How To Get Beautiful Clear Skin By Changing Your Diet

There are many factors which can take a toll on our general skin health and appearance, such as tiredness, everyday stress, pollution from the environment, smoking, exposure to UVA and UVB rays and just advancing age. All of these can give us bags under our eyes, acne and blemishes, dark circles and fine lines, wrinkles and sagging skin. Sounds nice doesn't it?  Pamela, who is 44 and pictured below, has stated that she does not have a skincare program and never uses a sunscreen even though she is often out in the Malibu sunshine which may cause wrinkles and brown spots.

It's now usual to hear that friends and acquaintances are having treatments such as Botox and even facelift surgery to try and turn back the years. But what do you do if you don't want to take risks with procedures on your face, you are worried that they may not look right, or you don't have the money to invest in these treatments? The healthier and safer option is to give yourself a facelift from the inside - by eating the right foods you can drastically improve your appearance, and here are the top five super foods which can give your skin a beautiful and natural boost.

Avocados

Avocados are often thought of as high in fat and calories. However the fat contained in avocados is high in omega-3 fatty acids and an average avocado contains just over 200 calories - think about that when you next dive into a packet of crisps - a juicy avocado could be an alternative. Avocados will help increase collagen production which will prevent wrinkles. Avocados also contain lots of Vitamin E which helps fight off premature ageing and keeps skin healthy. The fruit also has anti-inflammatory properties which will reduce acne and psoriasis.

Bananas

Puffy faces and bags under the eyes are caused by too much water retention. Once you start getting bags under your eyes, this can damage and stretch the skin and cause lines to appear. The major cause of water retention is too much salt in the body, but this can be balanced by reducing your salt intake and increasing your intake of potassium. Bananas are a great morning snack and they are high in potassium too, take one with you to work each day. Other high potassium foods are avocados (see they are amazing fruits), raisins, apricots, baked potatoes, dried prunes and tinned tomatoes. Natalie Portman, who is 30, is a strict vegetarian, and her diet will be rich in vitamins and minerals, which may be one of the reasons she has a beautiful, unlined and blemish free skin.

Garlic

If you suffer from acne then garlic should be your best friend. It is a natural antibiotic which cleanses the blood, helps boost your immune system and has antibacterial properties. If you can eat it raw and crushed it can help reduce future breakouts of acne and its anti-inflammatory properties will help treat any current breakouts. Crushing or chewing the garlic helps to release its healing properties, so unfortunately swallowing a clove whole will not be as effective.

Oysters

This is going to be a food which you either love or hate, but give them a chance. Oysters are high in Vitamin B12 and Iron, and if you have pale lifeless skin and/or dark circles under your eyes it may be due to deficiencies of these nutrients. If you don't like oysters then other foods high in these essential nutrients are salmon, halibut, kidney beans, soy beans, pumpkin seeds, mussels, clams and seaweed.

Spinach

Spinach is just one of the dark green leafy vegetables which is rich in lutein which is an antioxidant (others are kale, green peas and raw broccoli). Lutein can help to prevent wrinkles as it aids the skin to retain moisture and elasticity, increases lipid levels and prevents damage caused by free radicals. Spinach is also high in Vitamins K and C which can help to reduce dark circles beneath the eyes. There can be several causes of dark circles, but one of them can be poor circulation. In cases where this is the problem increasing Vitamin K and C can help by boosting circulation and strengthening capillary walls. Another benefit of lutein is that it can help to keep your eyes healthy too.

What Are The Top Tips For Perfect Skin - Read On To Find Out

How can it be that some women as they age keep their skin in perfect condition? Yes, it is true, that like Andie MacDowell, when you hit the fifties you are going to have laugh lines around your eyes, unless you have a friendly plastic surgeon. There is nothing wrong with laugh lines - but look at Andie's face - her skin is glowing! After some investigation, we have come up with the seven heavenly habits that are easy to follow and which will give you best chance ever to keep your skin in tip-top condition through the decades - so here they are:

Tip Number1 - Exercise

Exercising or working out three times a week not only benefits you on the inside - it will also increase blood flow to your skin, carrying with it oxygen and nutrients - a powerful cocktail to keep your skin young and dewy.

Tip Number 2 - Keep Your Face Clean

Washing away the makeup and dirt the day has brought with it is a must before bedtime. Your skin rejuvenates itself at night when you are asleep and it can do this much more efficiently when it is clean.

Tip Number 3 - Tone Your Face

Toner evens out the PH balance of your skin and also leaves it squeaky clean after washing, meaning pores will be unclogged and able to function properly.

