Nutrition, our best ally for beautiful skin

The skin is the largest organ in the human body (2m² surface area) and performs essential functions of protection, regulation, and communication between the body and its environment. The most fascinating feature of the skin is its ability to constantly renew itself. Its structural and functional integrity is closely linked to an adequate supply of essential nutrients and overall metabolic balance.

Our skin reflects our inner balance and reacts to changes in our lifestyle. It is often the first to show signs of imbalance. Redness, dryness, spots, premature aging... These skin reactions are closely linked to and accentuated by what we eat.
Long before creams and serums, the best "beauty" tips can be found on our plates.

In this article, let's take a look at the good nutritional and lifestyle habits we should adopt to optimize our skin's beauty potential.

Stay hydrated

Proper hydration is essential for skin suppleness, elasticity, and radiance. Water helps flush out accumulated toxins, boost microcirculation, and deeply oxygenate cells. With age, the skin retains less and less water and wrinkles more easily if intake is not adequate. Aim for at least 1.5 liters of water per day, starting with a large glass of room-temperature water when you wake up.

Focus on antioxidants

Antioxidants combat free radicals that attack the cells in our bodies and cause premature aging of the skin, particularly the appearance of wrinkles and age spots.

This is known as oxidative stress, a silent but highly damaging phenomenon. Natural antioxidants, i.e. those found in fruits and vegetables, offer an optimal combination of vitamins and polyphenols, antioxidant molecules that effectively protect the skin.

Eating raw or steamed foods every day is the best way to ensure your antioxidant intake.
Cooking at too high a temperature damages or even destroys antioxidant molecules, which are very fragile and sensitive.
The stars of antioxidants are vitamins A, E, and C (beta-carotene), polyphenols, carotenoids, and sulfur compounds.
They are easily found in a diet rich in colorful, minimally processed, seasonal plants.
Some examples of foods that are very rich in antioxidants:

• red fruits
• black grape
• kiwis
• colorful vegetables (carrots, peppers, tomatoes, beets, and all green vegetables)
• cabbages
• green tea
• cocoa
• turmeric

Eat healthy fats

Fatty acids have often been criticized as being bad for health, yet they are valuable allies for the skin.
Omega-3 and omega-6 are polyunsaturated fatty acids necessary for nourishing the hydrolipidic film and for the flexibility of cell membranes. A cell's ability to retain moisture and nutrients depends on the quality of its cell membrane. They are the lipid building blocks of the skin, providing structure, hydration, suppleness, and protection while regulating inflammation and skin aging.

These fatty acids are essential to the body because it cannot synthesize them; they must be obtained from food.
Omega-6 fatty acids are involved in the structure of the skin (components of ceramides) and ensure the skin's elasticity, impermeability, and softness. They are found in borage, evening primrose, hemp, sunflower, and grape seed vegetable oils, as well as in eggs and meat.
Omega-3s help maintain skin integrity and have anti-inflammatory, emollient, and soothing effects. They are found in camelina, flax, and walnut oils, as well as in hemp and chia seeds, salmon, mackerel, and sardines.
Omega-9s are not considered "essential" because the body can produce them from other fatty acids, but they are nevertheless important to obtain through diet, such as olive oil, which is known for its health benefits.
With age, cell membranes lose their effectiveness, requiring more essential fatty acids to fulfill their various roles and give the skin a more youthful appearance.

Be aware that modern diets are very rich in pro-inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids (industrial meats, cold cuts, industrial dairy products), so it is important to maintain a good balance between your intake of pro-inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids and anti-inflammatory omega-3 and omega-9 fatty acids.

Don't underestimate protein

The skin is a highly protein-rich organ: approximately 70% of its dry structure consists of proteins. The main skin proteins are collagen (which we will discuss further below), elastin, and keratin. As you can see, they play a fundamental structural role in the skin. It is important to consume sufficient amounts, spread across three meals, of both animal and plant proteins (min. 1g/kg of body weight).

You will find them referred to as "complete" in animal products such as fish, poultry, cheese, and eggs, and "incomplete" in plant-based products such as tofu, legumes, and whole grains. The ideal approach is to vary your intake throughout the day.

Collagen: Collagen is the most abundant protein in our bodies (80% in the skin and connective tissue).
From the age of 25, collagen production decreases and, over time, this lack of collagen contributes to sagging skin and wrinkles.

