When you\u2019re a beauty editor, you get used to fielding questions from aunts\/ sisters\/ friends\/ random-women-you-meet-in-the-restaurant-bathroom. Yes, we do get free product. Yes my beauty cabinet is morbidly obese. No, I can\u2019t do your cousin\u2019s makeup for her wedding. Look, I\u2019m sure she\u2019s really lovely and all but I\u2019m not makeup artist\u2026 I\u2019m just a writer with an encyclopedic knowledge of nail polish colors (a skill, nonetheless). <\/p>\n
But, the other night I went to an event where I wasn\u2019t asked about cousin Susan\u2019s Bat Mitzvah makeup. Instead, the group of ladies I just met looked me straight in the eye asked with journalistic intensity \u201cwhat\u2019s the single best thing you can do for your skin?\u201d There were a million ways I could have answered, but while I was busy thinking about how to choose just one, my honest, truthful answer just kind of tumbled out of my mouth: \u201clook after your gut, and get into ingestible beauty\u201d. See, after years in the industry, this was the one thing that worked for me. It\u2019d seen me take my skin from \u201cneeds illuminator to avoid corpse-chic\u201d to actually radiating in health. And because of it I take my ingestible beauty powder (The Beauty Chef, Glow<\/a>) with me wherever I travel. Seriously if it\u2019s between Glow and underwear, commando it is. <\/p>\n This conversation got me thinking about what other people \u2013 the real experts \u2013 would say when asked that question\u2026 and if their advice would be the same as every model, ever (\u201cdrink water\u201d, \u201csleep eight hours\u201d). So guess what I did? I went out and asked some very incredible people that very question. And here\u2019s what they said:<\/p>\n The aesthetics doctor:<\/strong> Dr. Barbara Sturm<\/a>, Founder and CEO of the cult, science based eponymous skincare range, Dr. Barbara Sturm<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cAvoid inflammation. Inflammation is at the root of every single skin issue, from dryness to breakouts or rosacea. Inflammation inside of our bodies is immediately reflected on our skin. Lifestyle changes including a balanced diet, a good night’s sleep, and regular exercise are the first steps to combat irritation from the inside out. When it comes to skincare, avoid aggressive and harsh ingredients and instead focus on hydration and strengthening your skin barrier function to reduce inflammation rather than causing it.\u201d<\/p>\n The plastic surgeon:<\/strong> Dr. Lesley Rabach<\/a>, double board certified facial plastic surgeon and co-founder of LM Medical The Holistic Medicine Nutritionist:<\/strong> Valli Shubere <\/a>\u2013 (MDM), Nutritional Medicine Practitioner, Dermal Detoxification Therapist and owner of Herbario Clinic<\/p>\n \u201cDetoxify the skin from toxicity, and de-stress metabolic, physiological and dermal functions to prevent skin damage, loss of vitality and premature aging (both internal and external). Natural dermal detoxification maintains a vibrant, healthy complexion. In natural medicine, systemic cleansing (and detoxifying) is a fundamental practice to prevent illness and maintain good health. I advocate diligent facial cleansing and dermal detoxification treatments to prevent oxidative damage, toxic stress and accelerated aging. The internal therapy includes nutritional detoxification therapy and Phyto-therapeutic medicine, while the external therapy consist of face detoxification treatments and body treatments combined with Phyto-cosmetic remedies.\u201d The dermatologist:<\/strong> New York City based celebrity dermatologist and owner of Mudgil Dermatology, P.C, Adarsh Vijay Mudgil<\/a>, M.D<\/p>\n \u201cSunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen!\u00a0Wearing at least an SPF 30 which contains titanium and\/or zinc (which physically block the sun’s rays) every day, even if it’s cloudy, snowing, or raining outside is the absolute number one thing anyone can do to protect their skin from aging!\u201d<\/p>\n The holistic blogger:<\/strong> Amrit Singh R.Ac, Registered Acupuncturist and creator of @6babebeauty<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cFacial Gua Sha. It has the natural ability to shape and contour your face without the use of makeup! When done correctly, Gua Sha can reduce fine lines and wrinkles, stimulate our lymphatic system, as well as improve the quality and texture of our facial muscles and skin. Like foam rolling for your face, it trains and releases all the different layers of our face.