The healthy skin you have is frequently put to task by the sun, climate and several other factors like hormonal imbalances, any other underlying conditions, improper diet and lifestyle. Consequently, the hunt for a wonder drug that can bestow a blissful skin that has an everlasting glow and beauty seems never ending. Well, not to worry, you are just 8 steps away from fair skin:
1. Your kitchen is the most economical beauty store – make a fine paste of oatmeal powder and curd. Add a few spoons of rose water and mix well. Apply this face pack for 15 minutes and wash off thoroughly with plain water. This is an effective treatment for pigmentation.
2. Aroma oils offer most magical fairness treatments possible. A combo of lavender oil, tea tree oil, and almond oil when used as a night application removes black patches, tanned skin and provides an excellent treatment for pigmentation.
3. For those adamant dark circles and allergic suntan, a combination of egg white with few drops of lemon juice can be used as a face pack. This removes accumulated dust and instantly gives you a bright and beautiful
4. Resveratrol is an important beauty tonic that rejuvenates skin cells and restores proper melanin metabolism. Pistachios, black grapes, berries, dark chocolates, and pomegranate are well-known sources of Resveratrol. Include these in your daily diet for best results.
5. Neem is a natural anti-oxidant and best skin tonic. In combination with tulasi (basil) leaves makes a promising treatment for pigmentation. Make a thick paste of neem leaves, basil leaves and rose water – apply as a face pack for 15 minutes and wash off thoroughly.
6. Bananas and cocoa are a traditional combination for treating pigmentation, both internally and externally. Make a good pulpy paste of banana fruit and mix with cocoa extract, (available as aroma oil also) and apply as a face pack for good results.
7. Strawberries are as therapeutic as they are beautiful. Daily consumption of strawberries maintains a fair and beautiful skin.
8. Coconut milk is nature’s gift for those who want a tanfree and fair skin. Make a habit of washing your face with plain coconut milk for five minutes. Also, turmeric and coconut milk face pack can be beneficial as well.
If you have always believed that creamy chocolates and tasty French fries were the culprits behind your acne problem, guess what?? You are not entirely correct.
This does not imply that food has got nothing to do with acne. One has to reconcile to the fact that food is one of the many causes of acne, and most of the times it is not the direct cause. For an instance, hormonal changes within the body have the greatest impact on acne formation and high-stress lifestyles can never be ruled out as well.
Acne (medically termed as acne vulgaris), is basically a protrusion of skin, sometimes associated with inflammation caused by a bacteria named propeoneum acnus. But, what actually causes this protrusion?? The story starts with excessive sebum production triggered by various causes including hormonal imbalances, diet, stress etc, which eventually create an environment where the bacteria can feed and multiply. When this is complemented by unclean habits like not washing face properly, not using clean blankets, pillows, etc., leaves an oily coat on the skin. Gradually, this forms a dirty paste in the pores of the skin and attracts the bacteria, leading to acne.
However, right eating can help manage these unwanted visitors:
• Fatty fishes – Fish is always a great source of essential fatty acids like omega-3 and omega-6. These acids help reduce inflammation in our bodies that can trigger cells to clog pores and potentially cause acne.
• Nuts – Deficiencies in minerals such as zinc and selenium, vitamin E, copper, magnesium, manganese, potassium, calcium and iron which are all essential for healthy skin.
• Avocado – This tasty green fruit, rich in vitamin E, can also increase your skin’s vitality. Avocado is also a good source of vitamin C, which can reduce skin inflammation and naturally moisturize the skin.
• Fennel – If you are looking for the perfect natural cleanser, eat fennel. This liquorice tasting root vegetable can improve digestion, reduce swelling and help to flush out excess fluids and toxins in your skin.
• Red grapes – And yes, you can eat the seeds. The fruit and seed contain powerful natural chemicals and anti-oxidants that have been shown to treat anti- inflammatory skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema.
• Brown rice – Rich source of vitamin B, protein, magnesium and several anti oxidants. For acne, acts as our skin’s stress fighter, which will help regulate hormones levels and prevent the likelihood of breakouts.
• Garlic – it is another super food that helps fight inflammation. Garlic is full of naturally occurring chemical called allicin, which kills of many harmful bacteria and viruses your body might be fighting.
• Broccoli – it is the perfect skin clearing food. It contains health building properties like vitamin A, B complex, C, E and K. These anti oxidants fight radical damage which will assist with the luminosity of your skin.
• Honey – apart from providing nourishment to your skin, plays the role of an anti-septic. It releases low levels of hydrogen peroxide that has excellent disinfecting properties. In addition to this, its high sugar concentration crushes the bacteria’s ability to multiply.
