How do you make your skin smooth and flawless?

[rayoflight]

I seriously doubt that what you eat have much to do with the state of your skin. It has a lot more to do with genetics and your hormone balance IMO.

It's kinda accepted in the medical community that there is no skin-food connection and people who suggest otherwise get laughed at (even though it's a well known fact that nutrition is not huge part of physicians curriculum, so how would they know), but there is some newer research that suggests otherwise, like the this one on acne:

A low-glycemic-load diet improves symptoms in acne vulgaris patients: a randomized controlled trial

And I've seen on the AAD is rethinking their stance on certain things as well, especially in the light of research like this that shows there are also certain foods that have been show to affect skin after all, like this: Long-Term Ingestion of High Flavanol Cocoa Provides Photoprotection against UV-Induced Erythema and Improves Skin Condition in Women

Although the jury is still out on the precise link, I think it's a two way connection, if some foods can make skin better, then others can make it worse, like the Australian acne trial suggests.

Other than that, it's like with skin hydration and water intake. Is accepted that drinking more doesn't make skin more moist, but not drinking enough will lead to dehydration and skin will be among the first organs to suffer. Same with food, as long skin gets everything it needs there is no problem. If it doesn't get something or gets something it doesn't need it won't function as well.

Plus my own empirical experience tell me genes and hormones get blamed way too much. (not saying it isn't true in some cases) It's so easy to blame bad skin or unhealthy weight on genes or some vague hormones (especially with no clinical back up). 20 years ago, when I was a little kid, virtually no one here had acne or was overweight (except some retired ladies in their >60s who weighted ~120 kg and it was considered a lot), because state told everyone to get fit and food was either standardized or self-grown. Nowadays we have all moved towards western lifestyle and 1/3 of the population has suddenly become obese and 90% of people get acne at one point in their lives. I refuse to believe that gene pool has deteriorated so much within 2 decades or that 1/2 the population suddenly has developed same hormonal imbalances. Since people eat very different food, tons of dairy, highly processed and preserved foods (For comparison, opened milk would last 2-3 days before going sour, now it lasts a week and rots instead of souring, thanks to amazing food techs), refined carbs galore and all that and have come to live a more sedentary lifestyle which wasn't common 20 years ago, it doesn't surprise me in the least.

 

[The_Ida]

What we eat and the insane amount of additives and toxins in our food affect our bodies in a lot of ways. And the thing is...once you've become overweight you hormones do you no favours at all. It's basically all messed up You don't need a huge amount of body fat in order to produce more oestrogen which will make you store more fat etc. Hormones are annoying.

Genes do not affect how our skin age...very minimally if at all. But I honestly believe that stuff like pore size is hereditary. Both me and my mum have small pores, and the size of the pores have a lot to do with how much hair you have on your body and face and how thick it is. My BF has larger pores than me, not just because he's a dude. He's Middle Eastern, and he is way more hairy than me

BTW I've had really great skin for two days and I have no idea why. Hate when that happens. Haven't changed a thing. Baffles the mind.

 

[The_Ida]

Probably not a direct contributor but insulin has to do with sugar metabolism. If you don't metabolize sugar well, it could lead to things like obesity, true, but it can also contribute to collagen breakdown. Excess sugar ages the body (& skin) faster and reduces healing. I think..

My mother in law read a book on that subject, and I did ask my professor, but to his knowledge it's still being debated. But he's a kidney dude, so I have no clue how up to date he is on that subject

 

[The Moon]

For great looking skin I:

Drink a lot of water - because being dehydrated makes your skin look tired
Exercise
Take a fish oil supplement everyday
Eat plenty of fruit
Eat a large salad everyday with avocado, and/or fish, and tons of colourful vegetables
Sleep
Don't eat any refined sugar - so bad for your skin and body..

I also moisturize with all-natural products like there is no tomorrow. And I get outdoors and in the sun everyday.
I also think maintaining an inner peace about yourself and life can improve the way your skin looks. They say stress immediately constricts the blood vessels in your face and you can loose that 'glow'.

 

[rayoflight]

What we eat and the insane amount of additives and toxins in our food affect our bodies in a lot of ways. And the thing is...once you've become overweight you hormones do you no favours at all. It's basically all messed up You don't need a huge amount of body fat in order to produce more oestrogen which will make you store more fat etc. Hormones are annoying.

