How Living a Healthy Lifestyle Can Lead to Healthy Radiant Skin
The Importance of Using Natural Skincare for Glowing Skin
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Skincare is not just about vanity. Your skin is an important organ that protects your body and supports detoxification. You want to keep it healthy. Unfortunately, conventional skincare products are full of chemicals and toxins that can harm your health. In the long run, these products can increase inflammation, skin issues, and the risk of chronic health issues.
Choosing organic, natural skincare is non-negotiable for your health. In this article, I want to discuss the importance of skin health. I will go over the problem with conventional skincare and the importance of natural skincare. I will share my best natural skincare strategies and favorite Purity Woods natural skincare products.
Importance of Skin Health
Vanity, of course, is a factor when we talk about skin health. You want to feel good and confident when looking into the mirror. Dry and dull skin, inflammation, pimples, rashes, and so on are not the ideal look for most of us. Though aging is normal, you still want to look youthful, healthy, and radiant instead of dull and tired. But skin health is more than just vanity. Your skin plays a critical role in protecting your body and keeping you healthy from the outside in.
Did you know that your skin is considered an organ? It is your organ that comes into contact with the outside world every single day. Your skin plays an important protective role in your health. It helps to keep body fluids in and helps to prevent dehydration. It keeps harmful microbes and toxins out and helps to reduce the risk of infections. Through perspiration and sweating, your skin helps detoxify and clean. With the help of some nerve endings, your skin allows you to feel heat, cold, and pain and allows your body to react appropriately to protect you from harm.
Importance of Natural Skincare
We talk about the importance of eating healthy all the time. There is increasing awareness of the importance of eating healthy, organic food to nourish your body and reduce exposure to harmful chemicals, toxins, and inflammation-promoting unhealthy ingredients.
It’s true. Unhealthy, overly processed foods are filled with toxins and ingredients that can promote inflammation and harm your health. But food is not the only way that toxins enter your body and healthy eating is not the only way to reduce harm from toxins. As you know, your skin is a large surface that’s exposed to the outside world all the time. Through its pores, it can absorb various things that can later enter your bloodstream. That’s a good thing when healthy, nourishing ingredients pass through your skin. But it becomes a problem when chemicals and toxins come in contact with your skin.
Unfortunately, conventional skincare products are full of toxins and chemicals. They are made with small molecules that absorb easily. Ingredients of many popular conventional skincare products may include chemicals, carcinogens, and hormone disruptors. These ingredients can lead to skin irritation and allergies. Despite being designed to do the opposite, many conventional skincare products may cause dry skin, irritation, acne, wrinkles, and dull skin. Chemicals and toxins in conventional skincare products may also increase your risk of cancer (1, 2, 3). When they penetrate your skin and move into your bloodstream, they can also lead to more serious issues, such as chronic inflammation and chronic health issues.
According to the environmental working group, the average woman applies about 168 chemicals to their skin every single day by using skincare products (4). The average man applies about 85 chemicals. I have to emphasize that these numbers are through skincare products alone and do not include cleaning and other products that come in contact with your skin daily. You have to be very intentional when it comes to skincare. You need to read the ingredients and only use organic and natural skincare products.
Common Signs of Poor Skin Health
Signs and symptoms of skin inflammation and common skin problems may include:
Acne or pimples
Blackheads and whiteheads
Wrinkles and fine lines
Age spots
Dry skin
Oily skin
Redness
Cracked or raw skin that may bleed
Rashes
Eczema or dermatitis
Itching, burning or stinging
Peeling or scaly skin
Thickening or the skin
Cause of Poor Skin Health
Using natural skincare products is not enough. You need to understand and address the common root causes of poor skin health and common skin problems to reduce your risk of skin issues.
Common causes of poor skin health and skin inflammation may include:
Conventional skincare with toxins and chemicals (10)
Dehydration (14)
Omega-3, vitamin A, vitamin D, and zinc deficiency (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
Inflammatory foods, including sugar, conventional dairy, refined oil, transsaturated fats, fried foods, and sugary drinks (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
Dietary and Lifestyle Strategies for Natural Skincare
Using organic, natural skincare products is critical for skin health. However, natural skincare is more than just the natural skincare products you are applying to your skin. Diet and lifestyle are essential parts of your natural skincare.
Anti-Inflammatory Diet
A 2012 study published in Dermato Endocrinology has found that an inflammatory diet may cause early aging of the skin (35). Poor diet can increase nutrient deficiencies, chronic inflammation, and skin inflammation, which may cause acne, eczema, premature wrinkles, oily skin, or other skin issues.
I recommend following an anti-inflammatory diet as part of your natural skincare. Removed refined sugar, refined oils, gluten, deep-fried foods, conventional dairy, additives, and overly processed foods. Buy organic food to reduce your exposure to pesticides, herbicides, added hormones, and other toxic chemicals. Choose an organic, anti-inflammatory, nutrient-dense diet rich in whole foods, including greens, vegetables, herbs, spices, fermented food, nuts, and seeds.
Foods rich in silica, such as beets, peppers, celery, cucumber, and alfalfa, may help to reduce wrinkles (36). Antioxidant-rich foods, such as raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, cilantro, artichokes, pecans, and walnuts, may help to reduce skin damage and early signs of aging (37). Healthy fats, such as avocados, coconut oil, hemp seeds, chia seeds, and flaxseeds, may also help to support your skin health (38). Since gut dysbiosis may contribute to poor skin, I recommend eating probiotic-rich fermented foods, such as sauerkraut, kimchi, coconut kefir, coconut yogurt, and kombucha, and taking a daily probiotic supplement (5, 6, 7).
