We all have our share of skin problems and it’s particularly bad after the holiday season with late nights, and a whole lot of eating and drinking. Most people complain about dull and tired looking skin during this season, which is heightened by the unfriendly winter cold.
In addition to your daily dose of moisturising, cleansing and toning, it’s time you take extra care and detoxify your skin in order to get rid of wastes and impurities.
Dr Lovneet Batra, clinical nutritionist, Fortis Healthcare and Dr Sakshi Chopra, bariatric nutritionist, Jaypee Hospital, Noida share expert tips with us on how to get the glow back.
Revitalise your skin with foods rich in antioxidants
Add pumpkins to your diet as they are rich in antioxidants and zinc, and can help revitalise your skin, regulate oil production, improve skin tone and reduce the appearance of open pores. You can also opt for tomatoes as they are loaded with a strong anti-aging antioxidant, lycopene, an essential element for a younger looking skin. It also helps in getting rid of toxins accumulated from alcohol and sugar binges, says Batra.
Antioxidants present in eggs, lutein and zeaxanthin, provide protection against free radicals. They also help in hydrating the skin leaving it soft and firm.
“You can also have green tea in the morning with honey or apple cider vinegar, which is rich in antioxidant”, says Chopra.
Turmeric and fruit/mud face packs can do wonders
According to Batra, turmeric containing the antioxidant curcumin has proven to be one of the most effective anti-aging agents. It decreases the free radical load, leaving your skin looking younger.
You can mash raw turmeric, squeeze out the juice, and either apply it on your face or consume it raw with a small glass of lukewarm water and honey.
For skin glow, Chopra recommends applying a fruit pack or a mud pack. Fruit packs can include strawberry, kiwis and bananas. Alternatively, you can try a face pack, which has high turmeric content.
The best time to apply any pack is before going to sleep. Just keep it on for 20 mins and rinse off with water.
Work on those dark circles and blemishes
“Potatoes work as a natural bleaching agent for skin lightening and can help get rid of dark circles and puffy eyes”, says Batra.
You should also add cherries, blueberries, strawberries, and kiwi to your diet as they are loaded with antioxidants and can help you fight the blemishes. Chopra says having a glass of strawberry smoothie or a kiwi smoothie can help you get glowing skin.
Vitamin C and Vitamin E to prevent cell damage
Almonds are a rich source of vitamin E, which is an antidote for cell damage. So you should definitely include that in your diet, but besides that, you should also have paneer, papayas and fruit punches.
Says Chopra, “Vegetables containing high fibre and water content, for example, vegetable smoothies like spinach and kale or spinach and cucumber are good for skin.”
Stay hydrated
Coconut water is hydrating and full of muscle relaxing potassium. It helps in clearing breakouts as a result of too much sugar or processed fried foods during party season.