What if the secret to youthful, glowing skin was right there on our dinner plates? What if nature’s edible gifts around us could rejuvenate and brighten our skin? What if even the simple bites of a blueberry could provide lasting benefits to your skin? At Elements Rejuvenating Med Spa in Davenport and Windermere, FL, we believe in the beautifying and cleansing power of foods. But we aren’t talking about just any food. We’re talking about Superfoods.
Superfoods are a fascinating key to attaining the perfect skin you’ve always aspired to have. What exactly are these foods and how do they affect skin health? How and why should you incorporate these foods into your skincare routine? Can they target and improve major skin care concerns such as acne, dark spots, and wrinkles?
What Are Superfoods?
Superfoods are nutritionally dense foods that are shown to be exponentially beneficial for skin health. While most are from plants, these types of nutritionally powerful ingredients can also be found in fish and dairy products. Containing a wide variety of nutrients such as antioxidants, these foods also contain healthy fats and fiber. Some popular examples of superfoods include blueberries, kale, acai berries, and salmon.
Blueberries
Blueberries are widely known as nutritionally dense fruits because they are packed with vitamins, soluble fiber, and phytochemicals. Phytochemicals are chemicals that give plants their deep colors and smells and are known for their numerous health benefits. Blueberries are also filled with antioxidants, which are wonderful nutrients for supporting skin health.
Kale
Loaded with vitamins A, C, and K, kale is revered as a nutritional powerhouse. Also rich in fiber, calcium, and minerals, kale is excellent for your health and for your skin.
Acai Berries
Similar to blueberries, acai berries are also loaded with antioxidants and phytochemicals. Acai berries contain other beneficial trace chemicals such as iron, copper, zinc, potassium, and magnesium. The impressive nutritional profile of these little Amazonian fruits makes them not only beneficial for your internal health but also beneficial for your skin.
Salmon
Salmon is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, which not only lowers the risk of heart disease but also assists in providing moisture to the skin. Salmon is one of the main non-plant superfoods because of its many nutritional benefits.
How Do These Foods Affect Skin Health?
Foods that are nutritionally dense are not only great for the body and mind, but they are also highly beneficial for skin health. Antioxidants, fatty acids, and vitamins all provide specific benefits, helping skin to look younger, brighter, and healthier. Certain types of superfoods also help to repair the skin by accelerating cell turnover and revealing fresher, new skin. Let’s take a look at how specific nutrients such as antioxidants, fatty acids, and vitamins can affect the health of your skin.
Antioxidants
Many of us are familiar with the term “antioxidants”, but few people know exactly what they are. Antioxidants are molecules that fight against cancer-causing compounds in the body known as free radicals. Because free radicals also damage healthy skin cells, they can cause pigmentation, fine lines, and wrinkles on the surface of the skin. A skincare routine heavy in antioxidants is effective in fighting against these free radicals.
Antioxidants are found in many skincare products because of their amazing benefits. We recommend using antioxidant serums as part of your skincare routine in order to protect your skin from attack by free radicals and to reduce pigmentation, fine lines, wrinkles, and other blemishes.
Omega Fatty Acids
Omega fatty acids are fascinating nutrients that are beneficial for the body and for the skin. Among the 11 fatty acids, three of them play significant roles in the health of your skin. Omega-3, omega-6, and omega-9 fatty acids serve as essential building blocks for the layers of the skin’s surface.
These fatty acids are known as essential fatty acids because the body does not produce them naturally. They must be consumed orally or applied with the use of serums and moisturizers. When applied topically, these fatty acids help to create a smoother and healthier complexion by reinforcing and smoothing the skin’s surface as well as increasing hydration to the skin. These omega fatty acids have also been shown to visibly strengthen the skin against external damage while delivering added antioxidants to combat aging.
Vitamins
Nutritionally dense foods provide the body and skin with large amounts of vitamins A, K, and C. These vitamins work wonders for reducing the appearance of blemishes and improving skin health. When applied topically, vitamin A can effectively treat and prevent inflammatory acne. Retinol, a form of vitamin A, is widely used to improve the skin by reducing the appearance of acne and redness.
Vitamin K is used topically to help fade skin imperfections such as stretch marks, scars, dark spots, and spider veins. Because vitamin K is essential in the body’s natural healing process, it is very effective in diminishing the appearance of wounds, bruises, and other blemishes on the skin. Along with vitamin K, vitamin C also helps to improve the appearance of skin by neutralizing free radicals and assisting in the repair of damaged skin cells.
