Give red, chapped skin the cold shoulder
Winter is bad news for skin. Outside the bitter winds suck the moisture from your skin, and chafe it until it’s red and sore, while inside the centrally heated environment dehydrates it until it feels rough, dry, and out of condition.
If you’re poorly nourished, it will show in your skin. A good, balanced diet, paying attention to nutrients, will keep your skin lustrous and lovely all winter.
Here’s how to keep your skin looking peachy smooth whatever the weather.
Protect your skin by using a facial moisturiser with an SPF, and a body moisturiser (you may need one for a drier skin type than the one you use in summer), which will help defend your skin from the elements. You can also gently exfoliate your skin every week to help remove dead skin cells. This will brighten it up and make it more lustrous.
But if you want to tackle the problem from within, what your skin needs is a good feed. Here’s what to eat to make sure your skin remains in tip-top condition throughout the winter time.
Essential fatty acids
Essential fatty acids – or omega-3 and omega-6 oils – make up the skin’s outer layer, which helps to protect the skin and help it retain moisture. Oily fish, such as mackerel, salmon, sardines, herrings and pilchards, are the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids. If you don’t eat fish, flaxseed oil is an alternative. Omega-6 essential fatty acids are found in abundance in nuts and seeds, such as walnuts and sunflower seeds. They are also found in walnut, sunflower, sesame and corn oils.
Vitamin A
Eat your fill of foods containing vitamin A. A lack of this vitamin can make the skin dry and rough from an excess production of keratin (the hard, tough protein that forms hair and nails) in the upper layers of the skin. Avoid supplements of this vitamin and get it from your diet instead by eating dark leafy greens, carrots and sweet potatoes.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is involved in the formation of collagen, a structural protein that gives skin its resilience, so make sure you keep your levels up with plenty of fruit and vegetables to keep skin supple.
Zinc
A lack of zinc can be the cause of skin irritations and rashes, plus your body needs it to make collagen. Up your levels by eating more lean meat, beans, nuts and seeds. If you like them, oysters are an excellent source!
Antioxidants
Even the amount of UV radiation we’re exposed to in a British winter can cause damage and ageing of the skin, but dietary antioxidants can reduce the effect of sun damage on the skin. The best-known antioxidants are the vitamins A, C and E, but there’s a variety of other vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals, including selenium, Co-Q10 and anthocyanins (natural chemicals that give fruits and vegetables their colours), with antioxidant effects.
Fruit and vegetables are veritable antioxidant powerhouses and are the best sources of these wonder-nutrients. Eat plenty for clear skin.
Fluids
Drinking sufficient fluids is essential to prevent your body (including your skin) from becoming dehydrated, and dehydration is probably the number one winter skin woe. The recommended daily intake of water is 1.2 to 1.5 litres, or six to eight glasses, so keep a bottle of water close by to drink from throughout the day. A daily glass of fruit juice is also good, too, but avoid fizzy drinks or too much tea or coffee.