So it's like bad food+tons of it > overweight > bad skin due to hormones?
I know that sort of thing is very true with steroid users, they get crap skin when they pop too much anabolics. But they also tend eat really wrong things, so that doesn't help at all.

Genes do not affect how our skin age...very minimally if at all. But I honestly believe that stuff like pore size is hereditary. Both me and my mum have small pores, and the size of the pores have a lot to do with how much hair you have on your body and face and how thick it is. My BF has larger pores than me, not just because he's a dude. He's Middle Eastern, and he is way more hairy than me

It's a phenotype vs genotype thing, I think, with the pores and aging, while pore size is determined by genes it is also affected by environmental factors, say UV radiation or bad habits like smoking, that break down collagen in pore walls making them distended, even if it's written in DNA they have to be 30 microns in diameter. Genes are only the template which a human gets and then passes on, not the determinant of the result of what we do with us, the twin studies on aging are pretty much proof on that, twins who tanned, smoked, had a lot of stress aged way worse than their "other halves" even the expression lines are different, because they obviously are created by different facial expressions, even if it's the same muscle arrangement. I also think it's pretty much widely accepted that most of skin aging comes from sun exposure and other external factors and not intrinsic aging. So yea, you're right, genes and skin aging don't have too much in common with each other.

 

[Cristina777]

It's kinda accepted in the medical community that there is no skin-food connection and people who suggest otherwise get laughed at (even though it's a well known fact that nutrition is not huge part of physicians curriculum, so how would they know), but there is some newer research that suggests otherwise, like the this one on acne:

A low-glycemic-load diet improves symptoms in acne vulgaris patients: a randomized controlled trial

And I've seen on the AAD is rethinking their stance on certain things as well, especially in the light of research like this that shows there are also certain foods that have been show to affect skin after all, like this: Long-Term Ingestion of High Flavanol Cocoa Provides Photoprotection against UV-Induced Erythema and Improves Skin Condition in Women

Although the jury is still out on the precise link, I think it's a two way connection, if some foods can make skin better, then others can make it worse, like the Australian acne trial suggests.

Other than that, it's like with skin hydration and water intake. Is accepted that drinking more doesn't make skin more moist, but not drinking enough will lead to dehydration and skin will be among the first organs to suffer. Same with food, as long skin gets everything it needs there is no problem. If it doesn't get something or gets something it doesn't need it won't function as well.

Plus my own empirical experience tell me genes and hormones get blamed way too much. (not saying it isn't true in some cases) It's so easy to blame bad skin or unhealthy weight on genes or some vague hormones (especially with no clinical back up). 20 years ago, when I was a little kid, virtually no one here had acne or was overweight (except some retired ladies in their >60s who weighted ~120 kg and it was considered a lot), because state told everyone to get fit and food was either standardized or self-grown. Nowadays we have all moved towards western lifestyle and 1/3 of the population has suddenly become obese and 90% of people get acne at one point in their lives. I refuse to believe that gene pool has deteriorated so much within 2 decades or that 1/2 the population suddenly has developed same hormonal imbalances. Since people eat very different food, tons of dairy, highly processed and preserved foods (For comparison, opened milk would last 2-3 days before going sour, now it lasts a week and rots instead of souring, thanks to amazing food techs), refined carbs galore and all that and have come to live a more sedentary lifestyle which wasn't common 20 years ago, it doesn't surprise me in the least.

Unfortunately, I am one of those people that found no connection between diet and acne. While I was a teen, I changed my diet: cut all fried food, sugar foods, started eating more fruit, veggies and fish and my acne didn't improve one bit. (I have to thank my acne for being such a healthy eater nowdays).
While I was a teen I suffered from severe acne and I always thought that medical doctors said some weird stuff about acne and diet:
- "don't eat chocolate, butter and cheese" , I didn't like chocolate back then, never liked butter and ate (at maximum) like one slice of cheese a day
- "drink more water", how the hell do you know how much water I drink and that is not enough?

I never being overweight, in fact my BMI is lower than 19. Interestingly, I had done blood tests several times and glucose is the only thing that sometimes is out of the range of what is considered normal. It is usual normal-low or slightly under the normal levels. (My doctor said that was no reason to worry about). No high-glycemic diet for me.