Incorporating These Foods In a Skincare Routine
The two main ways to use superfoods to improve your skin health are through topical application and diet.
Topical Application
The topical application of nutritionally dense ingredients involves using these ingredients in your moisturizers, serums, and routine skin rejuvenating treatments. Using moisturizers and serums with added antioxidants and omega fatty acids is an effective way to directly unlock the power of these foods on your skin. Vitamin A, K, and C-based products can be incorporated in routine facials and other skin treatment sessions.
Diet
Another important way to ensure that your body and skin benefit from the remarkable effects of nutritionally dense foods is to consume these foods through a balanced diet. Eating meals with skin-rejuvenating ingredients such as omega fatty acids and antioxidants is essential for a healthy body and mind and has a direct impact on the health of your skin. These foods can be blended into smoothies, pulverized and added into juices, or taken in the form of capsule supplements.
Treating Specific Skin Conditions
Because these foods have numerous and often overlapping benefits, it can be somewhat overwhelming to research exactly which one to incorporate in your skincare routine. If you have a specific skin concern, we can help guide you through the process of finding the key ingredient that can rescue your skin.
There are specific ingredients that can be used to target specific skin conditions. After learning about these ingredients, you can begin to invest in skincare products and treatments that incorporate the appropriate elements and ingredients.
Acne
One of the main skin concerns for many is acne. Mild to moderate acne develops due to the buildup of an oily substance known as sebum. Along with dead skin cells, this sebum clogs hair follicles and triggers inflammation. When combined with other issues, and if left untreated, the bacteria that causes inflammation in the form of acne can produce infections that lead to even more severe acne.
Vitamin A is a fascinating ingredient that powerfully combats current acne and helps to prevent the development of future acne. Because vitamin A is an antioxidant that helps to prevent the formation of those free radicals that cause cell damage, it is able to protect skin and reduce inflammation. It’s also effective in decreasing sebum production, increasing skin cell growth, and smoothing out skin tone. You can incorporate vitamin A into your skincare routine by looking for serums, moisturizers, and treatments that use a topical form of vitamin A known as Retinol.
Dark Spots and Hyperpigmentation
Dark spots and hyperpigmentation are the results of skin cell damage. This damage usually comes from the sun or from healed skin blemishes. When skin cells face attack from external sources, they often create melanin in an effort to defend themselves. This melanin causes the darkening of certain areas of the skin and ultimately leads to an uneven skin tone.
Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do to go back in time and stop the damage to your skin cells. However, with certain key ingredients such as vitamin C, you can erase the effects and start fresh with your skin. Vitamin C helps to fade dark spots and impede the production of melanin, helping to even out skin tone.
Wrinkles
As time moves on and age begins to affect your skin, you may begin to see an increased appearance of wrinkles. Wrinkles are caused when the body’s natural collagen production cycle slows down and isn’t able to keep up with the progression of time. This leads to sagging and aged skin that lacks elasticity and volume.
Choosing products and treatments that include omega-3 fatty acids can work wonders at preventing the appearance of wrinkles. Skin treatments and foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids reduce the body’s production of natural chemicals that are part of the aging process. As this process slows down, the body’s natural collagen production process is able to keep up. The body thus produces collagen and other elements that are key to youthful and healthy-looking skin at a faster rate than the body’s aging process.
Professional Treatments That Use Powerful Ingredients
We have a host of professional skin rejuvenating therapies that incorporate nutritionally dense ingredients that are highly beneficial for the skin. Our anti-aging treatments and facials incorporate serums with added superfoods in order to give your skin a healthy and noticeable boost.
Our skincare professionals can recommend products and treatment services that utilize these nutritionally powerful ingredients in order to help you achieve optimal skin health. If you would like to target a specific skincare concern with these foods, we will find a suitable treatment for you.
Unleash the Power of Nature for Your Skin Health
With skin-protecting antioxidants, moisturizing and hydrating omega fatty acids, and restorative vitamins, nature has the remedy for the main causes of unhealthy skin. Powerful, nutritionally dense foods are the key to helping you achieve a beautiful complexion that is free of acne, dark spots, wrinkles, and other blemishes.
With the increasing amount of information concerning these fascinating ingredients, it can be quite intimidating to figure out where to start or how to incorporate these foods into your skincare routine. If you feel confused or overwhelmed about your skincare journey, we’re here to help. Contact Element Rejuvenating Med Spa in Davenport and Windermere, FL to see which superfood containing products and treatments are suitable for you, and let us help you achieve remarkably healthier skin by unleashing the power of nature.
