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Natural Skincare For Healthy, Glowing Skin!

Natural SkincareOne is always on the lookout for that “miracle cream” that will make our skin glow and make us fair. Most of us in the literal sense, abuse our skin. We expose our facial skin to various creams, lotions and skincare treatments. No matter how we take it, our skin regulates our body’s temperature, protects us from bacteria and viruses that cause infectious diseases.

We often give much attention to our facial skin for obvious reasons. But, we should definitely try to maintain and keep our entire covering (skin) healthy rather than focusing only on the face.

There are many superficial skincare treatments available in the market to bring a glow to your skin. However, as a dietician, I will be showing you ways to keep your skin healthy by foods found in your kitchen itself.

You will be surprised to know that there is a strong link between the food you eat and the health of your skin. Your food choices are literally reflected on your skin!

Vitamins

Vitamins like B complex, A, D, E, and C are known to play an important role in maintaining healthy skin. They have chemicals called photochemicals which help in preserving the body from various bacterial, viral and free radical invasions. They also have anti-oxidant properties which helps the skin from the oxidative damage caused by stress, pollution and the body’s own reaction.  

Nutrition Tips for Skincare

  • Eat at least 5-6 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables daily
  • Make your salad more colorful! The more colors you add, the more it benefits your skin
  • Try drinking Amla (Indian Gooseberry) juice every day. I would say, “An Amla a day, keeps the dermatologist away”
  • Drink fresh fruit juices. Try a different juice every week. For instance, juices you could try include Cranberry, blueberry and orange juice, etc.

Supplementation for Skincare

Supplementation helps in maintaining healthy skin. Apart from the cosmetic point of view, many dermatologists now recommend nutritional supplements to tackle issues like acne. Supplementation of multivitamins and omega 3/ fish oil capsules have shown positive effects on skin.

Supplementation is needed when a person’s daily requirement of a certain nutrient is inadequate. Hence, before starting off with any nutritional supplement, consult your dietitian.

Foods to Avoid

As mentioned above, the kind of food we eat reflects on our skin. Junk food, fatty foods, carbonated drinks, alcohol, and refined products affect your skin. This can be attributed to the fact that these foods have a negative impact on health by hindering the absorption of certain nutrients. Also smoking can accelerate the aging process, causing wrinkles even before time.

Water Intake

This is tried and tested all over and also considered as a “Gharelu Nuska” – meaning home remedy. Drinking enough water and maintaining good hydration retains the moisture of the skin. Drinking adequate water clears out toxins and waste from the body keeping it healthy. This is indirectly seen through the skin.

Stress and Sleep vs. Skin

Ever wondered why you can see acne on your face when you are stressed?

Research has shown a positive link between stress and its effects on the skin. Getting a good night’s sleep and de-stressing yourself from everyday routine can be helpful and can also improve your skin. Insufficient sleep causes dark circles around the eyes.

Early morning yoga outdoors will not only reduce your stress level but will also give you your daily dose of Vitamin D. There is a research that shows a strong link between stress and skin ageing. I am sure nobody wants to look old, right? Try de-stressing yourself every time you find it’s taking a toll on your health.

Exercise and Skincare

It is the key to healthy skin! We are well aware of the benefits of exercise and cardio respiratory fitness, but little do we know about its effect on the skin. Regular exercise helps in regulating blood flow to our body especially the skin. Blood not only carries oxygen but it also carries nutrients to our cells. By increasing the blood flow, exercise nourishes skin cells, keeping them healthy and vital!

Nutrition is one the important components that modulate the vibrancy of your skin. As a dietician, I believe we should stop taking our skin for granted. We need to think beyond creams, make ups and laser treatments. Nourish your skin not through chemicals but with proper nutrition, regular exercise and good sleep!

We hope you found these insights helpful in your journey to healthier, more vibrant skin. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below. For more skincare tips and guidance, explore Healthy Reads or ask a GOQii Coach by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here.

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Light and White Skin Patches? All You Need to Know About Vitiligo!