 

[rayoflight]

^ No one says that the blood sugar fluctuations is the sole cause of acne and eating low-GI stuff will cure acne (altho some quacks make money claiming that). I wish it was that simple... As the link says, it's a list of things, from genetic ones, like seborrhoeic gland sensitivity to hormones or peripheral metabolism activity that results in higher androgen conversion/concentration locally, but the hormone levels in blood are normal in both cases and wont show up in tests. Plus unhealthy skin flora proliferation Propionbacterium acne, Pytirosporum ovale, Demodex folliculorum with all the subsequent changes in skin's immunity and functions, increased enzyme activity, cytokine release and so on which aren't affected by diet... Is also why no serious doc suggests that acne can be treated with dietary change only. I don't say that either, because it's not true, but for a lot of people (me including) a change in diet does affect breakouts/blackheads positively, in combination with skin repair stuff, retinoids, keratolytic stuff and antibacterial things (lol, but no clindamycin, eritromicin or the likes).

LoL, but is true about the docs and water. When something is wrong me, my doc tells me to drink more water/fuid and then I'm like, 'What? How much is more, 5 liters?'

 

[The_Ida]

So it's like bad food+tons of it > overweight > bad skin due to hormones?
I know that sort of thing is very true with steroid users, they get crap skin when they pop too much anabolics. But they also tend eat really wrong things, so that doesn't help at all.

That was just a very simple example of how hormones can **** you over. It's way more complex than that

Thankfully doctors in DK will never tell you to drink more water. Unless you're 80.

 

[candeo]

Genes are only the template which a human gets and then passes on, not the determinant of the result of what we do with us, the twin studies on aging are pretty much proof on that, twins who tanned, smoked, had a lot of stress aged way worse than their "other halves" even the expression lines are different, because they obviously are created by different facial expressions, even if it's the same muscle arrangement. I also think it's pretty much widely accepted that most of skin aging comes from sun exposure and other external factors and not intrinsic aging. So yea, you're right, genes and skin aging don't have too much in common with each other.

Now this is (mostly) true IMHO. I have a twin (look similar but I have dark hair and she's a blonde ). She's aged faster than I have in spite of her using botox / fillers / beauty spas like there's no tomorrow, I don't do any of that at all.

The key differences in our lifestyles, if that's the right word are:

1) Sunscreen: I've used sunscreen religiously since I was 14 (late 30's now) and lived in some of the world's sunniest spots; she was/is a sun-worshipper and lived in England all her life

2) Stress: She leads a life of leisure (married young and married rich ) whereas I'm a (reformed) workaholic who used to have massive stress in my life

3) Facial expression lines: She has deeper lines than I have (even with fillers/botox for her) but they are in the same place for both of us. I think this comes from growing up with the same mother and mimicing her facial expressions (she) also had them in exactly the same place. I used to think this was genetic but no more.

4) Skin products: I use retin-A for a while (18 months I guess), but glycolic acid and vitamin C for about a decade, wheras she's into her spa brands packed with fluffy non-ingredients

So, based on a samples size of 1 (or 2) I'd bet hands-down that the #1 impact on slowing down the aging process was simply sunscreen, and the #2 was decent basic skin-care...

 

[Diedejan]

I use everey night the OvernightPeeling by MBR, and for the day Face Concentrate en Face Fluide...

 

[Lela London]

Water and a mostly raw food diet. I can sleep in my makeup and be blemish free this way!

As far as products? Baby wipes and any oil-free moisturizer that has mostly natural ingredients (coconut oils and such make my face SLICK. My skin seems to respond better to lighter ingredients).

 

[diesanni]

I don't get oil-free moisturizers. They might work for a week or two but after that your skin just gets worse.

I've become a huge fan of pure organic shea butter and tee tree oil. I use them before I go to bed and my skin is so soft in the morning and my pores are less visible. It also helps to reduce the lines and dark circles around my eyes.