Tip Number 4 - Always Use An SPF Or Keep Out Of The Sun

Cover yourself up in the sun with sunhats and long sleeves, or use a good sunblock. If you are going to spend all day outdoors make sure you re-apply sunblock every couple of hours. UVA rays are the main cause of aging - if you want a tan there are some amazing fakes out there which won't leave you with skin like old leather in a few years time.

Tip Number 5 - Eat Your Veggies

It's not just all about eating your veggies - but keep a healthy and balanced diet. Try to avoid processed foods, white sugar and flour and saturated fats. Eat lots of fruit, vegetables, lean protein, nuts and seeds.

Tip Number 6 - Drink Lots .... Of Water

It hardly needs to be mentioned these days, everyone is so aware of the importance of drinking enough water. Hydrating your skin from the inside is very important, but remember that green and herbal teas, fruit and vegetables can count towards your water intake.

Tip Number 7 - Moisturise Regularly

Find good face and body moisturisers that suit you. It can be as simple as baby oil after the shower, or alternatively you may want to invest in a top of the range, all singing and dancing moisturiser with more ingredients than can be fitted on the label, but the important thing is to use them regularly morning and night every day and you will see the benefit.

Elle Macpherson's Tips On How She Keeps "The Body" In Shape

Who can believe that Elle Macpherson is 47 years old? She looks so amazing, for someone who has two children and a busy lifestyle running an international lingerie empire. Yep, we guess she can afford to pay for all the latest beauty treatments going, but it is said that Elle doesn't buy any beauty product which costs more than the equivalent of US $40 - we're not sure this is strictly true, but she does say that she uses all the products from her own Elle Macpherson, The Body bath and beauty range, which generally all retail for less than £10 each.

So what is the truth behind Elle's look - well, here are some tips from the lady herself on how she keeps herself glowing and beautiful.

Keep Your Beauty Routine Simple

Elle keeps her beauty routine simple, she quotes "look after your skin and it will look after you". Keep your regime down to 10 minutes a day - which is all that it takes and you are more likely to stick with it. Elle is a great believer in exfoliating her skin for a natural glow. When she does wear foundation make up she will use Revlon Age-Defying make up which is a great moisturiser.

Protect That Face

Many of you might have noticed that Elle loves to wear cowboy hats on the beach, and the reason behind this is that it protects her hair from the sun, as she herself says - it is coloured and tinted and it needs the added protection from the UV rays. But just as importantly, it protects her face from premature aging.

And Protect That Body

Elle loves the outdoor lifestyle, including the beach life, surfing and spending time with her boys - but she never forgets the danger of premature aging of her skin in the sun and she uses an invisible zinc sun cream to protect her from burning and uses a spray tan and compact bronzer to enhance her golden glow.

Get Scrubbing

Elle says that scrubbing (i.e. using a body scrub) is a "great way to rid yourself of dead skin cells which can dull the surface of your skin and also promote circulation, weight loss and an great inner glow". Using a body scrub will cleanse and smooth your skin in one.

Moisturise

Elle advises moisturising with a rich body moisturiser after using a body scrub - this is when the moisturiser will be best absorbed by your skin. Look for rich moisturisers such as body butters which contain ingredients such as Vitamin E and honey.

Keep Those Nails Neat

Elle's supermodel background has taught her that it's not all about the face and body, and that everyone notices a woman's hands, so manicured nails and well moisturised hands are very important.

Beauty Comes From Within

Elle's philosophy on life is that "beauty comes from within and nothing gives you more of a natural glow than love, laughter and water". So don't forget to smile, who looks beautiful with a sad or angry face?

Ten Of The Worst Things You Can Do To Damage Your Skin

Admittedly, some of us are luckier than others when it comes to our genes and the skin we inherit, but even those who are not so lucky can keep their skin in tip-top condition and looking beautiful if they avoid some of the behaviour and activities which are the most damaging and aging to their skin.

Cate Blanchett, pictured here, is notorious for her flawless and amazingly smooth skin, to which she partially credits her use of the exclusive brand of skin care products SK-II. On reading an interview with her though, she also mentions that although she grew up in Australia, she has always been careful to avoid the sun because she burns very easily and we think that may have a little more to do with her flawless complexion.

Read on for more tips on what to avoid if you want to keep your skin looking its best, not just for now, but for the years to come when it will be more difficult to undo any skin damage - prevention is always better than cure. We have split this article into two parts - Part II to be published soon - as it is such an interesting topic, we just wanted to give you all the information we could!

1. Staying Too Long In The Sun

Yes, you've heard it a million times. But sunlight is the main cause of skin aging. It's slightly depressing I agree, that sunlight causes us to age, but it is a fact. Even in the UK, if you are out and about, especially anytime from April to October you should think about wearing sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 15. The UV rays in sunlight lead to sunburn, skin cancer, wrinkles, freckles and discolouration, premature aging and other skin problems. It's not all bad, if you wear appropriate sun protection for your skin, you can still get a golden tan, just take it easy and don't burn.