World Vitiligo Day Have you ever come across someone with lighter or white skin patches? Ever wondered what was wrong with them? Ever been curious enough to research? What these individuals suffer from is called Vitiligo. As today is World Vitiligo Day, let us understand this skin disorder.

Vitiligo occurs when pigment-producing cells (melanocytes) die or stop producing melanin — the pigment that gives your skin, hair and eyes color. The involved patches or affected area of the skin become lighter or white.

Common Symptoms

  • Patchy loss of skin color
  • Premature whitening or graying of the hair on the scalp, eyelashes, eyebrows or beard
  • Loss of color in the tissues that line the inside of the mouth and nose (mucous membranes)
  • Loss of or change in color of the inner layer of the eyeball (retina)

Onset: Vitiligo can start at any age, but often appears before the age of 20.

Different Types of Vitiligo

  1. Generalized Vitiligo: This is the most common type. The patches appear on most parts of the skin. The discolored patches often progress similarly on corresponding body parts (symmetrically).
  2. Segmental Vitiligo: In this type, only one side or part of the body gets affected. It tends to occur at a younger age and progresses for a year or two, and then it stops.
  3. Localized (Focal) Vitiligo: In this type, one or only a few areas of your body get affected.

It is difficult to predict how the disease will progress. Sometimes the patches stop forming without treatment. In most cases, pigment loss spreads and eventually involves most of your skin. In this condition, the skin rarely gets its color back.

What Causes Vitiligo?

The most common causes of vitiligo may be related to:

  • A disorder in which your immune system attacks and destroys the melanocytes in the skin
  • Family history (heredity)
  • A trigger event, such as sunburn, stress or exposure to industrial chemicals

Diagnosis

  1. Medical History and Examination: If your doctor suspects you have vitiligo, he or she will ask about your medical history, examine you and try to rule out other medical problems, such as dermatitis or psoriasis. He or she may use a special lamp to shine ultraviolet light onto the skin to determine whether you have vitiligo.
  2. Skin Biopsy & Blood Draw: Take a small sample (biopsy) of the affected skin, draw blood for lab tests to look for underlying autoimmune conditions, such as anemia or diabetes

Treatment

Many treatments are available to help restore skin color or even out skin tone. Results vary and are unpredictable. Some treatments have serious side effects. Your doctor may suggest that you first try improving the appearance of your skin by applying self-tanning products or makeup.

If you and your doctor decide to treat your condition with a drug, surgery or therapy, the process may take many months to judge its effectiveness. And you may have to try more than one approach or a combination of approaches before you find the treatment that works best for you.

Even if treatment is successful for a while, the results may not last or new patches may appear.

Medications

No drug can stop the process of Vitiligo — the loss of pigment cells (melanocytes). But some drugs, used alone or with light therapy, can help restore some skin tone.

  1. Creams That Control Inflammation: Applying a corticosteroid cream to affected skin may help return color, particularly if you start using it early in the disease. You may not see a change in your skin’s color for several months. This type of cream is effective and easy to use. But it can cause side effects, such as skin thinning or the appearance of streaks or lines on your skin. Milder forms of the drug may be prescribed for children and for people who have large areas of discolored skin.
  2. Medications That Affect The Immune System: Ointments containing tacrolimus or pimecrolimus (calcineurin inhibitors) may be effective for people with small areas of depigmentation, especially on the face and neck. This treatment may have fewer side effects than corticosteroids and can be used with ultraviolet B (UVB) light. However, the Food and Drug Administration has warned about a possible link between these drugs and lymphoma as well as skin cancer.

Surgery

This may be an option if light therapy doesn’t work. Surgery can also be used with those therapies. The goal of the following techniques is to even out your skin tone by restoring color.

  1. Skin Grafting: In this procedure, your doctor removes very small sections of your normal, pigmented skin and attaches them to the areas that have lost pigment. This procedure is sometimes used if you have small patches of vitiligo. Possible risks include infection, scarring, a cobblestone appearance, spotty color and failure of the area to recolor.
  2. Blister Grafting: In this procedure, your doctor creates blisters on your pigmented skin, usually with suction. He or she then removes the tops of the blisters and transplants them to an area of discolored skin.
  3. Tattooing (micropigmentation): In this technique, your doctor uses a special surgical instrument to implant pigment into your skin. It’s most effective in and around the lips in people with darker complexions.

