The 13 Best Foods For Healthy Skin
Your skin is not only the body's largest organ but also a reflection of your overall health. Maintaining healthy and radiant skin requires more than just external skincare products; it begins with the nutrients you provide your body from the inside. A well-balanced diet rich in essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants can do wonders for your skin. In this article, we'll explore the 13 best foods for achieving and maintaining healthy, glowing skin.
1. Salmon:
Salmon is a fatty fish that's high in omega-3 fatty acids. These healthy fats help keep your skin moisturized and supple, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Omega-3s also have anti-inflammatory properties that can soothe skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis.
2. Avocado:
Avocados are packed with healthy fats, vitamins E and C, and antioxidants. These nutrients help keep your skin hydrated, protect it from UV damage, and promote collagen production, which is essential for skin elasticity.
3. Sweet Potatoes:
Sweet potatoes are rich in beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant that can give your skin a healthy glow by protecting it from sun damage and preventing premature aging.
4. Berries:
Berries like blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries are loaded with antioxidants, particularly vitamin C. Antioxidants help combat free radicals, reducing skin cell damage and promoting a more youthful appearance.
5. Walnuts:
Walnuts are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E, which help maintain the skin's moisture and protect it from oxidative stress.
6. Spinach:
Spinach is rich in vitamin A, which is essential for skin health. It helps repair skin tissues, prevent acne, and maintain a healthy complexion.
7. Green Tea:
Green tea contains polyphenols and antioxidants that protect the skin from UV radiation and reduce the risk of skin cancer. Drinking green tea regularly can also help combat inflammation and keep your skin looking fresh.
8. Tomatoes:
Tomatoes are a great source of lycopene, an antioxidant that can reduce the risk of sunburn and skin aging. It also promotes collagen production and skin elasticity.
9. Dark Chocolate:
High-quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa or higher) is rich in antioxidants, specifically flavonols, which can improve skin texture, hydration, and blood flow, giving your skin a healthy glow.
10. Almonds:
Almonds are rich in vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that helps protect your skin from harmful UV rays and environmental damage.
11. Yogurt:
Yogurt is packed with probiotics, which can promote a healthy gut. A balanced gut microbiome can lead to clearer skin by reducing inflammation and preventing acne.
12. Carrots:
Carrots are another great source of beta-carotene, which can help reduce skin dryness and promote a more youthful appearance.
13. Oats:
Oats are a good source of complex carbohydrates and fiber. They can help stabilize blood sugar levels, reducing the risk of acne and promoting clear skin.
While these foods can be a valuable addition to your diet for healthier skin, remember that no single food can work miracles. A well-rounded diet that includes a variety of nutrient-rich foods, along with proper hydration, is essential for achieving and maintaining radiant skin. Additionally, don't forget to protect your skin from excessive sun exposure, get enough sleep, and maintain a consistent skincare routine for the best results. Healthy, glowing skin is the result of both internal and external care, so make these foods a part of your daily routine and watch your skin thrive.
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SKINCARE ROUTINE : FUCK CONSUMERISM, FLEX ON YOUR ACNE
Alrighty so I have a weird-ass skincare routine, that I never heard of anyone else using. It includes wayyy too many anatomical terms and flexing microscopic muscles but I fuckin swear by it. And it costs almost nothing. Gotta start with a bit of science to make the rest of it make sense.
The Science
So acne originates in the pores, and every facial pore is actually a hair follicle too! (Except some weird fucks near your mouth) Some people have thicker facial hairs, and some thinner and hardly visible, but everyone has them all over their face! (And body for that matter lol)
Anyway acne gets caused when this oily crap, sebum, that your skin excretes from your pores (the sebaceous gland specifically) gets mixed up with dirt or dust, and causes a blockage in there. Blackheads are a blockage exposed to the surface of your skin, whiteheads are a blockage covered by a thin layer of skin, and cystic acne is when that blockage happens deep under the skin and gets infected with bacteria.
So many skincare products are so aggressive with getting this sebum out, harsh daily clensers, drying clay masks, and don't even get me started on pore strips. (evil) All that tends to help in the short term but fuck up your skin in the long term. (I have a friend in the beauty industry, and it's INSANE how many products boil down to "create the problem, sell the solution." One product to fix the issues the other product caused, but don't worry, we sell both!)
What I've never seen another skincare routine mention though, is the arrector pili muscle. (In red, in the center of the image above) And this bitch comes FREE.
It serves a few purposes. First, when it contracts, it makes hairs stand on end, pulling them upwards. This was often thought to be a useless evolutionary holdover from us evolving from hairy creatures who'd get heat insulation from hairs standing on end. But it does something else, it actually wraps around the sebaceous gland where the sebum is created, and aids in sebum movement! (That isn't pictured accurately above, but it was seen in this study where researchers analyzed cross sections of skin!)
