When you think of the organs in our body, the first things that probably come to mind are the heart, kidneys and liver. But the microbiome? Is it an organ? Yes, it is! Some scientists even call it a super organ or a super organism. It is therefore an integral and important part of our body. There are many different microbiomes in our body - that of the intestines, genitals, mouth, skin and many more. Here we want to take a closer look at a topic that probably concerns everyone - the topic of skin!
With a surface area of almost two square meters, the skin represents a huge ecosystem for microorganisms, making it the second largest contact surface of our body with the outside world (after our intestines). That is reason enough for us to pay special attention to it. Bacteria, archaea and viruses live on it - fungi and mites also roam here. There are far more microorganisms on the skin of an individual than there are people on earth, namely around 100 billion. Many people already know the importance of our intestinal bacteria - far fewer people are aware that there is also a lot of life on our skin. Find out here exactly how your skin is connected to your intestines and which tips and tricks you need to follow in order to shine from the inside out!
1. GET THAT BEAUTY SLEEP
Your body really needs beauty sleep. When we sleep, our body fights inflammation, begins cell repair and recovers from the many small damages that are usually unnoticed by the skin during the day. The body also produces growth hormones and collagen while we sleep. These substances heal and rejuvenate the skin overnight and ensure regenerated, strengthened skin cells. Sleep is definitely a real glow booster, as it also lowers the cortisol level (a stress hormone) in the body and at the same time increases melanin production. Melanin is an antioxidant that can fight fine wrinkles and lines!
Between seven and nine hours of beauty sleep are recommended. And you should try to stick to this, because a good night's sleep not only gives you energy, but also brings with it a number of other beauty benefits. These include, for example, brighter, more alert eyes, clearer skin and an even, fresh and rosy complexion. Well then, off to bed!
Pro tip: Getting enough sleep during the day is important, but hygiene in your bedroom is just as important for your skin. You should change your bed linen every 2-3 weeks and wash it with hot water, because the body releases more than a litre of moisture overnight and also loses saliva, skin oils and a lot of dead skin cells. Bacteria and dirt in your bed can lead to skin impurities - so make sure you change your bed linen regularly.
Trending Now: The latest hit on the beauty market are pillows made of silk, as the fine and soft material is gentle on the hair while you sleep and is less likely to break. Coarser materials such as cotton draw moisture from the skin, while silk is gentle on the sensitive skin on the face. A pillow like this is definitely worth a try!
2. HYDRATION IS KEY
This point actually seems pretty obvious, but many of us still underestimate the importance of drinking enough water every day! Water is probably the most effective glow booster and has a whole list of positive effects on the body. H 2 O cleanses the body and helps to eliminate toxins that cause inflammation and impurities. Water helps to transport nutrients and oxygen through the body to the skin cells, making the skin appear plumper, healthier and more radiant. In addition, sufficient water intake promotes blood circulation and thus ensures faster healing and at the same time an even skin tone.
Water is - you might not believe it - the key to moisture retention in the skin. And that's really important for the perfect glow, because hydrated cells mean more elasticity and fewer fine wrinkles! In addition, enough liquid can also help dry, brittle skin to get a real glow again.
Pro tip: If you find it difficult to drink enough, there are a few ways to change that. One example is to buy a large water bottle - you can find them everywhere these days. If you have a goal in mind, namely to drink the 2 (or more) liters in your bottle throughout the day, things will go much better. Because you have a much better overview of how much you have already drunk. If you value aesthetics, you can also buy a stylish carafe and make a point of emptying it several times a day.
If you find the taste of water too bland, you can easily spice it up with some fresh berries, mint or lemon. If you need even more flavor, make yourself an unsweetened tea and enjoy it. And if you're still not drinking enough, we'll probably have to resort to tougher measures - for example, set an alarm several times a day and remind yourself to drink. So drink up and glow!
3. EAT THE RAINBOW
Beauty comes from within, as we all know. Everything we eat has a direct effect on our skin and our appearance. And if we're honest, we all know that. Because everyone knows those little pimples that suddenly appear when we've eaten very unhealthily. But there's good news, because you can "eat" your way to radiant skin. A balanced diet is the key to healthy, balanced skin, because it provides the body with all the important nutrients, vitamins and minerals to be soft, supple, clean and firm. For "beauty from within" you should eat lots of fruit and vegetables. These foods not only taste great, they are also loaded with fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. And it's precisely these substances that help your body fight damage caused by free radicals and thus prevent premature skin aging!
