Top Tips for Healthier, Younger-Looking Skin

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Researchers from the universities of Bristol and St. Andrews have found that the colour of a person's skin affects how healthy and therefore attractive they appear. They’ve also found that diet is crucial to achieving the most desirable complexion.

Using specialist computer software, a total of 54 participants of both sexes were asked to manipulate the skin colour of male and female Caucasian faces to make them look as healthy as possible. They chose to increase the rosiness, yellowness and brightness of the skin.

Got you under my skin

"Most previous work on faces has focused on the shape of the face or the texture of the skin, but one of the most variable characteristics of the face is skin colour," said Dr. Ian Stephen head researcher at Bristol University.

Skin that is slightly flushed with blood and full of oxygen suggests a strong heart and lungs, supporting the study's findings that rosier skin appeared healthy. Smokers and people with diabetes or heart disease have fewer blood vessels in their skin, and so skin would appear less rosy.

The preference for more golden or 'yellow-toned' skin as healthier might be explained by the 'carotenoid pigments' that we get from the fruit and vegetables in our diet. These plant pigments are powerful antioxidants that soak up dangerous compounds produced when the body combats disease. They are also important for our immune and reproductive systems and may help prevent cancer.

They are the same dietary pigments that brightly coloured birds and fish use to show off their healthiness and attract mates, and the researchers think that similar biological mechanisms may be at work in humans.

"In the West we often think that sun tanning is the best way to improve the colour of your skin," said Dr. Stephen, "but our research suggests that living a healthy lifestyle with a good diet might actually be better."

The findings of the study will be published in the December issue of Springer's International Journal of Primatology.

Deep cleanse from the inside out

Little or nothing can beat a healthy lifestyle if you want truly beautiful, glowing skin. Your outside can quite literally mirror your inside in that regard.

By making sure your blood is continuously supplying healthy nutrients to every cell in your body, you can experience radiant, blemish-free skin. This is no easy task in today’s toxic-filled world. But by cleansing these dangerous substances from your body while optimizing your nutritional intake, great skin is still an achievable goal for most of us.

The good news is that your body is constantly in a cleansing mode and was created with the ability to push out toxins as long as you supply it with the healthy tools to do so.

Eating a healthy diet that focuses on whole, bio-available organic foods, is your number one strategy for helping your body to detox naturally and in turn helping to ensure that you have radiant healthy looking skin.

What we expose our skin to also has a major impact... not just on our complexion but our health too.

Listed below are just a few of the most widely used chemicals in toiletries, skin care products and cosmetics that you should try to avoid.

Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) , typically used in many shampoos, toothpastes, bubble bath, cleansers etc. is a surfactant used in industry as a garage floor cleaner and engine degreaser, and is also a well-known skin irritant. Interestingly scientists actually use this to purposely harm the skin in order to test healing agents! According to MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets) it can penetrate into the skin, causing flakiness and rashes, hair loss and permanent eye damage (especially in children); it can be retained in the brain, heart and liver, damage the immune system and can cause mouth ulcers. Although not carcinogenic in its own right, it can easily combine with other ingredients to form nitrosamines, which are highly carcinogenic.

Sodium Laureth Sulphate (SLES) is similar to SLS, but not quite as harsh. It is however more drying to the skin. Some companies claim that their SLS/SLES is OK because it comes from coconuts ('Natural' origin). All SLS/SLES comes from coconuts, but no matter what its origin it is still a harsh synthetic detergent. The worst thing is not where these chemicals come from, but that we are using them every day in our shampoo, conditioner, toothpastes, bubble bath, shower gel, etc.

Propylene Glycol (PG) is used in industry in anti-freeze, break fluid, paint and floor wax. Users are warned by MSDS to avoid contact with skin and wear protective clothing, as it can easily penetrate the skin causing kidney damage and liver abnormalities. Ingestion can cause gastro-intestinal disturbances, nausea, headache and vomiting. It can also cause central nervous system depression. PG, is a wetting agent, solvent and fixative used in make-up, hair and skin care products, deodorants and aftershave. It is poisonous, irritating to the skin and may enhance the penetration of more toxic chemicals.

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Because you’re worth it! Really?