Diet + suitable product + physical exercise is the mantra for a clear and acne free skin. With the myths and taboos nailed around acne, here are few points that can show you the way. Diet + suitable product + physical exercise is the mantra for a clear and acne free skin. With the myths and taboos nailed around acne, here are few points that can show you the way.
A damaged skin is every person’s worst nightmare. The last thing you want before a weekend get-together with your friends is an unappealing face. Don’t worry, we’re here to help. No food can have the same effect on every person. For example, chocolate may cause breakouts in one person but cheese may spark acne in another. While each person responds differently to certain types of foods, there are specific foods that are known to trigger certain reactions and the severity of each reaction depends on the diet and lifestyle of an individual.
Check out the popular list of foods that can possibly cause acne.
1. High fat/high-sugar foods
Several studies reveal that a highsugar/high-fat diet can increase sebum production and promote inflammatory responses in the body which can eventually cause acne.
This means that even though evidence is inconclusive that a diet high in sugars and fatty foods causes acne breakouts, there is a correlation between overindulging in sugary foods and the fact that those individuals tend to have more acne breakouts compared with people who eat a diet high in other types of fresh foods (i.e., fresh fruits and vegetables).
2. Spicy Foods
Many blame spicy foods (or spicefilled foods, particularly those with red chillies and other hot spices) for acne breakouts. In fact, a 2006 Jordanian study that was published in the Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, showed that acne patients tend to link spices to worsening of acne and breakouts.
However, the evidence is still rather inconclusive, and well-controlled studies between diet and acne aren’t prevalent enough to point to spicy foods as a direct acne cause. In fact, most doctors and dermatologists state that its’ more common for factors like cosmetics, fluctuating hormones (i.e., during premenstruation) and family history of acne to lead to frequent breakouts and severe cases of acne.
3. Cheese
A body of research has also found a link between cheese (or dairy) and acne breakouts. According to research from the book The Clear Skin Diet, “[Certain foods] trigger your body to make a burst of the hormone insulin, which help your cells absorb sugar… if throughout the day you’re pushing your blood sugar up high and fast [by eating a lot of sugary foods]… you’re going to have more insulin circulating in your bloodstream.In fact, a 2007 study published by the American Academy of Dermatology, backs this link between dairy and acne. The study monitored 43 young men (many teens) with acne over a 3-month period. Researchers discovered that those men who consumed a low glycemic diet (measuring blood sugars regularly)
4. Nuts
Although nuts are often pointed at as an acne-triggering food, the verdict is still out on the link between eating nuts and experiencing an acne breakout. In fact most scientific research reveals the link between nuts and acne is still quite unknown.
A collection of studies from the American Academy of Dermatology, which was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that diet is not a direct contributor to acne. It does, however, claim that consumption of a highglycemic diet can contribute to acne breakouts, whereas, science attests that a low-glycemic diet (i.e., high in lean proteins, fresh fruits and vegetables) seem to promote clean, healthy skin with fewer breakouts.
5.Peanut Butter
The research as to whether certain foods cause acne is still largely inconsistent, meaning there is no direct connection between particular foods (i.e., like peanut butter) and the direct result of acne outbreaks. However, that doesn’t stop some acne sufferers from eliminating certain foods from their diets that they believe cause them to breakout.
In fact, when a group of researchers from Melbourne University, too to the campus to interview a group of final year medical students on their beliefs that certain foods cause breakouts, they found that 41-percent believed that diet was directly linked to acne symptoms and frequency of breakouts. The overall belief was that an unhealthy diet creates hormonal imbalances that trigger acne breakouts.
6.Sushi
We’ve already established that a high glycemic (or a diet that raises your insulin levels) can contribute to the severity and frequency of acne breakouts. This is because science tells us that high insulin levels encourage an inflammatory response, in turn triggering the release of acne-promoting hormones.
A scientific review published in the journal, Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, took that one step further by pin-pointing a food considered high glycemic (i.e., rice) and pointing out that eating a lot of rice in your diet can cause increased insulin release and resulting acne. The glycemic index of sushi rice (or white rice) is rather high. For instance, a 1/2 cup serving of cooked white rice has a glycemic index rating of 17 (20 and above is considered a high glycemic food.
7. Milk
Similarly to cheese, milk is considered a culprit for acne, even though there isn’t a lot of evidence to prove that milk is a direct breakout cause. However, that doesn’t stop acne sufferers from eliminating certain food groups in order to try to avoid the severity and frequency of acne outbursts. Multiple scientific studies claim that highly glycemic foods trigger acne, especially when you consider that increased insulin hormones, which help your cells absorb sugar, affect what’s circulating in your bloodstream and what appears on the surface of your skin.