In this case, nutrition is not the only point you should pay attention to, because all systems in our body work together and are in active communication with one another. If one system is not doing well, the others are usually affected as well. The intestines and our skin are also in constant interaction. Increased stress, environmental influences and impaired digestion cause unhealthy bacteria to multiply much more in our intestines. These unhealthy bacteria can cause systematic inflammation throughout the body - including on the skin. This means that if the intestines are sick, our skin can also be affected. This is where the benefit of synbiotics for the skin comes into play - if health-promoting bacteria are consumed, the barrier function of the intestinal mucosa is restored and inflammation is prevented. This means that a healthy intestine also contributes to healthier and more even skin at the same time. For example, you can easily support your intestines with our Dailybacs, because they provide you with 60 billion useful little helpers for your intestines every day. Happy gut, happy you!
Pro tip: Do you want your skin to look fresher again and reduce signs of aging? Then foods with lots of healthy fats are the right thing for you. Fish, avocados and sunflower seeds in particular can reduce wrinkles and hyperpigmentation. You can also support your glow from within even better with our Radiant Glow AddOns. These are the perfect combination of antioxidants, vitamins and superfoods to make your beauty shine - from the inside out!
4. KEEP IT CLEAN
Did you know that your skin ages much faster if you leave your make-up on your face overnight and don't cleanse thoroughly? This is because your skin is exposed to the pollutants contained in the make-up for longer. The more pollutants that touch your skin, the faster it ages. Another problem with insufficient cleansing is that the creams and lotions you use to care for your skin cannot really penetrate the skin if it has not been cleaned properly. The dirt on your face then acts like a barrier, because make-up residue settles here and clogs the pores. These get bigger and bigger as a result of this process and let's be honest, nobody wants that!
Pro tip: Of course, you should make sure to keep your face clean, but to ensure this, we have to take a step back. Because if your hands aren't clean, your face won't be either. It is well known that bacteria, oils and dirt lead to pimples and blemishes. That's why it's essential that we make sure to keep our hands clean before we touch our face with them. Our hands can be real bacteria slingshots - and we definitely don't want these bacteria on our face. You should also clean your care utensils such as brushes and facial rollers regularly, because they are also a paradise for germs.
Oh, and one more thing - even if your hands are freshly washed and germ-free, one rule still applies: As hard as it may be - leave the pimple alone!
5. SKINCARE ROUTINE
Don't worry, this isn't a 35-minute, 10-step, complicated beauty routine, because less is often more. Skin care doesn't have to be complex, most dermatologists recommend cleansing the skin thoroughly twice a day and moisturizing it equally.
The aim is to free the skin of pore-clogging substances, dirt and oils and at the same time moisturize the skin with creams. To complement this routine, you can use a gentle peeling once or twice a week to remove excess skin cells.
A regular skincare routine not only feels great and starts or ends a new day, but it also has benefits for your glow. Moisturizing your skin with skincare products can keep your skin smooth, clean and fresh.
Pro tip: Be careful - you can take care of your skin as much as you want and still not get the desired result, because the right care series for your skin type is key! It is best to get advice from your dermatologist or competent employees in drugstores. The microbiome on your skin is just as unique as your fingerprint and - just like your intestines - must be in balance in order to work properly. If your skin microbiome is not intact, "bad bacteria on the skin take over and lead to skin irritations and other problems. That is why there are now a lot of probiotic care products. You can find a very good example of this at NKM - Naturkosmetik München. Take a look! (If you would like to find out more about probiotic skin care, click here .)
Trending Now: A lot of beauty gurus are now saying that the order in which you apply your skincare products is even more important than the products you use. They also say that you should go from the most liquid to the thickest consistency of the products.
The Right Routine Step By Step:
- CLEANSER: It is best to start with a cleanser to cleanse your skin.
- TONER: This is followed by a toner - this has extra power and removes every last bit of dirt from your skin.
- SERUM: Now comes a serum, the formulation is usually developed in such a way that the substances can penetrate deep into the skin.
- EYE CREAM: The skin around your eyes is extra thin and therefore needs extra care. Eye cream can also smooth out the small wrinkles around your eyes.
- MOISTURIZER: When it comes to skin care, hydration is key and that is exactly what your moisturizer is responsible for.
6. PROTECT
Unfortunately, there is no getting around this point. You should finish your morning routine with sunscreen to protect your skin from harmful UV rays, which can cause skin cancer and premature aging. And it doesn't matter if it's raining, storming or snowing outside, because it's important (especially in the summer months, but actually always) to prevent UV damage. Of course, the best way to do this would be to avoid the sun, but probably not many people want to do that. That's why it's important to always apply sunscreen thoroughly.