Have you ever bought an expensive, exotic, designer brand of face cream 'because you are worth it'? Or do you stick to the less expensive brands because 'you know it makes sense' and you are a sensible person? Whether you buy a £5 tub of face cream or one for £50, the ingredients are almost identical, perhaps with a few extra ingredients added in to make them sound nice. The bottom-line is they are all the same and most of them will contain the same PG that is in your anti-freeze and break fluid - it all comes from the same vat!

Alpha-Hydroxy Acids (AHAs). These 'fruit acids' are a very popular ingredient to have in your skin preparations because they soften and remove the outer layer of the skin to reveal a 'fresher, younger looking skin' whilst at the same time giving you a 'healthy glow'. In their more concentrated form AHAs are used by dermatologists to burn off the top layers of the skin (usually as a skin treatment for skin diseases and wrinkles). We call them 'facial peels' but dermatologists call them 'chemical burns'. In skin products the concentrations are not nearly as high, but they still slightly burn the skin. Some people react more violently to AHAs than others. Apart from being an irritant, AHAs are implicated in increased photosensitivity of the skin, also making it more susceptible to damage from the sun's UV rays. Used regularly they may cause your skin to age prematurely, stripping it of its natural oils and causing it to dry out. Ironically, this skin treatment to remove wrinkles actually increases them over time...

Aluminium - mainly used in antiperspirant deodorants - blocks the sweat glands, preventing the body from eliminating toxic build-up in the lymph glands near the armpit. Aluminium has been linked to Alzheimer's disease and breast cancer. If you have a history of either of these in your family, it would be wise not to use products containing aluminium.

Talc is something we all need to avoid. The harmful effects of talc on human tissue were first recorded in the 1930's. A recent report from the US National Toxicology programme concluded that talc is carcinogenic. An ominous series of studies has linked it to ovarian cancer; in these studies talc was observed in a number of ovarian and uterine tumours as well as in ovarian tissue. It has since been confirmed that talc placed on the perineum (or the surface of underwear or sanitary towels) can reach the ovaries via ascent through the fallopian tubes. It is now estimated that women who frequently use talc have three times the risk of developing ovarian cancer compared to non-users. It can also be harmful if inhaled, since it can penetrate the lungs causing respiratory disorders. Babies whose mothers smother them in talc have more breathing problems and/or urogenital problems.

Many foundations, powders, eye shadows and blushers are talc based, and certain preservatives, fragrances and mineral oils in cosmetics can cause red itchy rashes, skin damage and asthma like symptoms.

Bentonite and Kaolin, found in foundations, dry out your skin, trap in toxins and keep oxygen out, stopping it from breathing. If you are worried about what is in your cosmetics and what effects these substances can have, I can highly recommend the book 'Cosmetics Unmasked' by Dr Stephen & Gina Antczak.

Blue eye shadow contains a chemical called freeicferrocyanide and is not something you want to be putting on your skin. Interestingly I discovered a book called 'Blue Eyeshadow should still be illegal' by Paula Begoin, which may also be worth a read.

Healthy alternatives are available

After reading the above you’re probably looking at your vanity case with new eyes... but don’t fret, you don’t have to turn your face into a toxic waste site in order to look good.

A company that makes organic skin care products is The Green People.

Apart from avoiding harmful chemicals, steer clear of the following for a healthy complexion:

* Drugs and alcohol
* heavy metals
* Trans fat
* Refined, processed table salt
* Processed foods
* Pasteurized dairy products

Be sure to pick up your copy of this month's Health Sciences Institute which contains full details on how to stay wrinkle-free by stimulating your immune system with a unique anti-ageing skin cream.

Related Reading:

A Berry Good Anti-Wrinkle Cream That Also Protects Against Skin Damage

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Sources:

Stephen ID et al (2009). Facial skin coloration affects perceived health of human faces. International Journal of Primatology DOI 10.1007/s10764-009-9380

‘Your Complexion Reveals How Good Your Diet and Health Is’ by Dr. Mercola, published online 01.12.09

'The association between aluminium-containing products and Alzheimer's disease', Graves A.B. et al. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 1990.

'Prospective study of talc and ovarian cancer' Gertig, D.M. et al, Journal of the national cancer institute, 2000.