By adjusting your lifestyle, diet, eating habits, and choice of skincare, you could revive your glow and lighten your complexion, despite the hot year-round summer!
1. Have an early night!
If you’re wondering why your pimple spots aren't healing or why is your skin still dull with pigmentation despite being diligent about sun protection and slathering plenty of whitening products, maybe it’s time to have an early night.
Staying up late beyond 11 PM causes poor blood circulation, resulting in a lack of oxygen in the blood and hence, causes skin pigmentation, dark spots or blotchy complexion.
Sleep deprivation also increases stress hormones that cause skin pigmentation. One such hormone is the adrenocorticotropic hormone, which causes an increase in skin pigmentation (source). And according to a report published at NCBI, adrenocorticotropic hormone released by stress may activate tyrosinase in melanocytes, resulting in the augmentation of ultraviolet-induced pigmentation (source).
So head to bed before 11 PM, and you will soon discover your radiance!
2. Replace Hot Tea With Orange Juice During or After Your Meal!
Caffeine in tea hinders absorption of various nutrients such as iron which is vital for healthy glowing skin.
Some studies have shown that phenolic compounds present in tea interfere with the absorption of iron by forming iron-complexes in the intestinal lining of the stomach. Pale skin and dark circles are the most common signs of anemia caused due to iron deficiency. The lack of iron causes hemoglobin levels to decrease, resulting in the subsequent reduction of red blood cells. The reduced oxygen flow can deprive your skin of its color, making it look sallow. Hence, a healthy dose of iron-rich foods in your daily diet can give your skin a lovely pinkish glow.
Iron also plays an important role in speeding up the process of wound healing. It helps in the formation of red blood cells, the most essential constituent of hemoglobin that transports oxygen around the body. Without the proper supply of oxygen (that also carries other nutrients), wound healing cannot take place (source). You know what to do about treating those inflamed pimple wounds the next time!
So make sure to consume foods rich in iron and vitamin C, and wait at least an hour after a meal before you drink tea. That allows your body the time to absorb as much iron as possible before the chemicals in tea steal it from you (source).
#Tip - Iron is best absorbed when supplemented with foods rich in vitamin C, such as orange, grapefruit, and tomato juice.
3. Increase Your Intake of Vitamin C!
Vitamin C has taken the lead as one of the most important treatments against skin aging and darkening. Its skin-health benefits are largely attributed to its benefits in supporting healthy collagen. Collagen works hand-in-hand with elastin to support the skin.
Vitamin C also fights redness and inflammation. It can remove red blotches on the skin and is effective in treating acne and rosacea.
Also, scientists have found out that the way our skin balances between its lighter pigments (pheomelanin) and darker pigments (eumelanin) depends on glutathione, L-cysteine and the TYRP1 enzyme. Since Vitamin C has been scientifically proven to boost gluthathione levels in the blood, we can say that Vitamin C helps to lighten skin color (source).
So go on and fill your diet with fruits and vegetables, the best way to increase Vitamin C levels in your body. Fruits such as guava, papaya, kiwi, oranges, lychees, strawberries and pineapple are packed with Vitamin C. Vegetables rich in Vitamin C include peppers, broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, snow peas, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, tomatoes and potatoes. Keep in mind that excessive heating destroys Vitamin C so avoid overcooking your vegetables! (source)
4. Don't skip your sunscreen!
Never, never brave the sun without a sunscreen.
Sunscreen delivers multiple benefits that you will thank yourself years later. Not only does it help to prevent facial brown spots and skin discolorations, it also reduces the appearance of facial red veins and blotchiness. What's more, it slows down the development of wrinkled, premature aging skin!
You will regret not having worn sunscreen when you look at your skin compared to friends and family who have worn daily sunscreen 20 years from now.
(source)
5. Rejuvenate with Skincare That Contains Vitamin C
While oral supplementation with Vitamin C is important for maintaining one’s overall health, it is not very effective at increasing skin concentrations of Vitamin C because its absorption is limited by active transport mechanisms in the gut. The most effective method for replenishing Vitamin C in the skin is therefore to go straight to the source, and apply it directly to the skin.
Topical antioxidants produce much higher concentrations in the skin than nutritional supplements. In fact, applying Vitamin C to the skin is 20 times more effective than oral ingestion. Applying vitamin C daily for three days can achieve optimal levels in the skin. It is also known that once a topical antioxidant is absorbed into the skin, it cannot be washed or rubbed off. So, even after stopping application, significant amounts of Vitamin C will remain in the skin for up to three days!
Rejuvenating the skin by constantly replenishing Vitamin C can therefore help maintain healthy, radiant younger-looking skin, especially as we get older (source).
It’s important to mention that vitamin C forms are effective in lower concentrations, so don’t get caught up in the belief that only higher strengths are beneficial for skin. Research has shown that concentrations as low as 0.6% provide antioxidant and anti-aging benefits to skin (Skin Research and Technology, 2008).
Without question, vitamin C is a powerful tool in your anti-aging arsenal. For best results, use it strategically and as part of a routine that includes a daily broad-spectrum sunscreen plus irritant-free products that contain a mix of antioxidants, skin-repairing agents, and cell-communicating ingredients (source).
About us: We are Skintelligence, a team focused on a 'skin-first' approach to beauty through artificial intelligence. We match products to you based on your unique skin type and needs. Results are highly accurate and personalized with AI and machine learning. It's fun, convenient, and it works. Try it here.
As featured in Her World, CLEO, FEMALE, Shape, Nuyou, Singapore Women’s Weekly, Daily Vanity, Layers of Skins.