Lifestyle & Home Remedies

The following self-care tactics may help you care for your skin and improve its appearance:

  • Protect your skin from the sun and artificial sources of UV light. If you have vitiligo, particularly if you have light skin, use a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30. Apply sunscreen generously and reapply every two hours — or more often if you’re swimming or sweating.
  • Seek shade and wear clothing that shields your skin from the sun. Don’t use tanning beds and sunlamps.

Protecting your skin from the sun helps prevent sunburn and long-term damage. A bad sunburn can make your condition worse. Sunscreen also minimizes tanning, which makes the contrast between normal and discolored skin less noticeable.

We hope this article helped you understand the symptoms, causes and treatment of Vitiligo. Do you have any doubts? Let us know in the comments below!

Find more articles on skincare and remedies here.  You can also reach out to an expert by subscribing to GOQii’s Personalized Health Coaching here.

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Beat the Heat With Simple Lifestyle Changes!

lifestyle changes for summer

If you’re a kid, summer has to be the most awaited season for you as it spells the beginning of vacations! As an adult, there are many things you need to worry about. There are things such as dehydration, heatstroke and a few other precautions you need to maintain whether you’re indoors or outdoors.

What Happens to Your Body During Summer?

Your body undergoes so many changes in the heat. For instance:

  • Heatstroke: Puts pressure on your heart
  • Dehydration: Causes your brain to shrink, causes headaches, confusion, itchy eyes, heart palpitations and sleep issues
  • Muscle cramps and lethargy: because your body uses energy to lower your body temperature
  • Itchiness: under or around the eyes, around your body because of sweat being stuck under your skin
  • Nausea: due to the rise in body temperature
  • Low blood pressure as your heart has to work harder to supply blood to the body due to the heat.

The above issues can be fixed or avoided by adopting very simple lifestyle changes to beat the heat!

1. Hair Care

Your scalp sweats more during summer. Your hair may become frizzy and dry. While washing your hair every day might seem like a good idea, it may remove natural oils from your scalp which might result in dandruff and hair loss. You can try massaging your head to increase blood flow to your hair roots. Wash your hair every alternate day.

2. Face and Skincare

The sun’s harmful UV Rays may damage your skin resulting in brown spots, tanning and wrinkles if proper care isn’t taken. It is imperative to avoid the sun between 10 am to 2 pm as the temperature is quite high at noon. If you must venture out, use a sunscreen and appropriate protection to avoid any damage.

The best time to venture out during summer is either early in the morning or late evening as exposure to the sun is also important to strengthen bones and improve immunity as well as correcting sleep and mood.

3. Clothing

Choosing the right clothes will help you deal with the summer heat properly! Light colors are the way to go. Avoid dark colors and stick to cotton clothes or khadi which has the ability to absorb heat and cool down by itself. Avoid silk, nylon and other fabrics that absorb heat and store it.

4. Hydration

This is the key to stay healthy during summer! As mentioned above, dehydration can cause a lot of health issues. Drink at least 2-3 liters of water a day. Always have a bottle of water handy and keep sipping even if you aren’t thirsty.

You can also opt for coconut water, fresh fruit juices, sugarcane juice, herbal iced tea, buttermilk, or yoghurt. You can make your own natural drink by adding salt, a piece of jaggery, basil seeds, or mint/lemon drops to your water to replenish your body with electrolytes.