\u201d <\/p>\n The herbalist:<\/strong> Caroline Rasmussen, herbalism and cognitive neuroscience\u00a0expert and founder of founder of herbal nootropics line, Antara<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIncorporate curcumin (the principal active compound in turmeric) in your diet. Curcumin is a powerhouse ingredient for skin because it can address the full spectrum of root causes for skin issues, both inside and out. Complexion is a manifestation in many ways of the internal condition of the body, and many common skin conditions like breakouts and eczema are essentially inflammation being expressed externally. Curcumin has been used traditionally as well as proven in Western studies to reduce inflammation throughout the body, including the joints (improving conditions like psoriasis and arthritis), the brain (making it effective for depression), and the gut, all of which creates positive downstream effects on skin. To really reap these anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits it\u2019s recommended to consume at least 500mg a day, making supplementation the best choice for many people. Look for forms of curcumin that are optimized for absorption and can circulate at therapeutic levels, as raw curcumin itself is not very bioavailable (i.e. it is metabolized and excreted by the body very quickly).\u201d<\/p>\n The facialist: <\/strong> Melanie Grant, Facialist and Founder of Melanie Grant Skin Health <\/a> The nutritionist:<\/strong> Jessica Sepel, nutritionist and founder of JS Health Vitamins<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cAs a holistic nutritionist, my first port of call when it comes to skin health is to look after your gut. One of the most important lessons I learnt studying nutrition is that you\u2019re not what you eat; you are, in fact, what you digest and absorb. Our skin is our body\u2019s largest organ, so it\u2019s no surprise that it reveals the state of our inner health. Some things you can do to look after your gut include: eat wholefoods and probiotic-rich foods, limit stress and limit inflammatory foods like gluten, dairy and sugar.\u201d<\/p>\n The acupuncturist:<\/strong> Dr. Kara MoraMarco- Kendrick<\/a>, DAOM, L. Ac, Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, Licensed Acupuncturist.<\/p>\n \u201cCosmetic acupuncture or facial acupuncture. It involves gently inserting tiny, hair-thin acupuncture needles into the face and other body points to help stimulate collagen and elastin production allowing the skin to be nourished, oxygenated and moisturized from the inside out. The benefit of cosmetic acupuncture goes beyond healthy, younger looking skin. It also addresses the disharmonies in the body thereby improving overall health. Its benefits include: reduction of fine lines, improved complexion and elasticity, more consistent skin tone, reduction of puffiness, plus improving acne, rosacea and broken capillaries.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u201cBeautiful skin is made and it takes a tremendous amount of constant work: there is no way to say only one thing – it\u2019s sleep, water, sunscreen, retinol and a damn good dermatologist. (This is coming from a facial plastic surgeon of a sister who is a dermatologist).\u00a0If you had to pin me down it would be a toss up between a retinol and sunscreen. Why? Because the right type of sunscreen is the single best way of preventing sun damage and signs of aging while retinol works from the inside by keeping the collagen layer thick and strong and preventing wrinkles from forming.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\n\u201cApply sunscreen every single day – rain, hail or shine. I always maintain a preventative approach to skin health and protecting your skin from the sun helps to deter a myriad of common skin concerns \u2013 including degeneration of collagen, accelerated ageing, sun induced pigmentation and cellular damage.\u00a0But as far as ingredients go, I love retinol. It\u2019s gold standard for anti-aging as far as skin care goes and is tried, tested and proven. It works by promoting rapid skin cell turnover which addresses a multitude of skin concerns including large pores, fine lines, wrinkles, acne, pigmentation, skin laxity and dull or uneven skin tone.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n