12 tips for healthy, glowing skin

Skin is the largest organ of our body. We all desire a healthy, soft, fresh and glowing skin. Most of us associate skin with beauty. Beauty is only a small aspect of our skin. Skin’s role in our body is more than making us look beautiful. It plays an important role in various vital functions of the body, as below.

Important functions of skin:
1. Skin is the first line of defense in our body. It protects the body from infections and harmful UV radiation. It plays an important role in body immunity.

2. Skin absorbs vitamins, water, and oxygen.

3. It releases the toxins from the body.

4. It regulates the body temperature.

5. It helps us detect sensations like heat, cold, pain, and pleasure.

6. When exposed to Sun, it prepares Vitamin D in our body, which is an essential vitamin for physical, emotional, and mental health.

These are some of the major functions of the skin. So, it is important to keep our skin healthy not only for beauty but also for good health. There are many tips handed over to us from ancient times to take care of our skin. Below are 12 such tips for keeping our skin healthy.

12 tips for healthy skin:
Use natural cosmetics: We use various skin products like moisturizer, toner, lotions, creams, sunscreen, etc. for daily skin-care. Most of the popular products in the market are loaded with toxic chemicals like parabens, SLS, SLES, artificial fragrances, etc., which are actually harmful to our skin. Avoid such toxic chemical-based skin products because the skin absorbs these toxic chemicals, and they seep into the body. They are harmful not only to your skin but your entire body. So, choose only natural cosmetics for your skin. Remember, your skin protects you from several infections, and it deserves to be treated well.

2. Use natural soap or ubtan: Commercial soaps available in the market also come with several harmful chemicals that are bad for skin health. So, switch to natural soap, which is gentle and mild on your skin. You can also use ubtan or sunnipindi(as called in Telugu) for your skin, which has been in use since ages. This is the secret of your granny’s healthy skin.

3. Drink water: Stay hydrated by drinking sufficient amount of water. This is important in keeping your skin healthy, moisturized, and glowing. Always keep a water bottle handy and keep sipping the water. There is no fixed rule on how much water to drink. Drink as per the needs of your body.

4. Sleep well: This is an underrated tip for healthy skin. Only when you sleep well, your skin gets a chance to repair and rejuvenate. So, quality and quantity of sleep matter in keeping skin healthy. Don’t underestimate the impact of your beauty sleep on your skin health. Good sleep is non-negotiable for healthy skin.

5. Minimize stress: In the modern-day, stress is common due to the fast-paced life. Stress leads to several health issues and also impacts the health of the skin. So, if one wants to have healthy skin, lowering the stress levels is important. De-stress every day by doing meditation or yoga or spending time in nature.

6. Eat healthy food: Our body’s internal and external health depends on the food we eat. Foods rich in antioxidants, vitamin C, Omega-3 and vitamin E promote skin health. Below is the list of such foods which make skin healthy. Make sure to add these foods to your diet on a regular basis.

Healthy food
Walnuts
Sunflower seeds
Sweet potatoes
Tomatoes
Watermelon
Green tea
Carrots
Oranges
Almonds
Pomegranates
Papaya
Strawberries
Spinach
Flax seeds

7. Eat raw veggies: Eat raw vegetables in the form of salads and smoothies. They contain antioxidants that promote skin health. You can include a whole lot of raw vegetables like cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, etc. in your daily diet.

8. Cut down unhealthy foods: If you want healthy skin, it is important to avoid or at least minimize below foods from your diet. These foods are harmful for skin health due to the high amount of sugars, preservatives, and unhealthy fats.

Fried foods
Sugary foods like cakes, pastries, sweets, etc
Processed and packaged food

9.Exercise: Exercise regularly. When you exercise, blood circulation improves in the body, and this helps in the removal of toxins from your skin. Exercise helps your skin to glow.

10. Have a skin-care routine: We do various activities in a day. As part of our daily life, our skin gets exposed to pollution and stress. So, having a skin-care routine, which takes care of our skin, is important. Create your own skincare routine based on the type of your skin.

11. Use face masks: Face masks help in cleaning and rejuvenating your skin. You can create Do-It-Yourself face masks at your home and apply them on your skin with ingredients easily available at your home. Below are some such masks you can prepare at home.

1. Curd + Few drops of lemon + Turmeric

2. Milk + Honey

3. Tomato juice + Few drops of lemon juice

4. Aloe Vera Juice

5. Honey + Ripe banana mash

6. Honey + Lemon juice

7. Cucumber pulp or juice + Curd

8. Orange peel powder + Curd

12. Use sunscreen when going out: Prolonged exposure to sun damages skin. So, apply sunscreen on your skin when going out during the daytime. This protects your skin from damage due to exposure to the Sun.

These are some ways to take good care of your skin. A healthy skin is not the outcome of using harmful cosmetics or eating processed foods or junk foods or leading a sedentary lifestyle. Healthy skin is an outcome of a healthy lifestyle. So, maintain a healthy lifestyle and get that glowing, soft, beautiful skin.

Keep smiling!