Healthy Skin in Three Simple Steps

The key to healthy skin lies in more than a regular cleanse, tone and moisturise.

Healthy skin is a balance of a mineral and vitamin-rich diet that’s also high in good fats, a clean digestive tract that boasts loads of good bacteria, daily exercise to release toxins and organic topical nourishment.

Below are three healthy skin hacks that everyone should know about.

Some of my favourite foods work brilliantly as internal and external treatments—healthy skin savers—that can put you on the path to softer skin. Taken internally, these demulcents can work to sooth the digestive tract and health the internal epithelial cells thanks to their gel-like protective qualities. Used externally, they do the same.

Here’s how:

Noni for Great Digestion

Noni, or Morinda citrifolia if you prefer, is a tropical fruit found mostly in the South Pacific, where it has been used for centuries thanks to its many health benefits. Roughly the size of a potato, noni varies in color from white to yellow to green.

While it has been marketed widely as a cure-all for just about every ailment known to man, it does have significant health benefits from bolstering the immune system to decreasing blood pressure and improving digestion.

Hawaiians crush down the ripened fruit and bathe in it. Why? Because it helps to repair and regenerate the cells, thanks to its anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. If you suffer from rashes or acne, noni does wonders to soothe the inflammation while warding off bacteria. It can also rid pain caused by sprains, stings and burns.

How to Take a Noni Bath for Healthy Skin

• Depending on how much water you like to bathe in, you’ll need about three to six ounces of pure, raw organic noni juice. To get the most out of your noni bath, you’ll need to soak for at least 20 minutes, so be sure to light some candles and put some calming music on and make it a complete pamper session.

• If you have a stash of dried and ground or fresh noni leaves on hand, turn your tub into a tea bath and again, soak for at least 20 minutes.

• A great pre-preparation before your noni bath? Simply mash up the fruit to create a natural body mask. Then wash it off as you soak in the bath and continue to reap its benefits.

Aloe Vera and its Healthy Skin Properties

There’s little wonder this ancient plant is used in so many beauty products to help foster healthy skin. Not only is it high in amino acids, which build great muscle tone, aloe vera is also an anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory. Its enzymes promote better digestion, and it’s also high in antioxidant-rich vitamins A, C and E.

Aloe has a pH balance that’s almost skin identical, making it the perfect gentle, yet powerful, addition to a regular beauty routine.

Besides its healing properties that eases the likes of dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, sunburn, blisters and ulcers, it’s also a great exfoliant for healthy skin, which in turn encourages blood to circulate to the skin and allowing to new skin regenerate more quickly.

How to Apply Aloe Vera

Cut back the inner leaf and scrape out the gel-like substance inside. Apply the gel directly to the skin and leave on the skin for 15 minutes or longer.

Skin-loving Chia Seeds

A complete protein source, chia seeds also boast 60 percent omega-3 fatty acids, which isn’t only great for skin, but also brain health. Known widely as a superfood, chia seeds are a simple yet nourishing addition to smoothies, adding all-important fiber content. Used topically, chia’s fatty acid content directly benefits the cellular health of the skin.

A Simple Chia Beauty Hack

When soaked in water, chia seeds develop a gel-like coating. Simply soak, blend and apply as a face mask or dip your hands into a bowl of the mixture. Chia can also be mixed with avocado.

Do you have a healthy skin hack that you love?