The skin is the largest organ in the body, weighing almost twice the liver and the brain. Its primary function is to protect the body from pathogens and serve as the body’s first line of defense against external elements like extreme temperatures. The skin accommodates Langerhans cells which are important components of the body’s adaptive immune system.

In the surface layers of the skins are nerve endings that give animals, including men, the ability to sense and react to heat, the absence of heat, vibration, pressure, touch and injury; this ability is called haptic perception. The skin is responsible for regulating the heat inside the body and at the same time maintaining body temperature to a healthy level; the narrow blood vessels in the surface of the skin conserves heat by reducing cutaneous blood flow. It also prevents the evaporation of water from the body by serving as a semi-permeable membrane that prevents fluid loss and at the same time serve as a storage place for water and fats.

The Need for Healthy Skin

It very important to always keep the skin healthy and keep it away from any injury that may disrupt its proper function. The skin care industry responds to this necessity in a very effective manner. Being one of the biggest industries in the world, skin care product manufacturers are at a continuous growth despite economic difficulties and people spend thousands each year to simply make their skin healthy or, in most cases, “look healthy.” A market information report from the Information Resources revealed that the skin care industry has shown stability over the years and is showing potentials of growing further. The report added that people are spending more on facial skin care products, accounting to 20 percent of the industry’s growth.

Skin care products that appeal to consumers the most are those which promise to reduce and prevent the appearance of the common signs of ageing like fine lines, wrinkles and dark spots. In the desire to find the perfect product to care for the skin, people spend more than they need to by switching from one product to another after observing that the product does not satisfy their skin care needs. The approach of most skin care brands is, more often than not, topical. This means that there are more varieties of facial cleansers, toners, moisturizers, astringents and lotions compared to supplements that take skin care deeper than the epidermis, or the outermost layer of the skin.

The things we need to care for the body and maintain good health can be found in natural sources like fruits and plants. The skin must have its much needed vitamins and nutrients in order to function properly, and stay healthy and beautiful. These skin essentials can be acquired by eating the right kind of foods like pomegranate. A recent study showed that eating pomegranate can protect the skin from the harmful effects of UV rays and may prevent the appearance of wrinkles.

Pomegranate for Healthy Skin

A study published in the August issue of Experimental Dermatology revealed that fruit extracts from pomegranate and berries can help protect the skin from UV damage and inhibit the appearance of age lines or wrinkles. A group of Korean researchers reported that ellagic acid found in pomegranate can prevent collagen degradation in the skin cells and maintain healthy skin structure. A related study conducted by the same team showed that the polyphenol, also a compound in pomegranate, reduced the thickening of skin in bald mice after continuous exposure to high ultraviolet radiation. The application of ellagic acid directly on the skin decreased the production of inflammatory compounds on the skin of subject animals. The researchers are from the Hallym University Department of Food and Nutrition in Korea.

The researchers said that either dietary or topical use of pomegranate and berries rich in ellagitannins and ellagic acid showed significant results in preventing skin wrinkling and inflammation caused by the exposure to UV rays. The study supports the growing awareness that beauty needs to come from within by linking healthy diet to a healthy and beautiful skin. Other studies have examined the effects of natural compounds like superoxide dismutase, hydrolyzed collagen, flavanol, lycopene and lutein from food in achieving healthy skin.

In order to come to a conclusion, the researchers used human fibroblasts and human skin cells. It were then applied with ellagic acid and exposed to UV radiation. They found that the compound inhibited the degradation of the skin’s collagen layers and reduced skin toxicity as a result of UV exposure.

The food you eat manifests in the condition of your skin. So it’s always important to keep in mind the things that the skin needs in order to stay healthy, and which to avoid to keep it away from damage. A biochemist and the co-founder of DDF Skin Care, Elaine Linker, said skin conditions like acne and eczema are linked to a person’s diet. Reach for foods rich in antioxidants, lycopene like tomatoes, flavanols like soy products, vitamin E and D.

The 5 Steps to Maintaining a Healthy Skin

A healthy, glowing skin is not so hard to achieve.  Sometimes, all it takes are five steps to achieve what you have always wanted:

Eat Right. Eating the right kind of foods that supplies your skin with the vitamins and nutrients that it needs in order to stay healthy and beautiful is the first and best step.

• Go for foods that are rich in vitamin A such as dairy products that contain low fat, and the delicious mango.
• Load up on those that are rich in antioxidants such as plums and berries – blackberries, blueberries and strawberries.
• Foods that contain Omega 3 and 6 should be included in your diet.  This helps moisturize the skin.  Examples of such are flax seeds, walnuts and salmon.
• Almonds contain Vitamin E which helps protect the skin from premature aging and damage.  It also acts as a moisturizer from within.
• Selenium is a mineral found in cottage cheese which helps give skin that is healthy, youthful and radiant-looking.

Cleanse. Always make it a habit to clean your face after being exposed to pollutants and harmful materials. After a hard day’s work, the first step of avoiding skin damage is by cleaning your face using your preferred facial cleanser. Using soap and other skin care products that are commercially may sometimes do you more harm than good, so it is best to go natural.  Jojoba and almond oil are used as facial cleansers.  Making use of fruit masks (strawberries and grapefruit) also helps clean the skin.

Tone. Skin toners act as a skin tightening agent that controls the entrance of bacteria and other materials to the deeper layers of the skin and give the skin a clear and blemish free appearance by evening out skin color. Natural toners are:

• Apple cider vinegar
• Tomato juice
• cucumber extracts
• lemon juice
• tea tree
• rose water

Exfoliate. Don’t forget to scrub your skin once in a while; this is done in order to shed off dead skin cells and to reveal the newer cells. Scrubbing also removes dirt and prevents it from clogging the pores to prevent the appearance of unpleasant-looking acnes and pimples and to let the skin “breathe.” For the face, natural exfoliants are oatmeal, baking soda, avocado and apricot. And for the body, using a loofah scrub can effectively do the job. It also promotes skin health by stimulating better blood circulation.

Exercise. Frequent exercising allows toxins and harmful materials to exit from the body through the pores as sweat.

Sources
nutraingredients.com
webmd.com
allwomenstalk.com
she.com.pk