(Images A-H in order from "shallowest" skin to "deepest" skin / Arrector pili muscle strands marked with black arrows / hair and follicles highlighted orange / sebaceous gland highlighted purple (slide E) - You can see the muscle wrap around the gland!!)
Yeah so what's it all mean? Well, we've got this sebaceous gland oozing out sebum, mixing with dirt or dust on your skin, and clogging the whole thing up... But we've also got this muscle, the arrector pili, that, when flexed, can tense around the sebaceous gland and squeeze it. If only we could flex our whole face and wash it out from the inside instead of leaving those pores clogged up.
Oh wait, we can! Remember the primary function of the arrector pili? To make hair stand on end when it's cold? We're gonna use that.
The Routine
Your skin is a living thing, it behaves differently at different temperatures, and as our hormones fluctuate (especially for us menstruatey folks)
So Step one of the routine is to throw out the idea of a routine. I swear that shit was invented to sell more products. Just pay attention to what your skin needs on any given day. And if different parts of your face are needing different things? Do different things for them!
Products:
Cleanser - Any face cleanser you like, brand loyalty is BS, but try to find a gentle one, or one for sensitive skin.
Hot Water and Ice - figure this out yourself.
Protectant - I use Aquaphor but Vaseline / White Petroleum also works
Sunscreen - Whatever you like, but baby sunscreen is the best for sensitive skin, and a spf lotion is nice for frequent use!
Sulphur Wash (optional) - Any soap or face wash with Sulphur.
Non Comedogenic Oil (optional) - I use Argan oil but I hear jojoba oil, squalane oil, and rosehip seed oil also work.
Perfect skin day?
If you've read this far, this probably isn't what you're having. But if you are? Leave your skin mostly alone, it's a self regulating thing and it seems to be doing fine. Just shower or wash your face once with hot water and a teeny dot of gentle face cleanser to prevent dirt buildup in your pores. (not sooo hot that your face stays red after, that means you're breaking blood vessels)
Then if you're feeling extra, rub an ice cube over your face after the wash, to really get the muscles tensing and sebum flowing. Keep it moving, don't hold it in any one spot! You don't want frostbitten skin cells, just a quick shock of cold.
It can also help to apply a VERY thin layer of a protectant like Aquaphor or Vaseline to your skin immediately after washing if you feel your skin "tightening" as it dries. That feeling is your skin drying out as it evaporates, since you just washed off it's natural protective oils. You might think this'll make you break out, but surprisingly, applied on just cleaned skin, it doesn't!
Oily / Pimply Skin?
Before a deep clean shower or facewash, get a kettle of boiling water and a glass of ice water. (This'll be important later)
Then wash your face with a good amount of your cleanser, (if only parts are oily, focus on rubbing it into those!)
After the wash, rotate between these next few steps as many times as you'd like, until your skin looks clearer.
1. Hot Steamy Cloth - pour a bit of boiling water onto a clean washcloth, let it cool till it's comfortable to the touch, (i test it by laying it across my wrist, you should be able to leave it there comfortably) then bury your face in it. Gently press it into the parts of your face that are pimply. This'll really relax the erector pili muscles there. Do this until the cloth cools.
2. Ice - rub an ice cube over your skin, keep it moving so you don't freeze any one spot, and focus on the oily bits. This'll tighten the muscles, and squeeze the sebaceous glands. Do this until your face is refreshingly chilled, then go back to the hot cloth.
This'll literally pump the muscles in your skin, loose, tight, loose, tight, squeezing the glands and gradually flushing out fluids and dirt from the inside. The temperature cycle will even help with blood flow too! I swear every time I do this, my skin looks way clearer afterwards, and my pores look teeny. Also, make sure the last step you do is ice, it'll really "tighten" up your skin and reduce inflammation and puffiness from heat!
You won't get all your pimples cleared in one session, let the ones that are left be, popping them just causes scarring. And if your skin stays red afterwards, that's a sign of damage - be gentler next time! (Fewer heat/cold cycles, make sure not to use overly hot washcolths or hold the ice in one spot! Maybe even wrap the ice in a thin cloth if you need to!)
This process can be a bit drying if you just leave your skin to evaporate afterwards, so even though you've been oily lately, use a teeeeeny bit of protectant when your skin's still wet.
Then drink the cup of ice water and make tea with your leftover hot water bc hydration is sooo good for your skin!
Super Oily / Pimply Area?
Sulphur reduces the amount of sebum your body produces, this is especially helpful if you have horomonal acne (i.e. your hormones are making your body pump out loadddds of sebum and it's gunking shit up)
Use a soap or cleanser with sulphur along with your normal cleanser, but only do this on spots that are very acne prone, and only occasionally! Overuse or use on healthy skin will dry and damage your skin because you'll have too little sebum there, and nothing to keep water from evaporating!
Seriously Clogged Pores?
Are your pores looking large and dark, and bumpy/raised no matter how much cleanser you use? That kinda chunky look that makes you want to pick at them? (DON'T) That means they're probably seriously clogged up, with a hardened mix of sebum and gunk.