According to a 2007 study published by the American Academy of Dermatology, those who consume a low glycemic diet (full of fresh fruits and vegetables, and lean proteins have less instance of skin breakouts and severity of acne is lessened greatly. The study monitored a group of 43 young men and male teens over a 3-month timeframe
8. Pizza
Pizza face is the unfortunate and cruel nickname for many acne sufferers. Although pimples have no direct correlation to pimples, there exists evidence that acne can from due to hormonal response. This occurs when oils, cells, and debris block the sebaceous glands (which is linked to the skin), clogging soft and healthy pores and causing inflammation and the inevitable pimple.
A review of studies linking diet and acne by Dermatologist William Danby, between 1973 and 1980 found that diet plays an important role in skin health and clarity. In fact, acne is believed to be triggered by diets high in dairy. One easy way to find out if dairy is an acne trigger for you, is to swear off milk, cheese, pizza, and other dairy products for a 6-month stretch to see if the severity or frequency of your acne improves.
9. French Fries
Have you ever wondered how the fatty foods you put in your mouth reemerge on your skin? With foods high in fat, like French fries, the blame is typically placed directly on diet when you eat a fatty, greasy, deep fried plate of fries–you shouldn’t be surprised to end up with a face full of pimples the next day.
Pimples aren’t a direct response to the foods we eat. However, when you eat those French fries, consumed food travels through the digestive system, where it’s broken down into vitamins and nutrients that can be easily absorbed by the body and utilized for energy. However, those foods can trigger a hormonal response, which is what causes acne. For instance, pimples appear when skin and the connective sebaceous glands become clogged (with excess debris, oil, and cells) leaving the area prone to bacteria and yeast, which inflame the pore and cause an embarrassing pimple.
10. Potato chips
According to studies by the Mayo Clinic, certain hormones, as well as foods that cause a hormonal response, can trigger breakouts. For instance, androgen hormones that spike in both male and female teens in puberty can cause sebaceous glands to enlarge, produce excess oils, which in turn clog the pores and turn into pimples. However, other hormonal factors–including diet, the use of oral contraceptives, and pregnancy can also worsen the frequency and severity of acne.
Diet effects acne when the foods you eat (mainly foods high in dairy and carbohydrates) cause an increase in insulin. That is why high glycaemic foods—carbohydrates like crackers, bread, and chips—can spur a face full of acne.
On a fateful day, you find that the lustrous and well-toned skin that has never failed to adorn you, ceases doing it anymore, and you end up diagnosing it as ageing. Now, it’s time to ponder as to how much is your sagging skin really under your control?
With age, like all other organs, skin is also subjected to natural wear and tear. Unfortunately, much of what we think of as natural ageing is in fact due to diet, sun exposure and various other factors that can actually be effectively managed. So, yes! Sagging can be avoided and it’s never too late to start. Our skin is made up of a matrix of fibre comprised of two important proteins – namely, collagen and elastin. Loss of collagen results in wrinkles and loss of elastin results in sagging. Depletion of elastin is caused due to various reas
• Exposure to heat, pollution and UV rays
• Improper lifestyle habits
• Genetic predisposition As is evident from the above fact, sagging can be effectively prevented by taking simple precautions in your diet and lifestyle:
• Olive oil is a rich source of vitamin A and E and invariably promotes building of skin proteins. Apply few drops of olive oil and spread evenly on your skin. Leave it on for ten to fifteen minutes and wipe off with warm water.
• Green tea is one of the richest sources of antioxidants. Apart from curbing down fat, it greatly promotes collagen and elastin synthesis and energizes the skin cells. Making a face pack with green tea bags on a daily basis especially at night, renders tonicity and smoothness to your skin.
• Smile please! – Facial expressions contribute greatly to localised wrinkles and sagging. Face is one of the few places in the human body where some muscles are not attached to any bone at all, especially around the eyes and mouth. So, this explains why these areas show up the signs of ageing first. Smiling calms down and relaxes any tension in the muscle function, agitated due to stress, anger, and depression. Practice relaxation techniques like meditation or try to spend considerable time on your hobby.
• Say yes to rice!! – Against all the accusations on rice eating, rice proves to be a rich source of silica. Silica binds elastin and maintains connectivity in the skin matrix. Consume rice at least once daily (preferably brown rice). Externally, applying a paste of rice flour and rose water as a pack and washing off with normal water after 10 minutes greatly enriches the skin.
• Consumption of beans greatly boosts production of hyaluronic acid, which in turn plays a vital role in elastin and collagen synthesis and keeps the skin soft and supple.
• Water is life! – consume ample amount of water and keep the skin hydrated. Major content of protein and muscles in the skin is water.
• Breathe for energy!! – Deep inhalation and exhalation, pumps in fresh burst of oxygen and naturally energizes the cells. This corrects major and minor cell repair to a great extent. Practise deep breathing through each nostril for fifteen minutes a day and see yourself go younger.
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