When you think of our body's organs, the heart, kidneys, and liver are probably the first organs that come to mind. But the microbiome? Is it an organ? Absolutely! Some scientists even call it a superorgan or superorganism. It's therefore an integral and important part of our body. There are many different microbiomes in our body—those of the gut, 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 just under two square meters, the skin represents a vast ecosystem for microorganisms, making it the second-largest contact surface of our body with the outside world (after our intestines). This is reason enough for us to pay special attention to it. Bacteria, archaea, and viruses live on it – fungi and mites also thrive here. There are far more microorganisms on the skin of an individual than there are people on Earth, namely approximately 100 billion. The importance of our intestinal bacteria is already known to many – but far fewer people are aware that our skin is also teeming with life. Find out here exactly how your skin is connected to your intestines and which tips and tricks you should follow to glow from within!
1. GET THAT BEAUTY SLEEP
Your body truly needs beauty sleep. When we sleep, our body fights inflammation, begins cell repair, and recovers from the many minor damages that often go unnoticed to the skin during the day. Furthermore, the body produces growth hormones and collagen while we sleep. These substances heal and rejuvenate the skin overnight, ensuring regenerated, strengthened skin cells. Sleep is definitely a real glow booster, as it also lowers cortisol levels (a stress hormone) in the body and simultaneously increases melanin production. Melanin, by the way, is an antioxidant that can combat fine lines and wrinkles!
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 a host of other beauty benefits. These include 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 bedroom hygiene is just as crucial for your skin. You should change your bedsheets every 2-3 weeks and wash them with hot water, as the body releases more than a liter of moisture overnight and also loses saliva, natural skin oils, and a large amount of dead skin cells. Bacteria and dirt in your bed can lead to skin imperfections, so make sure you change your bedsheets regularly.
Trending Now: Silk pillows are the latest trend on the beauty market, as the fine, soft fabric protects your hair while you sleep, reducing breakage. Coarser fabrics like cotton draw moisture from the skin, while silk is especially gentle on the delicate skin on your 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.H2Oxygen cleanses the body and helps eliminate toxins that cause inflammation and impurities. Water helps transport nutrients and oxygen throughout the body to the skin cells, making the skin appear plumper, healthier, and more radiant. Adequate hydration also promotes circulation, promoting faster healing and, at the same time, even-toned skin.
Water is—you might not believe it—the key to the skin's moisture retention. And that's incredibly important for the perfect glow, because hydrated cells mean more elasticity and fewer fine wrinkles! Moreover, sufficient hydration can also help dry, chapped skin regain its natural glow.
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—they're available 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. You'll have a much better overview of how much you've already drunk. If you value aesthetics, you can also buy a stylish carafe and commit to emptying it several times a day.
If the taste of water is too bland for you, you can easily spice it up with some fresh berries, mint, or lemon. If you need even more flavor, make yourself some unsweetened tea and enjoy it. And if you're still not drinking enough, we may need to take more drastic measures – for example, set an alarm several times a day to remind yourself to drink. So drink up and glow!
3. EAT THE RAINBOW
As we all know, beauty comes from within. Everything we eat directly affects our skin's texture and appearance. And if we're honest, we all know this. After all, everyone knows those little pimples that suddenly appear when we've eaten a very unhealthy diet. But there's good news: you can "eat" your way to radiant skin. A balanced diet is the key to healthy, balanced skin, as it provides the body with all the essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals it needs to be soft, supple, clear, and firm. For "beauty from within," you should eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. These foods not only taste great, they're also packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. And these are precisely the substances that help your body fight free radical damage and thus prevent premature skin aging!
Nutrition isn't the only thing you should consider in this case, though. All of the systems in our body work together and are in constant communication with one another. If one system is unwell, the others are usually affected as well. The gut and our skin are in constant interaction. Increased stress, environmental influences, and impaired digestion cause unhealthy bacteria to multiply much more rapidly in our gut. These unhealthy bacteria can cause systematic inflammation throughout the body—including on the skin. This means that if the gut is unhealthy, our skin can also be affected. This is where the benefits of synbiotics for the skin come 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 gut also contributes to healthier, more even-toned skin.For example, you can easily support your gut with our Dailybacs, which provide you with 60 billion beneficial little helpers for your gut every day. Happy gut, happy you!
Pro tip: Do you want your skin to look fresher and reduce the signs of aging? Then foods rich in healthy fats are the right choice for you. Fish, avocados, and sunflower seeds, in particular, can reduce wrinkles and hyperpigmentation. You can also support your glow from within even more with our Radiant Glow Add-Ons. 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 makeup on overnight and don't cleanse thoroughly? This is because your skin is exposed to the pollutants in the makeup for longer. The more pollutants your skin comes into contact with, the faster it ages. Another problem with insufficient cleansing is that the creams and lotions you use for care can't really penetrate the skin if it hasn't been thoroughly cleansed. The dirt on your face then acts like a barrier, as traces of makeup settle there and clog your pores. This process causes them to get bigger and bigger, and let's be honest, nobody wants that!