2. Eating A Poor Diet

You are what you eat, and your skin will always reflect what you are putting into your body. I'm not being nasty, but Google "Amy Winehouse skin" and you will see some images which will put you off a party diet of alcohol and cigarettes. It's easy to improve your skin - eat plenty of fruit and vegetables and you will see a change, plus fruit and veg contain lots of antioxidants to fight off free radicals which will also look after the future of your skin.

3. Not Drinking Enough

Unfortunately, this does not mean anything alcoholic! If you don't have enough fluid in your body, then your skin will show it, and you will get fine lines leading to wrinkles. Hydrating yourself means that your skin's tissues are plumped up and the collagen in your skin will work better holding your skin cells together.

4. Smoking

Note this does not say "smoking too much" - just smoking. Smoking is your skin's worst enemy - it's like Superman and Kryptonite - in the end it will kill him. Smoking deprives the skin of oxygen giving the smoker a grey complexion, and lines around the eyes and mouth, both from cell damage and the fact that a smoker puckers up their face around their cigarette and squints their eyes against the smoke. Apart from the damage to your skin, your health as a whole will suffer.

5. Too Much Alcohol

We can be a little kinder here, some alcohol is good for us (red wine has a fair few antioxidants) - and it's fun to have a few drinks with our friends which is also good for us as it helps us relax and de-stress. But too much alcohol gives us dehydrated skin (see above), burst blood vessels around the face, and also wipes out some of the vitamins in our bodies. Be honest, have you ever woken up after a few too many the night before and looked in the mirror and admired your glowing complexion?

This has been Part I of the "Ten Things To Avoid If You Want Beautiful Skin", we hope you have heeded the "warnings", and the remaining five will be delivered to you soon!

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Ten Top Tips On How To Wake Up Beautiful Every Day

We've all heard the term that we need to get enough "beauty sleep". But what does it actually mean, and how do we get the best out of the sleep time we have. In fact, can good quality sleep actually improve our looks?

Research into "beauty sleep" has shown that a few minutes extra sleep in the morning (you are ideally looking for eight hours sleep each night), can lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which is fantastic as raised levels of this hormone will accelerate the aging process.

If you are looking for a glowing complexion like that of Liv Tyler's or Cate Blanchett's then you do need to get enough, good quality sleep. Steer clear of vigorous exercise, starchy foods and alcohol before bedtime and your skin cells will have a chance to repair. Good sleep means lots of the human growth hormone will be released which is also called the youth hormone as it has anti-aging effects.

Here Are Ten Great Tips For Getting The Most Out Of Your Beauty Sleep

• Sleep on your back - not only does this save you from getting a crinkly chest, but sleeping on your front will also put a lot of pressure on your face, causing puffiness. Dermatologists can also tell the favourite side for a person to sleep on as they will have more wrinkles on that side of their face! Sleeping on our backs suddenly seems like a good idea.
• Wash your face thoroughly before sleep with a relaxing cleanser until your complexion is squeaky clean. Dirt and toxins left on your skin are just accelerating the aging of your skin.
• Make the most of the repairing and remoisturising process that happens overnight, and slather on a good quality, dry skin replenishing cream such as Eucerin Dry Skin Replenishing Face Cream.
• Get those romantic pillows propped up around you at bedtime - keeping your head slightly raised encourages blood flow and lymph glands to drain which means less puffiness in the morning. Another great way to avoid puffiness is to avoid alcohol!
• Before applying your repairing face cream for the night apply a small amount of self-tanning cream to your face and neck - you will wake up with a healthy glow, which is a nice surprise and creates an instant good mood on a cold, wintry morning.
• Avoid carbs when making your evening meal (bread, potatoes, pasta) and go for a light meal of proteins and salad. Too many carbs in the evening can lead to a less defined and doughy complexion.
• If you want to keep your hair silky smooth for the next day, slip on a silk pillowcase or tie up your hair in a silky scarf as this keeps hair from frizzing and knotting overnight.
• Another tip to create a fantastic hair-do overnight is to gather your hair together and twist it round and round, holding it in place on top of your head with a scrunchie. This will transform into a cascade of waves and curls with lots of body next day.
• If you are washing your hair in the morning, give your hair a pre-treatment overnight with a rich hair masque to replenish its natural beauty.
• Finally, you can get a little help from the inside by taking a slow release B-complex vitamin before going to bed. Slowly released B vitamins can promote energy and glow from the inside, helping you to wake up feeling more energised.