Our skin is a living, breathing part of our bodies. It is our largest organ; protecting us from the elements, and in many ways, helping us define who we are. In order for it to look its best, we need to cherish it with the building blocks it needs to generate new skin cells and proteins.
But nourishing the skin isn’t limited to giving it moisture. Of course, many skin conditions can develop if the skin is too dry, but numerous other processes that occur below the skin’s surface also play a role in the skin’s health.
Nourish your skin at every layer
Our skin is made of three layers – the epidermis, the dermis and the subcutaneous layer.
The epidermis includes the stratum corneum – a continually shedding layer of dead skin cells that holds moisture in, the keratinoctyes – a layer of living skin cells, and the basal layer, where cells are continuously dividing to make new skin cells.
The dermis, which is held together by collagen, is involved in blood and lymph flow, fluid transfer (perspiration) and hair follicles. The subcutaneous layer is a lattice of fat cells and collagen which affect the skin’s texture and elasticity.
Healthy skin needs to be nourished at all three levels, through the food and drinks we consume and the products we use. Drinking plenty of water and consuming a diet rich in vegetables, fruits and protein will provide your skin with some of the building blocks it needs to regenerate itself. But as we age, it becomes more and more difficult to get the nourishment our skin needs through diet alone.
The nourishing steps for your skin
Nourishing the skin starts with using cleansers that do not strip away the natural oils that the stratum corneum is trying to hold in, Next is using an emollient, or moisturizer, to add moisture and nutrients to the skin.
Moisturizers today are chock full of miracle additives that promise to lift sags, smooth wrinkles and brighten the skin. With so many promising claims, it’s easy to forget that our skin is a living, breathing part of our body – and as such requires little more than the same nourishment that our bodies need to bring it into its optimum condition.
Moisturizers that are enriched with vitamins, amino acids and antioxidants will supplement the skin and stimulate collagen synthesis in the cells1, resulting in healthy new skin cells and preventing thinning of the skin. But many commercial products aren’t very generous with their enriching ingredients – they may be on the labels, but the sprinkle that’s in the bottles isn’t enough to really give results.
Essential fatty acids, like those found in high-oleic sunflower oil, will support the basal layer of the skin, giving it more fluidity. Antioxidants will fight against free radical damage from sun or chemical exposure, and healing agents, like aloe, can soothe irritation and protect the skin while also encouraging protein synthesis and cell division2. All of these ingredients work together to strengthen the skin and increase the production of new skin cells, resulting in smoother, younger-looking skin, naturally.