 

[Lite_Brite]

My routine

night:

- pre-cleanse with mineral oil and water (massage well)
- massage in a gentle SLS free cleanser
- remove with a wet microfiber cloth
- apply BHA (Arcona raspberry peel pads)

day:

- if face is dry, use more mineral oil and water to moisturize
- apply AHA (Garden of Wisdom 5% Mandelic Acid)
- mineral makeup
- set with a witch hazel/glycerin spray

For diet I don't really eat anything high in Omega-6s. I maintain a good 3-6-9 balance and supplement only if I eat something that throws it off. I take 3,000 IU of vitamin D3 and this seems to help too.

Green tea is the one thing I noticed gives me hormonal/cystic acne since it reduces estrogen.

Dairy doesn't seem to impact my skin, although I haven't messed with milk, which I hear is the worst culprit for most.

 

[SabrinaNicole]

As far as genetics are concerned, I think knowing my genotype has helped. It certainly explains why I haven't aged well & why I have to work at it. I'm being harsh on myself, depending on circumstances I pass for 5-10 years younger but it really depends. So about the genotype I'm a Hunter. From what I've read inflammation seems to be a problem & also adrenal stress. I have to go to sleep early (ha breaking my own rule, shouldn't be up), exercise to clear adrenaline due to constant fight or flight mode-- overreacting is my norm. I've been on a high protein diet with a ton of fish for about ten years, I would look much worse if I didn't ear the way I do. So sure skincare is key but even my sister uses Retin-a, has same genes & just barely looks better.
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[Vega Magnus]

I apply three different things before bed. First, I start with Clean & Clear astringent. I apply it to a cotton pad and scrub my forehead and nose with it. Then, I gently rub the cotton pad over the rest of my face. This stuff will dry your skin horribly, so I do not recommend using it by itself.

Source: Overstockdrugstore.com

After that, I apply Clean & Clear moisturizer. I started using this because of how badly the astringent dried my skin. (My entire forehead would peel off roughly every seven days, and the skin below my eyes/next to my nose wasn't much better.) No problems since then. This is the stuff that I would probably say makes my skin "smooth and flawless".

Source: Drugstore.com

And, finally I finish up with Cearasil Ultra Rapid Action cream. WARNING. THIS STUFF WILL BLEACH YOUR HAIR AND CLOTHING. I slather it all over my face, but I think it is meant as spot treatment, so I think I'm actually doing it wrong. I use it at night, so it doesn't affect my clothes, and the bleaching effect actually makes my hair look pretty cool, however, others should be more careful with it.

Source: Getridofpimplesovernight.com (What the...)

And for the record, my skin got way better when I started eating healthy.

 

[meens]

I thought I'd share my own experience and views because my skin is one of the things I'm proud of. (Knock wood)
I'm talking about the things that you can actively do or avoid.

1. Water, water, water:
We've all heard it but it should be said again. I have a one liter bottle and on average I fill it up about three times a day. I notice that when I go away for vacations and trips is when I tend to drink less water and there's always a direct impact on my skin. So I'd say aim for 2-3 liters a day.

2. Green Tea
I drink about four cups a day. Non sweetened or creamed or anything. Simple green tea in hot water.
Try to buy the loose green Chinese tea that you can get at middle eastern or Asian stores. One small box lasts me almost a month and costs 5 bucks. I find that the boxes of bagged tea you get at the grocery store come out tasting much different. With the loose tea I add just about a tea spoon in one of those large thermoses and let it sit for about twenty minutes. I keep it next to me while I'm working and just sip away.
Also, with the loose tea you add a little bit so it's more mellow and light and not bitter like with the bags.
If you're drinking those sweetened already pre-packaged bottles it's not the same thing.

3. Green Smoothies!!!!!!!
I'm super excited about these because I'm a recent convert but ever since I started them everyone has been asking me what I've been doing.
I'm one of those people who hate eating salads and raw spinach and kale etc. So this is perfect and simple.
-Peel a banana, cut it in half and freeze it for a few hours.
-put it in your blender along with a fistful of baby spinach (kale is good as well but much stronger) and whatever frozen fruit you like. I love the mango, peach and strawberry mix that you can get in the freezer aisle at the grocery store.
-Add about a cup or two of water
Blend and drink. The ration should be about 40% greens to 60% fruit but you can play with it as you like.
I've been drinking a cup a day for about a month and my skin looks better than it did ten years ago. Fresh and dewy. You can just google and see what a cult following it has.
It looks gross but if you have the right fruit amount in it you can't taste the green and it's just like a fruity drink)

Here's a link which is good to watch to understand the steps:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29wdt3jPI20&feature=relmfu

(you can add or take away stuff according to what you like. Some people add flax seeds etc.)

