Monthly Archives: November 2019

Baby it’s cold outside!

So here comes the cold snap and on go our hats and gloves, and up goes the central heating. Extremes of temperature and moisture during the day along with long hot baths and showers to warm us up can all irritate and dry out our skin.  Our natural protective barriers are attacked, stripping the skin of natural oils which can become chapped and dry.  Our complexions can become dulled and flaky as the skin loses the ability to naturally regenerate, and our pores can become blocked, causing spots.  Medication and ageing can also affect our skin’s natural barriers and elasticity.

The following tips can all help keep our skin moisturised, healthy and glowing as the winter sets in:

• Keep hydrated - from the inside out - by regularly drinking water, infused with lemon, lime or other fruits, or perhaps cucumber and mint. Water helps flush out toxins from the system and transports oxygen and nutrients to all organs including the largest of all, our skin. Green tea provides a useful source of antioxidants, which are known to protect the body against disease and are an important part of a healthy diet, whilst caffeinated and carbonated drinks can be dehydrating to the body.

• Healthy diet - eating lots of fresh fruit, vegetables including avocados, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and broccoli not only helps keep us hydrated but also provides a wide range of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and healthy fats which all combine to keep skin healthy, flexible and moisturised. Nuts and seeds also provide essential fats and acids while oily fish is a great source of vitamin E, an essential antioxidant in skin, along with omega-3 fats which help reduce inflammation, which can cause redness and acne. The great news is that dark chocolate containing over 70% cocoa solids has high levels of antioxidants, which may protect your skin against sunburn as well as improve skin texture, thickness and hydration.  Reducing our intake of sugar can help reduce