Many of us have spent hundreds of dollars trying to find the dream product that will make our skin look like a Vogue Cover Model’s. Well…I have news and at first you may not like it. Like many things in life, there is not one product in the world that will give you your dream skin…Gasp! I know it stings! The truth is, glowing, healthy skin is a result of a combination of lifestyle steps, actions, mindset, consistency and vitamins and minerals. Now you need to understand that there are products out there that, used on a regular basis in combination with proper actions, will make your skin glow. Here I will discuss what works and what doesn’t! Much of this article will be old news to my DAMY Health members!
DAMY Health is not just about having a lean, strong body but it is and always has been about being your very best self! Feeling and looking amazing! I work everyday to provide my clients with the tools and information that will make their whole being better. I believe every living creature deserves to experience the very best of life. The only way to fully do this is to be healthy inside and out. I love teaching my clients how to break their connection to emotional eating and how to love themselves. The wonderful side effect to these lessons is losing access body fat and gaining glowing skin. Here I will talk about the DAMY do’s and avoids for glowing skin! As many of you already know in my first life I was an Aesthetician and Skin Care Specialist. As you can imagine I have an infinite amount of information on the topic of glowing skin! Now, being a Holistic Nutritionist, Personal Trainer and Lifestyle Coach I can help you tackle these issues from the inside and out! This will be one article of many I am sure.
The key to great skin is a job that needs to be tackled inside and out. First lets work on the inside. What you eat and drink affects the look of your skin!
– The first sign of aging often is the result of dehydration. This is where small lines begin to form and become visible. At this point they are still reversible. You know when you haven’t drank enough water during the day and you glance in the mirror and notice small lines around your eyes. This is a result of dehydration. This can also be caused by drinking too much caffeine (a diuretic) that will deplete your water. So make sure you are drinking enough water (I suggest 2-3 litres/day depending on your activity level) and limit your coffee to 2 cups a day.
– Alcohol can ravage the skin adding years to your look. It hits you in two different ways…dehydration (forming small lines) and collagen breakdown (by the sugar). Give yourself a big smile the morning after drinking and take a look around your eyes and mouth…Scary!
– There was a huge diet movement awhile back where everyone was cutting fat out of their diet to lose weight. This is extremely unhealthy and deadly to your skin. Healthy fats are essential for glowing, vibrant skin. Healthy fats include, Avocado, Almonds, Walnuts, Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, Flax Seed Oil, Flax Seed, Udo’s Oil, Salmon and Olives. That being said, saturated fats have an opposite effect on the skin actually causing it to age more rapidly. So drop all your saturated fats and makes sure to get in 2-3 servings of healthy fat everyday day!
*a great way to remember what a serving of fat is to remember to use your thumb! Thumb is one serving of good fat! ‘
– The other way our skin breaks down is by those evil free-radicals. These are all around us in our every day life but your best defense again these dangerous little buggers is to consume plenty of vitamins E and C. Anti-oxidants are your best friends when is comes to healthy foods. Make sure to pack lots of fruits and veggies into your day! At least 2 servings of fruit and 4 servings of veggies!
*these also can be measured by using your hand, only this time a serving is measured by your fist!)
Make sure your plate is always bursting with colour! If your plate is beige then you are on the wrong track.
– Another diet that has lead to aging skin is the “Cut Carbs Fad.” Don’t buy into it. I could go on for days about the problems with this diet but staying on topic cutting carbs will cause sagging skin and los of skin elasticity!
(for more info on why this path to weight loss is silly see my video at ………)
Make sure everyday you are getting 2-3 servings of these guys in the form of brown rice, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, ezekiel products, beans, and lentils (you can also use your first size to judge this measurement).
Here are a few tips to help with these internal lines of defense.
Drink Green Tea – Green tea contains polyphenols that have free radical scavengers. These help to protect you from photo damage and thicken the epidermis.
*fun fact – green tea applied topically to the skin can help heal sunburns.
– Exercise promotes blood flow and keeps the skin looking and feeling youthful! Make sure to get at least 30 minutes of activity per day.
