Your hair and skin can be an outer reflection of your inner health.
Plus, who doesn’t want to have all of these things in tip-top shape?
Starting from the inside, there are certain “beauty foods” you can eat. These suggestions are similar to our overall healthy diet recommendations, focusing on the specific nutrients that help form the building blocks of strong and vibrant hair, skin and even nails.
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Protein. Your hair and skin are primarily made of protein. Get adequate amounts from healthy sources food sources and you can even add in collagen which is high in protein and good for your hair and skin.
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Healthy Fats. Olive oil, omega-3s, and plant-based fats from avocados and nuts will all help keep hair and skin well moisturized.
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Iron. Often, those with iron deficiency find their hair becomes brittle, breaks, or even begins to thin out. Check your levels if you’re experiencing more extreme hair loss and make sure to get plenty of iron from red meat, lentils or leafy greens like spinach.
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Vitamins A, E & D. Get your beauty-boosting vitamins from whole foods like cooked yellow, orange, and green veggies, nuts and seeds, salmon, sardines, and eggs.
Tips for healthy hair:
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Hair elastics. Avoid the use of elastics and wearing hair up too often as it can cause excessive breakage.
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Too much heat. Heat can also be damaging to the integrity of hair, try not to use it more than once per week.
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The blow dryer! Wait until hair is about 80% dry before using the blow dryer, you don’t want to just blast your hair with heat the moment you get out of the shower.
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When to brush hair. Do not brush your hair while wet as it can break and snap more easily.
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Sleeping with wet hair. You also never want to sleep on wet hair, as that is the weakest point for your hair and may lead to breakage.
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How often to shampoo. If you are someone who has male/female pattern baldness and very oily hair, washing often can help with hair loss. However, for most people you want to shampoo 2-3x per week unless your scalp is very oily.
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Rosemary oil. To combat hair loss and help hair growth, add 5 drops of 100% pure rosemary essential oil into your palm of shampoo every time you shampoo your hair. Let the shampoo sit on your scalp for 3-5min and wash out as normal.
Tips for healthy skin:
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Use a shower filter. Just like our drinking water, your shower water can contain contaminants. One of the main ones is chlorine, which can actually be quite drying to the skin. You might notice an immediate difference after just this step. to remove as much chlorine as possible from bathing water.
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Antibacterial soaps and sanitizers. Most antibacterial soap and alcohol based hand sanitizer are also quite drying and they kill all of the good bacteria on your skin. Of course they are sometimes needed, but you don’t want to over do it!
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Try dry brushing. The idea is that the coarse fibers will help to remove dead skin and promote blood flow and healthy circulation.
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Stop using hot water. When showering you want to use lukewarm water instead of very hot, as this can damage the barrier of the skin and dry it out.
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When doing in the pool. Shower before jumping in the pool as this can protect your hair and skin from absorbing too much chlorine
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Oils to use. When it comes to the skin oils such as sea buckthorn, borage, prickly pear, and CBD are best.
How To Set Up The Perfect Skincare Routine
- Cleanse: choose a cleanser based on your skin type. For oily types, an acid-based cleanser works great. For acne-prone skin, try a salicylic acid-based cleanser. For mature skin, stick with creamy or milky cleansers.
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Treat: choose a serum or treatment that best serves your needs depending on your skincare goals, just like the cleansers. This may be a vitamin c serum to fight free radicals, an anti-acne serum with willow bark, or anti-aging serum.
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Protect: finishing off with a moisturizer is always a great option, even if your skin is oily. Again, the type you choose will depend on your skin type. Gel-based is best for oily skin types, while a heavier cream moisturizer is better if your skin is dry.
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What about sunscreen?** If you will be exposed for more than 10-15 minutes or have any preexisting medical condition that requires it, be sure to choose a zinc-based SPF for your face wherever possible.
