredients... just antioxidants and vitamins that beautify us from the inside out.

Antioxidants

There are free radicals roaming around in your body. They form as a result of exposure to pollution, cigarette smoke, strong sunlight, and your body's normal, everyday metabolic processes. These villainous little chemicals damage your body's delicate tissues and cell membranes. This is what contributes to the aging process. Even worse, however, is the fact that free radicals can also damage DNA, which medical scientists believe can contribute to a whole gamut of major diseases including:

Cancer
Heart disease
Atherosclerosis
Rheumatoid arthritis
Lung disease
Etc.

Fortunately, your body has a built-in free radical defense system that can battle the harmful effects of free radicals. Your job is to give it some extra ammunition to work with. Antioxidants disarm free radicals in your body, thereby reducing your risk of suffering from one of the major diseases listed above as well as slowing the ageing process.

Vitamins

Vitamins are another hero in the battle against free radicals. Vitamins and minerals really need to be taken as a package because your body needs them all. Some, however, are especially good for your skin. These are Vitamin B complex, folate and Vitamins A, C and E.

The functions of Vitamin B complex are... well... complex, but cell division is a big one when it comes to your skin. Get it from meat, fish, milk, etc.

Folate is also important for cell division. It's also necessary for B12 to do its job. Some of the best sources are beans and dark green vegetables.

Vitamin A, an antioxidant, repairs tissues. Get your fill from liver, sweet potatoes, carrots, mangoes, spinach, cantaloupe, dried apricots, milk, egg yolks and mozzarella cheese.

Vitamin C is a key antioxidant that assists in the formation of collagen. Vitamin C is found in kiwi, strawberries, oranges, blackberries, cantaloupe, watermelon, lime, peaches, bananas, apples, lemon, grapes, peppers and brussel sprouts.

Vitamin E is another antioxidant that chases down free radicals out to damage your body's cells. Get it from sunflower seeds, almonds, spinach, olives, papaya, greens and blueberries.

There are no tricks, secrets, or shortcuts. The best way to get a healthy body and a gorgeous complexion is to eat a healthy, balanced diet rich in antioxidants and essential vitamins.