– Watch your stress levels. Have you seen people that have just gone or are going through a hard time and you think to yourself (oh my, they look like they have aged 10 years). It’s true! Stress will ravage your skin leaving you looking much older. Now, not all stresses in life are preventable but I don’t know anyone that hasn’t been guilty about stressing over nothing. To change this all you have to do is learn to laugh at yourself. If you can’t control the situation that causes you stress there is not an amount of worry in the world that will make it better. If you can control it, then change it! It’s simple and it works. If you are a person that finds yourself stressed easily over situations that you can’t control try these stress busting steps: journaling, cut out the news at night, stop gossiping, choose to surround yourself with happy, upbeat friends, cut all negative words from your everyday speak, learn to laugh at yourself when you are being a stress ball, go for a walk every evening and leave your stress on the street, and help others. By helping others sometimes it’s just seeing life through their eyes and having compassion for what they are going through. I know you all have witnessed the person that just got married, landed their dream job, is having great sex, is on vacation, and they look so radiant that you have to say “you are so happy you are glowing.” There is a reason for that. Happiness breed’s great health that in turn makes your skin glow.
– Go to bed. Sleep is needed for so many things. This is when you recover mentally and physically from your day. This is when skin is restored, fat is burned, and muscles grow. Nothing can make up for lack of sleep. Get in your 7 hours sleep at least.
Now it’s time for the outside!
Lines and age spots are the most common tell-tale signs of aging. Your first defense against either, but more focused on the “age spots,” would be using a sunscreen. I believe and recommend a physical block instead of a chemical one. There have been scary studies done on the chemical blocks and until they have been around long enough to be ‘beyond a doubt’ safe I am not using them. So, your physical block would be Titanium Dioxide. This block actually reflects the sun off your skin. It is now used in many creams and under eye products to make the skin look “glowing.” There are many great brands out there just make sure to read the labels. So not are you only blocking the sun, preventing age spots and fine lines but you also will look radiant in pictures. How cool is that?
– Check your face cream. If it has perfume or is pink, get rid if it. These are two major causes for age spots. Both artificial fragrance and dye cause the skin to be photosensitive, causing age spots when your skin is exposed to sun. Many women spray their necks and chests with perfume. I have seen these same women come to me wondering why they have big dark spots on their chests. If you use perfume, spray it on your clothes not your skin. Look for a moisturizer with no fragrance or colour. Also, be carful with natural products that contain citrus essential oils. These cause the skin to be photosensitive as well. These products are safe to use on the skin, just not in combination with direct sunlight.
If you are on birth control wear your sunblock. Our estrogen producing hormones cause extreme photo sensitivity. Correcting age spots is a difficult process and never really completely rids the skin of the dark spot. Prevention is key!
– Make sure to exfoliate your skin at least once a week. There are two main ways to exfoliate your skin at home: manually (using a scrub, or an abrasive cloth) or using a topical product (when applied ‘eats away’ at the skin cells). You want to help along the skin turn over. There is nothing like the look of fresh, polished looking skin. It is simple and works wonders.
– Make sure you have a great moisturizer. You are looking for something natural that adds moisture to your skin. Turn your bottles over: if you can’t read the ingredients, don’t use it. Keep it simple. Here are the key ingredients that are proven to make a difference in skin appearance: Vitamin A (retinoids), Vitamin B3 (niacin or nicotinamide), vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid, panthenol), vitamin C, vitamin E, Alpha-hydroxy acids, Coenzyme Q10 and Ferulic acid.
Recap:
DAMY Do’s
– eat plenty of colourful fruits and veggies
– enjoy healthy fats
– drink lots of water
– limit alchol
– limit coffee
– use natural sunblock
– exfoliate at least once a week
– keep skin moisturized
– reduce stress
– Exercise for at least 30 minutes a day
– Take the time for self improvement and growth
– sleep at least 7 hours a night
– drink green tea
– use a daily face moisturizer
DAMY Avoids
– too much coffee
– unprotected sun exposure
– unnecessary stresses caused by excessive worry
– negative experiences you have control over
– saturated fats
– lack of sleep
– Artificial colour and fragrance
– spraying perfume directly on the skin
– Citrus essential oil and direct sun light exposure
– white sugar
– a “beige” diet
– becoming dehydrated
I hope that this article helps you in your quest for beautiful skin! I know my clients all report how amazing their skin looks and feels after embodying the DAMY way of living. For my clients I take any guess work out by providing them with a plan of action! What to eat/drink/do at what time of day. There will be much more to come on this topic!
if you have any questions please feel free to email me at amylayne@damyhealth.com I love hearing from you!
Amy Layne
www.damyhealth.com
Love these! Thanks for sharing the tips!
Your so awesome. I always love reading ur blogs!