Shorter days, harsh winds, lower temperatures and the inevitable central heating tell us that winter has arrived, and though we all love to curl up on a winter’s evening and look forward to seasonal festivities, this new season can play havoc with our skin, especially on the face and hands. Dried out skin can lead to premature ageing, here nutritional expert and co-author of ‘Looking Good, Feeling Younger’, Alex Kirchin gives his tips for keeping youthful right through the winter.
1/ Hydrate
Moderate your alcohol intake during the winter and increase the amount of water you drink. Central heating leads to greater fluid loss and a thirsty body is not healthy for the organs, including the skin. Alcohol dilates the blood vessels in the skin and excessive drinking can lead to chronic dilation of the capillaries causing a permanent flush on the face. Conversely, water helps your skin eliminate toxins.
2/ Hold on to the moisture
Every tv ad for famous beauty creams now includes Hyaluronic Acid (HA), which, it is claimed, when applied topically, can help reduce skin wrinkling. Well, taken internally as a food supplement, HA has the property of boosting the moisture content of the skin, plumping out wrinkles and enhancing the skin’s glow. http://www.naturalhealthwelwyn.co.uk/store/product/36078/Syno-vital-Hyaluronic-Acid-2ml-x-30/
3/ Oil up
Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) are essential for a youthful appearance. Good fats, such as those found in Viridian’s 100% Organic Ultimate Beauty Oil, offer numerous health benefits. Our obsession with fat-free diets has left many people with chronic deficiencies in EFAs, leading to various symptoms including dry, flaky skin, eczema, excessive wrinkling, brittle nails and dry, flyaway or splitting hair. Flax oil, for instance, provides the anti-inflammatory fatty acids necessary for maintaining healthy and flexible cell membranes as well as exerting anti-viral, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial properties.
100% Organic Ultimate Beauty Oil provides a delicious and balanced rich source of 3:6:9 fatty acids including GLA and a broad range of potent antioxidants including vitamin E and carotenoids. http://www.naturalhealthwelwyn.co.uk/store/product/13590/Viridian-100%25-Organic-Beauty-Oil-200ml/
4/ Starve cold sores
The herpes simplex or cold-sore virus stays in the body forever once contracted, but you can help reduce the incidence of break-outs by supplementing with the amino acid L-Lysine. The virus feeds on L-Arginine (another amino acid) and L-Lysine simply blocks the receptor sites for L-Arginine, effectively starving the virus and reducing its potency. http://www.naturalhealthwelwyn.co.uk/store/product/11639/Viridian-L-Lysine-500mg--30-caps/
5/ Beauty as a reflection of inner happiness
It’s impossible to look good, if you don’t feel good. Seasonal Affected Disorder or SAD is felt by many during the long nights and shorter days of winter. The reduced sunlight hours affects the brain’s ability to produce certain ‘feel-good’ hormones. The herb Rhodiola rosea is classed as an adaptogen in that it helps the body and mind to adapt to change, raising mood and energy levels. It has been shown to help with stamina too, and so is especially helpful for busy mums, shift-workers and athletes. The so-called sunshine vitamin, Vitamin D, has also proved helpful in many conditions related to sun-deprivation including SAD.
Look out also for the anti-anxiety herb, Vervain, which can help relax the nervous system and induce feelings of peace and tranquillity. Try Vervain SOS Spray of Sunshine from Viridian Nutrition.
6/ Heal faster
While Echinacea is a herb best known for its ability to prevent and relieve cold symptoms, to file this herb simply as a natural immune booster does not do it justice. Echinacea has a wealth of additional all-year-round properties worth exploring in detail from acne to yeast infection.
Echinacea exerts an anti-bacterial effect largely due to its content of echinacoside, a caffeic acid derivative. This effect has been noted in both internal and external bacterial infections.
Try 100% Organic Echinacea Throat Spray which can be used internally and topically.
http://www.naturalhealthwelwyn.co.uk/store/product/36038/Viridian-Echinacea-Throat-Spray-50-ml/
7/ Be blemish-free
There are a number of chemically-derived topical oils which help to reduce the appearance of scarring, stretch marks and so on, but there is now a 100% natural and organic oil called 100% Organic Ultimate Beauty Skin Repair Oil, which has a lovely lavender fragrance and is every bit as effective as the synthetic products.
8/ Reduce age spots
Age spots (melasma) are thought to be caused by hormonal changes and free radical damage as we age. The pine bark extract, Pycnogenol, has been shown to reduce the size and colour density of these patches which commonly appear on the face and backs of hands.
http://www.naturalhealthwelwyn.co.uk/store/product/34052/Viridian-Pycnogenol-50mg--30-vcaps/
9/ Stop smoking
Yes, I know, you know. But did you realise that smoking has a drastic effect on your skin as well as your lungs? Smoking causes a narrowing of the blood vessels in the outermost layers of your skin, impairing blood flow and depleting the skin of oxygen and nutrients. Smoking also damages collagen and elastin, causing skin to sag and wrinkle prematurely.
10/ Moisturise regularly
Moisturise using organic and natural ingredients to nurture and feed your skin without the added burden of highly-processed chemical and synthetic ingredients. Look for a proper, reputable organic certification, such as the Soil Association logo on your cosmetics and toiletries.
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