Foods that naturally contain collagen are all animal-based, with the richest sources being meat, bone broth (poultry, beef, fish), fish (ideally whole fish with bones, such as sardines), and eggs.
Collagen supplementation may be recommended if nutritional intake is insufficient to preserve collagen reserves. However, it is very important to choose high-quality supplements such as hydrolyzed collagen or low molecular weight marine or bovine collagen peptides. It is best to take supplements in the evening, as the skin regenerates and cellular activity is most intense during sleep. Eat foods rich in vitamin C, which acts as a cofactor for collagen, to boost its production.

Get enough exercise and sleep

Exercise stimulates blood and lymphatic circulation, which improves oxygenation of all tissues and allows for better blood flow.
30 minutes of daily physical activity helps eliminate toxins through the skin via perspiration.
While we sleep, our bodies renew and regenerate themselves, including our skin. Sleep allows skin cells to regenerate and reduces signs of fatigue. Lack of sleep disrupts collagen production and can lead to premature aging of the skin.

Expose yourself to the sun

Vitamin D synthesis is essential for the skin and occurs through the skin. It is through exposure to the sun (without sunscreen) that our skin produces valuable vitamin D (however, be mindful of the duration and time of day). Supplementation is essential once the sunny days are over to avoid deficiencies.

The skin, intestines, and liver are emunctory organs, whose role (among others) is to eliminate waste from the body. They work and communicate with each other and, if necessary, take over when one of them is overwhelmed. This is what happens when you have an overloaded liver, for example. The skin will take over to eliminate toxins, causing pimples, acne, a grayish complexion, etc.

The liver

A few tips for taking care of your liver and having beautiful skin:

• get enough sleep
• engage in physical activity
• consume foods containing sulfur amino acids such as cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, egg whites, whole grains)
• place a hot water bottle on your liver at bedtime
• support liver function with herbal medicine such as milk thistle

The intestines

The quality of the intestine's ability to absorb nutrients has a significant impact on the skin.
If the intestinal mucosa is healthy, nutrients will be properly absorbed and will nourish the skin, keeping it healthy and youthful for longer. The skin microbiota is directly affected by the quality of the intestinal microbiota, which is itself affected by intestinal health. Eating habits determine the quality of the gut microbiota as well as the quality of the sebum in the skin microbiota. If the diet is high in saturated fats, the sebum will be less fluid and the glands will become clogged, which will feed pathogenic bacteria. In order to treat recurring skin problems such as eczema, which have an immune component, it is essential to take care of your intestines and microbiota with a diet rich in fiber, avoiding cow's milk and consuming fermented products to provide good bacteria.

When the immune system reacts continuously (or chronically) to a food it cannot tolerate, or to a bacterium or toxin, it generates a chronic inflammatory response. This response generally has no visible acute symptoms (no fever, redness, or pain). It can disrupt the normal functioning of skin cells (keratinocytes, fibroblasts, skin immune cells). Even at low intensity, it causes dysregulation of cell renewal and alteration of the skin barrier.

In our modern diet, which is too rich in refined carbohydrates, the blood sugar spikes it causes are one of the causes of this chronic inflammation. Other causes include excess omega-6 (sunflower oil, industrial products), trans fats in cold cuts, ultra-processed products, additives, and excessive alcohol consumption. To counteract this inflammation, it is advisable to opt for an anti-inflammatory diet such as the Mediterranean diet, rich in good fats (omega-3), high-quality protein (small oily fish, grass-fed meat), and whole grains. Gluten and cow's milk products should be consumed in moderation, or even eliminated if you have acne-prone or problematic skin.

For supplementation, it is essential to have a blood test and consult a healthcare professional.

• Vitamin D, skin structure and appendages
• Zinc, basic anti-aging agent (oysters, red and white meat, liver, lentils, pumpkin seeds)
• Vitamin C boosts collagen synthesis (raw fruits and vegetables, acerola).
• Vitamin A (retinol), stimulates cell renewal (liver, eggs, butter, raw fruits and vegetables)
• Vitamin E, protection of cell membranes against free radicals (wheat germ and rapeseed oil, avocado, almonds)
• Selenium, in synergy with vitamin E, protects against oxidative stress (tuna, salmon, sardines, Brazil nuts)
• Vitamin B7, essential for healthy skin (eggs, almonds, legumes)
• Magnesium, reduces oxidative stress and inflammation (nuts and seeds)
• Copper boosts collagen production (calf liver, pork, chicken, cashews)
• Manganese, boosts collagen production (fish, oilseeds)

To learn more about the various natural approaches offered at Clinique Naturelle to treat skin conditions, visit our page dedicated to skin problems.