Skin is the biggest organ of the human body, which is why it must be well taken care of.
Some people think that their lifestyle has no contribution to how their skin looks, which is untrue. You cannot drink alcohol every weekend, eat junk food, sleep for three hours, deprive your body of enough water and expect to have glowing skin.
What you put in your body will automatically reflect on your skin. If you take time to exercise, eat healthy food, drink enough water and get enough sleep, then your skin will look better.
We spoke to Nicole Sherwin, founder of Eco Diva Natural and asked her five burning questions about skincare and following a healthy routine.
1. How important is it to follow a healthy skincare routine?
It’s absolutely essential if you want healthy, even-toned and glowing skin. But there’s healthy, and then there’s really healthy.
The benefits of clean skincare (meaning no toxic ingredients), together with superfoods, omegas and antioxidants offer superlative results for the skin when combined with daily care.
2. Do you have to change your diet when starting a healthy skincare routine?
Bring in more fresh veggies and fruits into your diet as these offer an incredible amount of nutrients and antioxidants that are vital in maintaining healthy skin from the inside out.
Reduce refined sugar intake - whether in your tea/coffee, in sweets, pastries, cakes, desserts, chips, fizzy drinks and many pre-packaged foods.
Always read the labels on products you are going to purchase, and if sugar or a sugar substitute is listed within the first five ingredients rather don’t purchase it.
It’s also advisable to reduce or cut out completely any dairy products like yoghurt, cheese, milk, cream and ice cream as dairy is not ideally compatible with human digestion and can cause havoc with skin health.
Remember to drink plenty of fresh spring water to keep hydrated from the inside out and take a daily probiotic, which works wonders for skin but also general gut health.
3. Every now and then we are introduced to new skincare trends. Which beauty/skincare trends should never come back?
I think anything that is harsh in nature or toxic to the skin. Like vampire facials, harsh chemical peels and products containing chemically derived ingredients that are not bio-compatible with the skin biome. Balance is the key here.
Too much of anything can build up toxins and resistance, so if you love receiving the ‘trends’ in harsh skin treatments, rather experience those once a year as opposed to every month like many people do.
4. We know that moisturising is important for the skin and there are certain oils that the skin needs to stay healthy. Which top oils should one have in their beauty routine?
Your oils should contain high counts of vitamins C,A,E, hyaluronic acid, marula, baobab and other superfoods that not only deeply hydrate but offer healing and rejuvenating properties as well.
5. Starting a skincare routine is easy, but maintaining it is one thing. How can one maintain consistent clean beauty?
One simply has to choose consistent clean beauty in order to maintain it. Choose brands that resonate with your values and ethics.
Read the labels on the products and get to know the good ingredients and the bad list so that you can make more informed decisions.
Choose brands that are transparent in their approach to be clean, kind and ethical in their offering.