Avoid Food Sensitivities and Food Intolerances
A 2012 study published in Dermato Endocrinology and other research studies has shown that food intolerances and food sensitivities may increase chronic inflammation, skin inflammation, and skin issues (39, 40, 41). Common food sensitivities include gluten, sugar, eggs, dairy, corn, soy, eggs, shellfish, peanuts, and tree nuts, however, you may have other food sensitivities. You may benefit from a food sensitivity test or an elimination diet to spot your triggers and know what foods to avoid.
According to a 2011 review published in the Annals of Dermatology, high-histamine foods and histamine intolerance may also cause skin-related problems (42). You may benefit from removing high-histamine foods, including avocados, eggplant, spinach, smoked fish, cured meat, fermented foods, aged cheese, bananas, strawberries, and tomatoes from your diet, and following a low-histamine protocol.
Improve Hydration
A 2015 review published in Clinical, Cosmetic, and Investigational Dermatology has shown that hydration is critical for your skin health (14). Dehydration may increase dry skin, wrinkles, fine lines, and early signs of aging. Optimal hydration also aids detoxification through sweating and urine, which helps to remove toxins from your body and reduce the risk of skin inflammation.
I recommend starting your day with a big glass of water of 16 to 32 oz. Drink plenty of water throughout the day, at least 8 to 10 glasses of 8 oz of water. If you don’t enjoy the taste of water, add some lemon, lime, cucumbers, or berries for taste and vitamins. Eat plenty of hydrating vegetables and drink green juices, green smoothies, and herbal tea for extra hydration.
Reduce Your Stress Levels and Improve Your Sleep
Poor sleep and stress may contribute to poor skin health. A 2015 study published in Clinical Experiments in Dermatology, poor sleep may be linked to accelerated and early skin aging (43). According to a 2003 study published in the Archives of Dermatology, stress may contribute to acne, dermatitis, psoriasis, and slow wound healing (44).
I recommend practicing meditation, mindfulness, gratitude, breathwork, yoga, and journaling to improve your stress levels. Move your body regularly and spend plenty of time in nature. Avoid electronics, stress, and heavy foods close to bedtime. Choose relaxing activities in the evening to support your sleep.
Now that you understand how you can improve your skin health through diet and lifestyle, we are ready to move on to natural skincare.
My Purity Woods Face Products
My Natural Skincare Recommendation: Purity Woods
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As a health warrior and cancer survivor, paying attention to the products I use is non-negotiable (45). Buying organic and natural products from a trusted brand is a must. But these products have to work too. Organic and natural is not enough if they don’t do the job.
Purity Woods products tick every check box I have. They are toxin-free, natural, and USDA-certified organic products that actually work. My skin feels better and looks better since I started using them.
Purity Woods Pur-Radiance Face Cleanser
Face cleansing is your first step to natural skincare. I recommend Purity Woods Pur-Radiance Face Cleanser. It cleanses and rejuvenates your skin without drying it out with chemicals. It uses a natural formula of 21 natural ingredients, including elastin-boosting maple leaf ingredients.
Purity Woods Age-Defying Dream Cream
Purity Woods Age-Defying Dream Cream is the best natural and organic cream I could find for wrinkles, crow’s feet, laugh lines, dull skin, ‘old-looking’ skin, dark spots, age spots, saggy skin, and other signs of aging skin. It's made with three types of maple leaf extracts and other natural ingredients to boost natural collagen and vitamin C.
Purity Woods Age-Defying Night Cream
I love using Purity Woods Age-Defying Night Cream at night. It may help to reduce saggy skin, dry skin, age spots, and wrinkles while you sleep. It's made with organic smartweed extract, organic evening primrose oil, organic Canadian maple leaf, organic rosehip seed oil, and organic tremella fuciformis extract to nourish and protect your skin on a cellular level.
Purity Woods Age-Defying Eye Cream
You can forget about the skin around your eyes. I love Purity Woods Age-Defying Eye Cream. It may help to reduce wrinkles, swollen skin, under eye bags, crow’s feet, dark circles, and tired-looking skin around your eyes. It’s made with maple leaf extract, resveratrol-rich organic smartweed extract, collagen-boosting organic sumac berry extract, organic babchi oil with bakuchiol, and rejuvenating organic turkey tail mushroom extracts for a younger-looking skin around your eyes.
Purity Woods Elastic Boost Hyper-Life Serum
Purity Woods Elastic Boost Hyper-Life Serum is my favorite natural skincare product to lift, firm, brighten, and tighten my skin. It helps to reduce loose, saggy, and dull skin. It’s all thanks to its ingredients, organic gooseberry extract, organic camu camu extract, and organic German chamomile extract.
Purity Woods Pur-Defense Instant Hand Sanitizer
Hand sanitizers can be handy when soap and tap water are not available to clean your hands. The problem is that most hand sanitizers can dry out your skin and cause damage with unwanted chemicals. Purity Woods Pur-Defense Instant Hand Sanitizer is a 70% ethyl alcohol hand sanitizer that protects you from viruses and other pathogens while protecting your skin.
Final Thoughts
Natural skincare is important. You don’t want to harm your skin with chemicals and toxins from conventional products. Instead, I recommend Purity Woods skincare products for organic, natural skincare, and holistic skin health. I hope you will love these natural skincare products just as much as I do.
Disclaimer: The contents of this website are based on personal experiences, opinions, and my own research. Information on this website is for educational purposes and is not meant to diagnose, replace, treat or cure any medical or mental health condition. Please see your doctor with any health-related questions. Statements on this website have not been approved or evaluated by the FDA. While perusing this site, please use your best judgment in conjunction with your Naturopath or other health care provider.
