Skin-care is probably the most overrated issue in our life. With the flooding of creams, face-washes and other products in the market, beauty is arguably the most profit-generating venture. There are day creams, night creams, anti-aging, wrinkle-lift, fairness creams, cold-creams and what not!! I am sincerely waiting for noon creams, evening creams, summer creams, spring creams and most importantly, anti-dumbness creams. When all these creams don’t suffice, people flock to the parlors and salons for various treatments like bleaching and de-tanning.A little application of moisturizers and sunscreens is necessary for protecting our skin. Agreed!! Also,messages are very helpful in improving blood-circulation to the skin and relaxation. Agreed again!! But at the same time,there is a hoard of unnecessary products in the market that are simply aimed at duping huge sums of money from people.. The photo shopped images of celebs and models further push people towards parlours and beauty-treatments. The drive for that radiant flawless skin has never been stronger. Ironically, when the drive for looking younger and prettier is stronger than ever before, people have forgotten the essentials of ever-lasting beauty. In fact, the secrets of beauty are highly mis-understood.The old adage- You become what you eat, is long forgotten!! This leads to many problems like premature-aging,chemical burns etc. The safest and the longer-lasting ways to a healthy, glowing skin is probably the easiest too- eating right, exercising and protecting from sun!! So, let me take you to a tour into the beautiful kingdom of delicacies that will make your skin glow like never before!!
1. VITAMIN E
When our body comes in contact with external influences like Sun exposure, chemicals etc., some molecules constituting our body get oxidized and produce free-radicals. Free-radicals are extremely unstable molecules and they take electrons from neighboring molecules to gain stability. This induces a chain reaction that produces more such radicals, thereby causing severe damage to skin cells and collagen, the main structural protein of our body. This results in aging, fine-lines and wrinkles. Our body thus needs antioxidants that neutralize free radicals. Vitamin E is an extremely powerful antioxidant and thus, the route to longer youth. It is found in avocado, almonds. Hazelnuts, corn oils etc.
2. VITAMIN C
Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is an elixir for your skin. Vitamin C is known to aid the production of Collagen, the main structural protein that makes up for about 25-35% of the whole body protein content. Collagen strengthens the capillaries supplying the skin and also helps in cell growth. Thus, Vitamin C is essential for skin repair and maintenance. Moreover, Being an anti-oxidant, it is also known to neutralize the free-radicals. It also reduces the effects of long-term effects of sun exposure like skin cancers. The main sources of Ascorbic acid are – Guava, Oranges, Lemons, Strawberries, Blueberries and other citrus fruits.
3. ZINC
Zinc is the goldmine of skin benefits. It is primarily responsible for carrying out repair work. Sebum is an oily secretion by sebaceous glands to keep our hair and skin moisturized. When secreted in excess, it can cause a variety of problems like Acne. Zinc helps counteract the damage to skin caused due to acne by reducing the amount of sebum secreted and repairing the scarred skin around acne. Zinc is one of the main constituents of almost all Sunscreen products because it provides protection against harmful UVA and UVB rays. It’s anti-cancerous properties further reduces chances of skin cancer due to repeated exposure of sun. It is also important for a healthy scalp and provides protection against skin ailments such as burns, boils, eczema etc. Zinc is found in abundance in fish, meat, whole grains, nuts, sea-food, seeds etc.
4. OMEGA-3 AND OMEGA-6 FATS
Omega-3 fatty acids particularly, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) regulate oil production in the body and keeps your hair and skin hydrated. Without these essential fats, your scalp and skin will become dry and flaky. Apart from this, these fatty acids are very powerful anti-oxidants as well and thus, protect our skin from free-radical damage. They are also associated with skin maintenance and repairs and have anti-inflammatory action. For this reason, they are used for providing relief in skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis etc. They, however, cannot be produced by body and has to be obtained from outside. Chief sources include- flax-seed oil, linseed, walnut and rapeseed oil.
5.LOW GI-CARBS
Clear skin-tone, freedom from acne and a slim waistline, you name it and you have it!! Low GI carbs are your one-stop solution to all beauty-related problems. As opposed to high GI carbohydrates like sweets, potatoes etc. , low GI carbs release sugar in the blood-stream slowly. This makes you feel full for longer duration and also, helps avoid a situation known as hyperinsulinemia (excess of insulin in blood)which is often associated with acne. The main sources of low GI carbs include beans, pulses, porridge etc.
Once you start regulating your diet to include these products, you would feel a new re-flux of energy in your life. But don’t be too impatient. It takes about 6 weeks for a new layer of epidermal cells to form on your body. So, the diet changes would also take as much to provide visible results!! A little care and control today can guard your beauty forever!!