Pro tip: Of course, you should make sure to keep your face clean, but to ensure that, we need to take a step back. Because if your hands aren't clean, your face won't be either. It's well known that bacteria, oils, and dirt lead to pimples and blemishes. Therefore, it's essential that we make sure our hands are clean before touching our faces. Our hands can be real breeding grounds for bacteria—and we definitely don't want those bacteria on our faces. You should also regularly clean your skincare tools like brushes and facial rollers, as they're also a haven for germs.
Oh, and one more thing – even if your hands are freshly washed and germ-free, there's still one rule that 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, elaborate beauty routine; in most cases, less is more. Skin care doesn't have to be complex; most dermatologists recommend thoroughly cleansing your skin twice a day and moisturizing it equally.
The goal is to free the skin of pore-clogging substances, dirt, and oils, while simultaneously moisturizing it with creams. To complement this routine, you can use a gentle exfoliator once or twice a week to remove excess skin cells.
A regular skincare routine not only feels great, starting or closing a new day, but also naturally benefits your glow. Moisturizing your skin with skincare products can keep it smooth, clear, and fresh.
Pro tip: Be careful—you can apply as much skincare as you like and still not achieve the desired results. The right skincare line for your skin type is key! It's best to seek advice from your dermatologist or knowledgeable staff at a drugstore.The microbiome on your skin is as unique as your fingerprint and, just like your gut, needs to be in balance to function properly. your skin microbiome If the bacteria are not intact, bad bacteria on the skin take over and lead to skin irritations and other problems. Therefore, there are now a lot of probiotic skin care products. You can find a very good example at NKM - Naturkosmetik München. Take a look! (If you want to learn more about probiotic skin care, then click here.)
Trending Now: Many beauty gurus now say 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 work from the most liquid to the thickest consistency of the products.
The Right Routine Step By Step:
- CLEANSER: It's 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 trace of dirt from your skin.
- SERUM: Now comes a serum, the formulation is usually developed so 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 fine lines around your eyes.
- MOISTURIZER: When it comes to skin care, hydration is key, and that's exactly what your moisturizer is for.
6. PROTECT
Unfortunately, there's no getting around this point. You should finish your morning routine with sunscreen to protect your skin from harmful UV rays, which can promote skin cancer and premature aging. And it doesn't matter if it's raining, stormy, or snowing outside, because it's important (especially in the summer months, but really always) to prevent UV damage. Of course, the best way to do this would be to avoid the sun, but probably not everyone wants that. That's why it's important to always apply sunscreen thoroughly.
Sadly, sunbathing, so beloved by most people, isn't exactly good for the skin, as it promotes the development of wrinkles. In fact, it's now estimated that around 90% of skin aging is caused by the sun. So, for us, that means it's time to get some sunscreen!
Pro tip: When buying sunscreen, make sure it protects against both UVA and UVB rays. Unfortunately, the SPF advertised in most foundations isn't enough to adequately protect our skin. Therefore, use a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher every day!
7. USE THE MAGIC OF MOVEMENT
You're guaranteed to get an instant glow from a round of exercise. When you move, your oxygen is stimulated, supplying your skin with a large amount of oxygen-rich blood. Exercise is known to detoxify the body, as toxins are "sweated out." Incidentally, exercise also has this effect on the skin, resulting in a radiant, clear complexion and, of course, an instant glow.
Workouts help 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 you truly 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, makeup is great. It helps us feel better, boosts our self-confidence, conceals imperfections, and makes us glow. The problem is that these days, we unfortunately use makeup far too regularly and therefore too often. And that, in turn, leads to skin problems. But why exactly is this? Our skin needs to be able to breathe. Products like concealer, cover-up stick, powder, and the like can clog pores and thus promote pimples.
A little reminder: This is exactly why it is so important to remove your makeup thoroughly every night – yes, every night.
Pro tip: To give your skin a chance to recover from all the daily stress we inflict with our makeup, it's advisable to go makeup-free once or twice a week. This is the only way your skin can regenerate and return to normal.
9. DON'T STRESS OUT
Skin is popularly called the "mirror of the soul." Other sayings like "that gets under my skin" or "that doesn't bother me" also point to a connection between our appearance, or more precisely, our skin, and our psyche. The skin, the body's largest organ, can therefore express emotions—goosebumps, stress marks, and so on. And that's precisely why you should pay attention to keeping your emotions balanced and finding ways to cope with stress, because stress is not only bad for your skin, but also for the entire 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 responsible for keeping our skin plump, firm, and elastic.
Pro tips: This is where creativity is required, because there are plenty 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. Whatever it is, do something good for yourself when you notice that everything is getting too much. This will have a positive effect on your skin and your entire body!
We hope this post has given you some useful tips to help you glow from the inside out. If we still haven't satisfied your thirst for knowledge, we have two more posts for you that will give you even deeper insight into the topic of skin and gut health. Check out these two posts:
- 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 within and simultaneously strengthen your gut microbiome, our Dailybacs combined with our Radiant Glow Add-On are just the thing for you! The synbiotic formula of Dailybacs strengthens your gut microbiome daily with 60 billion little helpers, ensuring your gut is able to optimally absorb nutrients and vitamins. By adding the Radiant Glow Add-Ons to your daily routine, you'll supply your body with a whole host of vitamins, minerals, and superfoods that will make your skin glow and support the growth of your hair and nails from within.
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/Hautkrankheiten-Wechselwirkung-zwischen-Haut-und-Psyche
