If Kylie Jenner's Green Smoothie or Hailey Bieber's Glaze Skin Smoothie made you skip your skincare routine, don't be fooled. Why choose between a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice and a vitamin C serum when you can have both?
Over the past two decades, the world of skincare has erected more barriers than you might expect. Products, trends, tricks, technologies - all this is available for one cent. Some got kicked out of the park (hello, skin malism) and others got slapped in our faces (homemade dermaroller). Is it in game forever? A valuable trophy is clean, shiny skin. We often ride the wave of trends in the search for “great skin” and often forget to listen to what our skin is telling us. Unfortunately, the constant struggle between inner care and outer treatment forces people to choose sides.
So one works better than the other? Does just relying on good nutrition (and lack of skin care) really get that glow? Well, when it comes to skin, it can be pretty tricky!
Without a doubt, a balanced diet is key to maintaining the health and well-being of our bodies. “Our skin relies on various vitamins, antioxidants, essential fatty acids and selenium, which it receives through food. That's why nutrition is so important when it comes to skin health," says consultant dermatologist Dr. Mansi Shirolikar. And it's true that many skin problems are caused by the foods we eat. “For example, acne and diet go hand in hand: a Diet high in added sugars and processed foods high in refined carbohydrates can raise blood sugar levels faster than other foods. Therefore, the body releases IGF-1, which is similar to insulin, the growth factor 1 hormone, supplementation increases inflammation and causes more breakouts," she adds.
It definitely brings nutrition to the fore - the problem is often how you look and how your skin care routine ends. Skin health is more than meets the eye and is actually a balance of many factors. Skin and health specialist Dr. Kieran Shetty says, "Diet is definitely 40-50 percent success. Another 20 to 30 percent is peace of mind, lifestyle, stress reduction, drinking water, and regular exercise. Some aesthetic goals require good skin care and maintenance,” she says.