There's a chemistry saying "Like dissolves like" - To dissolve something oil-based, that's really hardened in place, you need an oil-based solvent.
So take your oil cleanser like argan oil, and gently massage it into dry skin for a few minutes, focusing on the part of your face with clogged pores. You might feel a "sandy" feeling under your fingers, that's the residue stuck in your pores coming loose.
When you're done, clean your skin thoroughly with cleanser, so you don't leave the oil there! Staying that oily can cause breakouts!
Dry Skin?
Be careful not to use overly hot water or harsh cleansers when you wash, this can be damaging and lead to dryness! Use a verrry tiny amount of a gentle cleanser, and after your wash, use LOTS of protectant, because it will keep fluids in your skin from evaporating further.
Then, and this is the most important part - drink water like it's your fuckin job. Your skin rehydrates from the inside, not the outside, topical creams promising "hydration" are BS. (the most a topical treatment can do for skin hydration is to keep the water you put in your body from evaporating)
Going in the sun today?
Alwayyyys wear sunscreen if you're going in the sun. If you're also using a protectant, apply it before the sunscreen, otherwise you'll just be forcing sunscreen in to clog your pores.
Doesn't matter your skin tone, doesn't matter if it's indirect or overcast sun, uv damages everyone's skin, pls wear it!!!!
I like a light spf 30 lotion for short or overcast sun exposure, and spf 50 baby sunscreen sticks if I'll be outside a lot in direct sunlight. They're easy to take everywhere, don't make me break out, and stay put if I'm sweating.
Things to avoid:
Heavy foundation / concealer / etc can clog your pores and make acne worse. As much as it sucks to do, it helps to let your pimples breathe. And if you are going to wear makeup, make sure it's washed off well once you're home! Don't just use a makeup wipe, also wash your face with your cleanser! This'll help prevent bits of it getting lodged in your pores and clogging them.
Sleeping on a dirty pillowcase can also lead to dirt clogging your pores, change your pillowcase every few days even if you don't change all your sheets! Also, pillowcases made of natural fibers are best, polyester tends to trap sweat, and fails to wick oils because the fibres are just plastic.
Popping your pimples since that can cause infection and scarring (unless you know how to lance a boil safely and keep it sterile but tbh I don't know if i oughta reccomend sticking needles in ur face on here)
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Strawberry freckles
𝔭𝔞𝔦𝔯𝔦𝔫𝔤 - Matt x fem!reader
𝔰𝔲𝔪𝔪𝔞𝔯𝔶 - Matt soothes your biggest insecurity
𝔴𝔞𝔯𝔫𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔰 - insecurity, reader has acne, first person, short, kinda rushed, not proofread, I think that’s it?
I sit crisscrossed on Matt’s bathroom sink, staring intently at my face. One, two, three, four, five. Five new pimples. It’s not fair how some people have flawless skin without even trying, yet I’ve tried everything and my face is still littered with acne. No matter how hard I try, it won’t go away, instead leaving a bright red scar.
“Ready to go?” Matt calls.
“Um, I don’t think we should” I say, dreading being seen in public.
“What, why?” Matt asks, now entering the bathroom.
“I really don’t feel good,” I lie, turning from the mirror to face him.
Matt’s confused expression turns into concern as he reaches his hand up, attempting to feel my forehead. Swerving my head, I swat his hand away, not wanting him to feel the “imperfections” on my forehead.
“Whats really wrong baby?” Matt’s features read a mix of confusion and hurt, and I can’t help feel bad for bringing his mood down.
“I-I can’t go out looking like… um, this” I respond, motioning to my face. A sad laugh escapes my lips as his expression changes once again.
“Oh baby…” he starts, taking my hand in his.
“Having acne most definitely doesn’t make you ugly or change your worth, trust me I’ve been there.”
“But that’s the thing, yours went away. I still have to deal with it and all of the feelings that come with it. Wishing I looked different every time I look in the mirror, not wanting to leave the house, hating getting close enough to people where they can see every detail of my face, etc.” I ramble, small tears dripping from my eyes.
These feelings have gotten worse and worse over time, and I’m just so sick of myself. My skin.
“I hate seeing you like this, I just wish you could see yourself the way I see you” Matt says softly, wiping my tears away with the sleeves of his hoodie.
“I think your acne is adorable and I’ll always love you with or without it. They’re like little strawberry freckles” he smiles, his look full of love.
I lean over, wrapping him up in a hug as I inhale the sweet scent of his shampoo. His words may not fix how I feel about my acne, but the reassurance that he loves me regardless makes me feel a bit better.
“I don’t know what I did to deserve you” I whisper, placing a soft kiss on his neck.
“I love you more than you’ll ever know princess”
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This was a request but i accidentally deleted it. Never feel bad about your acne I promise you’re beautiful🫶🏻
XOXO - Zoe
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