Did you know?
In some circumstances you can calm your eczema symptoms by making small amendments to your diet?
Change your diet to help control eczema1 – Drink plenty of fluids
This is one that I often try to drill into my readers, but the benefits really cannot be understated. Drinking plenty of fluids is essential for pretty much every area of your body, from your kidneys to your skin, whether you’re eighteen or eighty! There’s a reason, after all, why humans can go weeks without food but only last days without water.
If you’re not drinking enough fluids, your body will attempt to pull water from your organs, including your skin which can damage your skin cells. You also have to consider that dehydration will impact other parts of your body, such as your kidney function and digestive system which may have a knock-on effect, especially if toxins and other waste products start to build up in your body.
My top tip: Infuse your water. I usually recommend drinking around 1.5-2 litres of plain water a day, but this can be a challenge for many. Not everyone enjoys the flavour of water so, in order to challenge your taste buds, I recommend infusing your water with fruit. Infuser bottles are simple and easy to get a hold of – you can get this one here from most high-street stores for just a couple of pounds!
2 – Up your intake of omega fatty acids!
It’s no secret that as you age, your skin loses the ability to retain water which can lead to dry, sensitive skin that’s prone to sagging and wrinkles – not ideal! However, recently there’s been a lot of buzz around a particular group of nutrients that may help to support this ability – omega fatty acids!
Omega fatty acids are a collection of essential fatty acids that help to support your cell membranes, allowing them to retain more water. Your body cannot produce these essential fatty acids on its own so your diet is your primary source of omega fatty acids. Ideally, you should be aiming to achieve a balanced intake of omega 6 and omega 3, but most diets these days lean far too much towards omega 6 and your intake of omega 3 is often left lagging.
This is a real shame as, not only can omega 3 help your skin to retain more moisture, it also acts as a natural anti-inflammatory, working to ease inflammation and even contribute to wound healing!1 If I were to sit here and list all the benefits of this important nutrient, I’d be here all day, which is why I recommend checking out our nutritionist Emma’s blog, ‘9 incredible health benefits of omega 3.’
My top tip: get more Omega 3 in your diet. Fish oil supplements are all the rage right now and, while they can be beneficial, I’d still look at increasing your dietary intake of omega fatty acids. Oily fish do make for a good source of omega 3, but if you’re vegan or vegetarian, you may want to look at more plant-based sources such as walnuts, chia seeds and hemp seeds.
3 – Use rosehip oil
Investing in a high-quality moisturiser is essential if you’re trying to look after your ageing skin and there’s one natural ingredient in particular that I’d really recommend turning to – rosehip oil. Rosehips are the small fruits left behind after a rose has flowered and they’re extremely dense in nutrients – so dense, in fact, that during the Second World War, rosehip oil was used as a syrup to increase children’s resistance to infection!
Firstly, they’re extremely rich in essential fatty acids, helping to support cell regeneration and reducing inflammation. Rosehips are also packed full of vitamin C, which not only helps to prevent oxidative stress, but can work to increase your production of collagen. And, just as an added bonus, rosehip oil contains plenty of vitamin A, which can help to improve your skin tone. Amazing!
My top tip: go au naturale! Most high-street anti-ageing creams contain rosehip oil nowadays, but they also contain a plethora of other chemicals that may upset or irritate sensitive, ageing skin. That’s why I always advise opting for natural beauty and skincare products. When it comes to rosehip oil, if you really want to make the most of it, I’d apply an organic rosehip oil, such as Sukin’s Organic Rose Hip Oil, to your skin first thing in the morning and last thing in the evening.
4 – Get into a regular sleep routine
If you read my blog ‘Is beauty sleep real?’ you’ll know that getting 7-9 hours a night is extremely important for your skin, especially when it comes to warding of premature ageing. Sleep deprivation for example, can affect not only your production of collagen but it can also lead to higher blood cortisol levels which may suppress DHEA, the ‘youth hormone.’
However, this isn’t the only way sleep deprivation can impact your skin. As our sleep advisor Marianna discusses in her blog, ‘Is your lack of sleep making you overeat?’, sleep deprivation can increase your cravings for sugary, carb-heavy foods and, if you know anything about sugar and your skin, you’ll know that this isn’t exactly good news for your complexion or your waistline!
My top tip: Try Dormeasan. It’s all very well telling you to get 7-9 hours of sleep a night 
but sometimes this simply isn’t possible. Stress is a huge factor that can impact your sleep but it’s ever-present in so many lives these days thanks to the growing demands of work and caring for children or even parents. That’s why I’d recommend taking a look at Marianna’s sleep hygiene tips and consider how you can positively approach stress in your own life. You could also try our gentle herbal sleep remedy, Dormeasan, which is specifically formulated to help ease anxiety and stress, allowing you to drift off into a deep, natural sleep.
5 – Don’t let things get stagnant
It’s easy to fall into the same old routine, day in day out which is why, if you’re looking to support your ageing skin, I’d recommend shaking things up a bit. Now, you’re probably thinking, what on earth does my normal routine have to do with my skin?
Well, if you’re stuck in a rut, doing the same old thing day in day out, it can make you feel very isolated and more susceptible to falling into bad habits. If you try and spice things up by including something new in your routine, whether it’s a zumba class or joining a book club, it can give you a sense of achievement and possibly even ward off negative emotions such as stress and anxiety, which definitely can have an impact on your skin!
My top tip: Don’t stress! As I’ve mentioned, stress can be a real presence in your life as you get older and sometimes it can suck away your motivation. Instead of pushing yourself, you may find that you’re starting to get into a sedentary routine and you may even ask what the point in changing is. Well, there’s something to be said for getting up and at em’ – socialising, exercise or even solitary activities like mediation can all have a positive effect on your stress levels which is good news for your mood and your skin!
1https://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-tornambe-md/omega-3-anti-aging-_b_993047.html?guccounter=1