Sadly, sunbathing, which is so beloved by most people, is not necessarily good for the skin, as it promotes the development of wrinkles. In fact, it is now believed that around 90% of skin aging is caused by the sun. So for us, that means - get some sun protection!
Pro tip: When buying sunscreen, make sure that it protects against both UVA and UVB rays. Unfortunately, the SPF advertised in most foundations is not enough to adequately protect our skin. Therefore, use a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or more every day!
7. USE THE MAGIC OF MOVEMENT
You are guaranteed to get an instant glow from a round of exercise. When you move, your oxygen is stimulated and your skin is supplied with a large amount of oxygen-rich blood. Exercise is known to have a detoxifying effect on the body, as harmful substances are "sweated out". Incidentally, exercise also has this effect on the skin, which leads to a radiant, clear complexion and, of course, an instant glow.
Workouts help to stimulate your digestion and keep it in balance. They promote blood circulation and supply your skin with oxygen and nutrients.
Pro tip: Find a sport that you really enjoy and do your best to move your body for about half an hour every day. Then nothing will stand in the way of that genuine “after-workout glow”!
8. GIVE YOUR SKIN A BREAK
Of course, make-up is great. It helps us feel better, boosts our self-confidence, conceals imperfections and makes us shine. The only problem here is that we unfortunately use make-up far too regularly and therefore too often. And that in turn leads to skin problems. But why exactly is that? Our skin needs to be able to breathe. Products like concealer, cover-up stick, powder and the like can clog pores and thus encourage pimples.
A quick reminder: This is exactly why it is so important to remove your makeup thoroughly every evening - yes, every evening.
Pro tip: To give your skin a chance to recover from all the stress we put it through every day with our makeup, it is advisable not to wear makeup once or twice a week. This is the only way the skin on your face can regenerate and return to normal.
9. DON'T STRESS OUT
The skin is also popularly known as the “mirror of the soul”. Other expressions such as “that gets under my skin” or “that doesn’t bother me” also indicate a connection between our appearance, or more precisely our skin, and the psyche. The skin, the largest organ in the body, can therefore express feelings - goosebumps, stress marks and so on. And that is exactly why you should make sure to keep your feelings in balance and find ways to deal with a lot of stress, because stress is not only bad for your skin, but also for the whole body.
Chronic stress can cause inflammation, digestive disorders and skin problems. Recent studies show that too much cortisol (a stress hormone) breaks down collagen and elastin, two proteins that are responsible for keeping our skin plump, firm and elastic.
Pro tips : Creativity is required here, because there are lots of ways to reduce your stress levels. Be it a long walk, a round of yoga, a workout, a phone call with your loved one or a hot bath. It doesn't matter what it is, but do something good for yourself when you notice that everything is getting too much for you. Because that has a positive effect on your skin and your whole body!
We hope that this article has given you some useful tips to help you shine from the inside out. If we still haven't been able to satisfy your hunger for knowledge, we have two more articles for you that will give you an even deeper insight into the topic of skin and intestines. Take a look at these two articles:
- Healthy Guide 08 - balanced skin: gut and skin microbiome (with an exciting interview with Mareike from NKM about proper skin care)
- The skin microbiome - our hidden protective barrier. (here you can find out everything about your skin microbiome!)
If you want to give your skin an extra boost from the inside and strengthen your gut microbiome at the same time, our Dailybacs in combination with our Radiant Glow AddOn are just the thing for you! The synbiotic formula of the Dailybacs strengthens your gut microbiome every day with 60 billion little helpers and ensures that your intestines are able to absorb nutrients and vitamins optimally. If you now add the Radiant Glow AddOns to your daily intake routine, you will supply your body with a whole host of vitamins, minerals and superfoods that make your skin glow and support the growth of your hair and nails from the inside.
Sources:
- http://www.antlersandrose.com/blog/how-to-get-flawless-skin
- https://www.antlersandrose.com/blog/the-proper-order-to-apply-your-skincare-products
- https://thebeautychef.com/blogs/blog/8-healthy-habits-to-get-you-glowing
- https://www.livefit.co.nz/blog/8-essential-steps-to-healthy-glowing-skin/
- https://www.aerzteblatt.de/archiv/34406/Hautkranken-Wechseleffekt-zwischen-Haut-und-Psyche