Foods That Help You Beat the Heat

  • Watermelon: When your body needs hydration, watermelon is the fruit to go to! It contains 90% water, is rich in Vitamin A and C. It helps you stay hydrated, protects your heart circulating system and acts against muscle and headaches.
  • Cucumber: acts as a natural body coolant, reducing body heat. It also helps you stay hydrated as it contains 95% water and it is rich in copper, potassium, vitamin B, C, K and Manganese.
  • Onion: One must carry an onion in a pocket to beat the summer heat. Onion acts as a body coolant by helping the body temperature cool down quickly and prevent a heat stroke. It can be consumed raw or added to a salad which can protect you from many diseases and infections. If you face nose bleeding issues during summer, inhale an onion to stop the bleeding.
  • Coconut Water: is loaded with Vitamin A, C and minerals like potassium, calcium, manganese and magnesium. It helps you stay hydrated with these essentials nutrients.
  • Basil Seeds: These small seeds have wonderful cooling effects. It improves hair and skin health and prevents diseases due to its anti-inflammation, antioxidant and antibacterial properties.
  • Yoghurt: strengthens the gut and improves immunity. 2-3 servings of yoghurt or curd can do wonders for your body. To enhance its benefits, add berries to yoghurt or consume either Lassi or buttermilk.
  • Barley Water: with a drop of lemon is an excellent summer coolant. It also cures urinary tract infection. You can either drink this cold or warm to replenish yourself with a good amount of fibre, vitamins and minerals.

Foods to Avoid During Summer

The scorching summer heat affects the digestive system severely. It’s best to avoid certain foods.

  • Junk Foods: can cause indigestion and food poisoning
  • Heaty Foods: Avoid red meats and spices such as nutmeg, chillies, ginger, pepper and cinnamon that generate too much heat
  • Dairy Foods: Skip high fat dairy foods such as cheese or ghee that might upset the stomach. Their high fat content may also result in pimples on the face.
  • Hot Beverages: Avoid tea, coffee and aerated drinks that leave you dehydrated and affect the kidneys.

Incorporate these changes and you’re all geared to beat the heat this Summer! Get more summer tips here or speak to a GOQii Coach by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here.

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Welcome Summer With Sunscreen

sunscreen uses and summerWe all know the Ozone layer is depleting, making the Sun’s harmful rays stronger than ever. It is only natural for us to take the necessary steps and protect ourselves from these rays. In this article, we will help you understand the importance of Sunscreen and why they are necessary to face Indian summers. Before we get to why you should be using sunscreen, it is also important to pick out the right product for you.

Choosing the Right Product

There are numerous brands out there which sell sunscreen. The key to choosing the right one is to know your skin type. Based on your skin type, you can opt one for oily skin, sweat-proof, etc.

You might have seen the term “SPF” on sunscreen bottles. This stands for “Sun Protection Factor”. The SPF rating determines how much protection you will receive from the sun’s UVB\UVA radiations. A SPF of 30 gives you 97% protection, and SPF of 50 gives you 98% protection and an SPF of 100 gives about 99% protection. SPF between 30-50 is good enough for Indian skin.

Reasons Why You Need Sunscreen

The summers in India are often very ruthless. The most important thing to understand is that nobody is excluded from the use of Sunscreen. People who tan easily, people who don’t, fair skinned, dark skinned, children and everybody else, should use it if you are going to be exposed to the Sun.

The UV rays from the sun are one of the major enemies of our skin! While Vitamin D is necessary, these UV rays damage our cells which results in wrinkles, dark circles, premature ageing, inflammation and acne. UV Rays can even cause skin cancer.

These are enough reasons for you to start using sunscreen. Even though sunscreen doesn’t avoid these conditions completely, it is a very important step towards protection from the sun. Remember that a higher SPF won’t have any effect on sensitive skin. To get 100% protection from the sun’s powerful rays, you will need clothes that cover your entire body, sunscreen, and a hat or something to cover your head.

How To Use It the Right Way

  • Take a small amount, approx a small coin size of sunscreen on your palm
  • Apply it gently on your face
  • It should look white when you apply it on your face
  • Apply it 15 minutes before you step out so it can be properly absorbed by your skin
  • You can apply it twice a day

If you are someone with any kind of allergies or other skin problems, consult a doctor. With expert advice, you can choose the right product for yourself and make the most out of it.

Now you’re all equipped to welcome summer with a smile! For more summer tips, click here or speak to a GOQii Coach by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here.

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