3 Simple New Years resolutions for Healthy, Gorgeous skin

1. Eat the foods that support healthy skin and that discourage skin problems.
2. Sun protect your skin every day so that it stays healthy and strong throughout your lifetime.
3. Moisturize your skin to keep it working 24/7 as a strong barrier – it keeps “the outside out and the inside in” for you.

Now, the details…..
What foods should I eat to keep my skin healthy and prevent skin problems?
Foods you should try to eat every day for healthy skin:
Eat a variety of fruits, veggies, whole grains and legumes.  They’re filled with the phytonutrients and antioxidants that your skin needs for optimal health.  Eat beta-carotene rich foods that give your skin a healthy golden glow.  These foods include carrots, yellow squash, leafy greens etc.
If you eat meats, eat mostly those high in vitamin D3 like wild caught salmon and eggs (the yolks specifically).
Eat foods rich in inflammation fighting omega 3 fatty acids; flax seeds are one of the best choices.  Add freshly ground flax seeds to your morning cereal, smoothie or top a salad with them.
Use olive oil.  It’s been shown to reduce skin wrinkles.
Include naturally fermented and probiotic rich foods in your diet every day.  My favorite is kefir.  Others include yogurt, miso soup, kimchee, barrel fermented pickles and sauerkraut.  Remember, cooking, canning and sterilizing these foods destroys the probiotic organisms, so look for foods with live cultures and don’t cook them.
Foods you should minimize and/or avoid in your diet:
Minimize eating highly refined carbs and sugary foods (junk foods, sweets, sugary drinks etc).
Minimize the fatty foods of our traditional western diet.  These include pizza, fries, burgers, big steaks, buttery treats, ice cream, cheese cakes etc.  Medical studies now show that these foods worsen the inflammation of skin conditions including acne and psoriasis.  I expect to see more skin problems joining the list in the next few years.
Cow dairy milk products are now linked to acne problems.  Cow dairy products include whey protein powders as well.
If you want to learn more about diet and your skin health, click on the links below.
How does sun protection help keep my skin healthy and strong?
When UV rays shine on your skin they cause a gradual thinning of your skin over time.  It’s why the skin on the back of a person’s arms can become so fragile later in life that it tears and bruises easily.  It’s also why the sun causes wrinkles.  This thinning is, for the most part, irreversible.  It’s not just a summer tan that’s harmful, the daily incidental exposure you get from running errands and living on a sunny planet add up too.
Freckling and age spots are often an early sign of sun damage.   They too are hard to reverse.  Skin cancer is the sun exposure skin problem we all know about, but it’s not the only bad consequence of daily sun exposure.
Protect your skin by wearing a mineral zinc oxide sunscreen every day on exposed skin.  Use clothing to cover your skin from the sun and wear hats to reduce facial UV exposure by creating shade.  We have multiple wonderful sunscreen products here at our office to purchase and are HIGHLY reccomended by the American Cancer Society & by Dr. Rau himself.
What does moisturizing have to do with my skin barrier?
Your skin gives you terrific protection from the outside world.  It keeps an infinite number of harmful or harsh chemicals out (solvents, housecleaning products, germs, etc.) and it keeps your precious vital fluids in (your body is made up mostly of water and your skin is sort of like a water balloon holding it all in!).
This important skin barrier is protected by layers of dead cells and lipids (oils) that help keep your skin healthy and hydrated and its barrier strong.  When your skin is dry, that important barrier begins to weaken.  Harmful chemicals are more likely to penetrate (think dishpan hands).  The more damaged your skin becomes, the more it dries out.  When it’s really damaged it will actually blister and leak (think poison oak, a “rub burn” that feels sticky or severe eczema that weeps).
You can protect your skin barrier by moisturizing the more exposed and fragile parts of your skin daily.  Apply moisturizer to your face, hands, arms and legs after washing.  If you wash your hands frequently, use my non-greasy hand cream throughout the day.  Even if you have oily facial skin you still need to moisturize after washing because soaps and cleansers strip vital skin barrier oils.  Remember, moisturizers need to be applied within 3 minutes after you wash and towel dry your skin.