3. Less Stuff On the Face
- this is a real hard one for a lot of people because I know how much we girls love our make up. The truth is, though, that if you just think about it, there's no way that choking the skin with layers and layers of chemicals each day is good for it. And at the end of the day you use more harsh chemicals to take it off. Even if you're just using foundation and blush and concealer, that's a lot of stuff for your skin to handle day in and out.
I don't wear make up every day. Not because I'm beautiful but because I just never really got into it. I hardly ever break out and again my skin is a lot younger than that of other girls my age.
Also, because I don't wear make up everyday I don't need the harsh make up removers at night either.
I cleanse with cetaphil every night and pat it dry and moisturize. I wash with cold water in the morning, and apply sunscreen+moisturizer and I'm out the door.

I found these things help a lot. But again, this stuff won't work if you chain smoke a pack a day or eat nothing but junk.

 

[BonjourTristesse]

I agree with most things you said... but 4 cups of green tea in my opinion is too much!
I dont know how sensitive your stomach or nervoussystem is, but I get really hyper.

My chinese doctor (she does TCM and acupuncture and is my personal hero ;-) ) said that you should definitely not drink more than 2 cups a day. And not after 17:00.

If I drink more than 3 cups I get dizzy and my stomach acts up. I know it's different for everyone...but 4 cups of coffee is far too much, too - I personally believe!

 

[meens]

I agree with most things you said... but 4 cups of green tea in my opinion is too much!
I dont know how sensitive your stomach or nervoussystem is, but I get really hyper.

My chinese doctor (she does TCM and acupuncture and is my personal hero ;-) ) said that you should definitely not drink more than 2 cups a day. And not after 17:00.

If I drink more than 3 cups I get dizzy and my stomach acts up. I know it's different for everyone...but 4 cups of coffee is far too much, too - I personally believe!

Of course everyone reacts to everything differently depending on their systems. The reason why I suggest loose leaf tea is that if you add a teaspoon to a big thermos of water and drink the four cups that it makes it's the same amount of caffeine that you would get (or actually less) than if you made two cups of green tea and put one tea bag in each.
The only difference would be the amount of water and more water is good for you anyway so it's like killing two birds with one stone.

I've been drinking a thermos a day for years now with no problems.

 

[The_Ida]

I love my liver too much to drink green tea daily. I also doubt that caffeine is beneficial for the skin.

 

[meens]

I love my liver too much to drink green tea daily. I also doubt that caffeine is beneficial for the skin.

I don't work for The Green Tea Consortium so I'm not pushing anything on anyone, but google is a wonderful thing.



This is from a study done by the University of Maryland Medical center (among thousands of others done by legitimate research centers)



"Population-based clinical studies have shown that men who drink more than 10 cups of green tea per day are less likely to develop disorders of the liver. Green tea also seems to protect the liver from the damaging effects of toxic substances such as alcohol. Animal studies have shown that green tea helps protect against the development of liver tumors in mice.
Results from several animal and human studies suggest that one of the polyphenols present in green tea, known as catechin, may help treat viral hepatitis (inflammation of the liver from a virus)."


As for the benefits for skin,



Green tea is made from unfermented leaves and reportedly contains the highest concentration of powerful antioxidants called polyphenols. Antioxidants are substances that scavenge free radicals -- damaging compounds in the body that alter cells, tamper with DNA (genetic material), and even cause cell death. Free radicals occur naturally in the body, but environmental toxins (including ultraviolet rays from the sun, radiation, cigarette smoke, and air pollution) also give rise to these damaging particles. Many scientists believe that free radicals contribute to the aging process as well as the development of a number of health problems, including cancer and heart disease. Antioxidants such as polyphenols in green tea can neutralize free radicals and may reduce or even help prevent some of the damage they cause.


http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/green-tea-000255.htm



There are many other sources on the benefits of green tea to the skin though, again, everyone knows what works best for themselves.