I recently had the honor of doing a video interview with model-mama, and fellow health advocate, Angela Braden for her online community, Ever Beauty. A community dedicated to women over 40 who want to maintain their health and beauty in a natural and holistic way. During the interview I gave 5 of my all natural beauty tips….and due to the popularity of what I had to share….I’ve decided to go ahead and write about a few more of the things I do to stay healthy and battle aging without cosmetic procedures.
To be honest, I was surprised that anyone wanted to know more about the tips I shared, or that anyone would take notes….so it made my day to read how many women, and men, actually did! It gives me hope that someday we will return to embracing aging in a healthier way…and ditch the needles and chemicals.
In my interview I spoke about using essential oils, hyaluronic acid, probiotics, derma rollers, and staying hydrated to keep my skin looking healthy and youthful. What I want to write about today are the supplements I take to keep my face and body from aging prematurely.
It really doesn’t matter what you put on your face….if what is going on inside of your body isn’t good, or is unstable, it will all eventually manifest on the outside. Wrinkles, rashes, acne, hives, brittle nails and hair….can usually always be attributed to a poor diet and lack of certain vitamins and minerals.
Eating a clean diet is essential to our overall health, but even though I like to eat as healthily as possible, I still love to indulge on things like bacon, ice cream, cheesecake, pizza, and a greasy spoon burger. I believe eating what you love, albeit in moderation, is one of the greatest joys in life….and I’m not about to go all-kale for anyone or anything. So….I’ve had to figure out a way to give my body and skin what it needs while still making my inner glutton a happy girl.
Let me also say that, even for people who truly stick to completely clean diets, our food supply, no matter how healthy, is depleted of essential minerals and vitamins. Our food is grown, more often than not, in dirt that has been robbed over the years of pretty much everything. Yes, even organic foods.
So….while doctors, usually the ones who are not trained in integrative practices, like to say that all the vitamins and minerals you need are found in our food….that’s not really the case. At least not anymore…and if you wanted to get all the goods out of food only….you might need to get ready to eat a truckload of baby spinach at each meal…rather than just a bowl of it.
And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why I take supplements and give them to my kids…..but I’ll talk about the kids another day. Today is all about how these supplements can help keep you away from Botox and Father Time. Oh and one more thing before I let you in on a few more of my secrets….I am not a doctor, I am not recommending anything to anyone, just sharing what I use.
I always suggest that you talk to your healthcare practitioner before starting any supplements to make sure they don’t interact with any medications you may be taking, etc. I do love a good integrative or functional medicine doctor or naturopath as they tend to have a much better understanding of nutrition and supplementation and what it can do for your body. I’ve dealt with one too many “regular” doctors that still don’t understand how important magnesium is and how most American adults are completely deficient in it….I could go on and on, but you catch my drift….and I’ll tell you more about magnesium another day too.
So….now that you made it through that diatribe….here are my top 5 favorite beauty supplements!
Apple Cider Vinegar:
This is one of my favorites and something I’ve used for ages. While I do use it as a toner on the surface of my skin, I also like to take a shot of it every night before I go to bed. Apple Cider Vinegar helps to alkalize your body and supports your immune system, and gut health. A healthy gut means less chances of skin eruptions, breakouts, and inflammation.
It also helps to normalize the Ph balance of your skin and is full of naturally occurring alpha hydroxy acids. I’m used to the taste of this stuff so I can drink the shot straight….but it is very strong so I suggest mixing it with water or juice just to make it more palatable. Also, you want to opt for an organic version that contains the “mother” which is the cloudy looking stuff at the bottom of the bottle. Avoid the filtered stuff, since you won’t get much benefit out of it.
Zinc:
Most of us know that zinc is a go-to remedy during “cold and flu season” because it’s been shown to lessen the severity and duration of bugs….but did you know it’s also amazing for your skin? It is! Zinc is a trace mineral that we often don’t get enough of because, like I said above, our food sources are so depleted of it. Zinc is considered a powerhouse for our skin because it helps to protect it from free radical damage, and protects its lipid layers and fibroblasts, which are the cells that produce collagen.
If your body is depleted of zinc, then it won’t be producing collagen at optimal levels, which leads to premature wrinkles. Our skin also depends on zinc for new cell production and turnover. Since zinc is so great for the immune system, it also helps ward off inflammation which in turn can help reduce acne flare-ups….even those huge cystic ones
Collagen Peptides:
This is something I’ve started using a few months ago, and I’m hooked. The brand I use is completely flavorless and unscented and dissolves perfectly in my morning coffee, but it can be used in smoothies, tea, or whatever your drink du jour may be. Collagen peptides benefit and strengthen your hair, skin, and nails, promote skin elasticity, reduce joint pain and degeneration, boost your muscle mass, metabolism, and energy output, and improve your liver health amongst many other things.
It’s pretty much a super supplement and I just wish I had started taking it years ago. Our bodies all produce collagen, but as we age that production slows down which leads to a whole slew of things like sagging skin, wrinkles, joint pain, and loss of muscle mass. Supplementing with a high quality collagen peptide powder, or even drinking bone broth if that’s your bag, helps your body retain its youthful integrity. All I know is that this stuff is going into my morning joe every day from now on!
Evening Primrose Oil
This is one I found kind of by accident. I had a pretty big health scare just over three years ago, and since my doctor was out of town, I decided to go online and see what I could do on my own to help things in the meantime. Primrose oil was at the top of the list…and it worked. Like a miracle. This is another supplement I cannot live without. What I didn’t know at the time I started taking it, was how amazing it was/is for the skin.
Primrose oil is packed full of Omega-6 fatty acids, and Vitamins A and C…all of which are necessary components for healthy skin. When taken orally, this oil moisturizes your skin from the inside out and feeds it with its amazing fatty acids. As a matter of fact, primrose oil has been used to treat rough skin, wrinkles, and acne for centuries and was once considered “the King’s Cure-All” because of it’s healing properties.
While you can use it topically, I use so many other oils and serums that I prefer to continue taking this one as a supplement. Once again, I think it’s so important to fight the aging process internally just as much as externally…so this baby stays working from the inside out for me.
Resveratrol:
This supplement is fairly new to my arsenal. I’ve been taking Muscadine Grape Seed Extract and didn’t think I needed another powerful antioxidant, but after much research I decided it might as well join the party when I ran out of the other stuff. Resveratrol is arguably one of the most potent anti aging compounds found in nature. It contains high amounts of polyphenol which is akin to an antibiotic produced by plants when they are under stress and which they use to protect themselves.
The science behind this supplement says that our skin can benefit from this in a very similar way. Resveratrol helps protect our skin from external stressors like free radicals, and UV rays, and has the potential to repair damage that has already occurred. More research is being done to find out just exactly how much more beneficial this supplement is, but in the meantime, I’m happy knowing that I’m anti-oxidizing myself in an already crazy-stressful world. By the way, if you prefer your Resveratrol in liquid form, try a glass of Malbec…it is said to contain the highest reserves of polyphenols….and well, tastes pretty good too.
So…these are 5 of my favorite happy, healthy skin supplements. I do have a few more that I love and will write about later, but one-step-at-a-time, as the old adage says. I still break out from time to time, I have a few little lines here and there, but no one believes me when I tell them how old I am…and I kind of like that. So I’ll keep popping these babies for another couple of decades. Join me if you want to! 🙂
header photo by Ylanite Koppens @Pexels
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