How can you support your skin health?

The skin is very often a reflection of what is going on inside our body. Gut health, liver function, stress levels, sleep and hydration show up on our skin. Your daily lifestyle choices play a role in not just your own longevity but that of your skin.

We chatted to our in-house Functional Nutritionist Joey Leek, Author at Health and Wellbeing Magazine, to get the low down on how we can support our skin from the inside out, because wellness starts from within. 

“Good skin is partly due to our genes. But the great news is that there is lots we can do to keep our skin looking its best and help our skin function at its healthiest as we age.” part of an article in bda.uk.com

Nourish the skin with what you consume

Your skin is one of the most nutrient-demanding organs in the body. So providing the raw materials your skin needs to repair, regenerate, and protect itself, we can help to support skin health from the inside. 

Some of the key nutrients for skin health include:

• Protein: Essential for collagen, elastin, and skin cell turnover.
• Omega-3 fatty acids: Support the skin barrier, hydration, and inflammation balance.
• Vitamin A: Regulates cell renewal and supports barrier integrity.
• Vitamin C: Required for collagen production and antioxidant protection.
• Zinc: Critical for healing, oil regulation, and immune defence.
• Biotin & B-vitamins: Support skin cell metabolism and growth.
• Electrolytes: Support hydration at cell level.

Functional Nutritionist Tip: Focus on a whole-food foundation to your diet. Rather than looking at this as what do I have to take out – flip this narrative and ask what can I add in. Maybe delicious seasonal fruits and vegetables, high quality dairy products, crunchy and savoury nuts and seeds. 

Focus on protein and fibre: We often get bombarded with ‘prioritising’ protein, but its all about balance, yes protein is hugely important but so is fibre. Fibre rich foods are important for gut health. 

Functional Nutritionist Tip: When we see imbalances in the gut on the outside, which can include; inflammation, breakouts, acne, rosacea, eczema, and premature aging. Supporting digestion and the gut microbiome is one of the most powerful lifestyle shifts for long-term skin health.

Balancing blood sugar: Blood sugar levels affect so many things, your energy, your hormones and also your skin. Frequent blood sugar spikes can increase inflammation in the body, which can contribute to accelerating collagen breakdown. 

Functional Nutritionist Tip: To support blood sugar regulation make sure you consume balanced meals and snacks, that are a combination of protein, fibre and healthy fats, pairing carbohydrates with these rather than simply on their own. Avoiding sweetened drinks can also be a very easy way to help with this too. 

Hydration is key for skin health: It is not just about how much water you drink but also how well your body retains and uses it. Supporting hydration at cellular level can be easily achieved by drinking water regularly throughout the day, including electrolytes after exercise, sauna use or other sweaty activities, and including water dense foods in your diet such as cucumbers, melons etc. 

Functional Nutritionist Tip: Start the day with some remineralised water, to rehydrate after sleeping. 

Nourish the skin with your daily habits

Your skin will respond to your daily habits that go beyond what you eat and drink. Think about your sleep, your movement, your stress levels and your exposure to environmental toxins.

1. Sleep is when your body enters its main repair and regeneration phase. During deep sleep many functions take place including collagen production increases, skin barrier repair accelerates and cellular turnover improves. 

Functional Nutritionist Tip: Look to get consistent sleep and wake times, this can really help to improve the quality of your sleep over time, giving your body the best chance for regeneration.  

2. Stress is one of the biggest causes of inflammation. Some stress is to be expected but how we manage ongoing stresses in our lives affects our wellbeing and our skin. When cortisol is elevated for long periods it can slow healing, weaken the skin barrier, contribute to trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and trigger breakouts.

Functional Nutrition Tip: Find sustainable ways to manage your daily stresses, this might be going for a walk, taking five minutes to do some simple breathwork or meditation, or just having a laugh with a friend. Prioritise what works for you.   

3. Lifestyle exposures play a major role in the body and the skin’s inflammatory burden. Exposure to air pollution, household/beauty product chemicals, excessive screentime, and smoking all contribute. Managing your level of exposure can help preserve collagen and maintain barrier function. 

Functional Nutrition Tip: Whilst it may not be possible, and even stressful, to try and live an entirely toxic free life, we can make small changes to manage exposure like switching cleaning and beauty products one item at a time.

4. Movement is key to overall health, a balanced approach to exercise is the most long term solution. Overreaching or not moving are almost equally as detrimental. Consistent movement that keeps the body active and mobile can help to maintain hormonal balance, circulation, mental health and so much more. 

Functional Nutritionist Tip: Find an activity you enjoy, whether is walking, weight or Pilates, choose something you get joy from then you will stay consistent. 

The health of your body is reflected in your skin

Your skin reflects your nutritional status, gut health, stress levels, sleep quality, and environmental exposures. For long term wellness and skin health we need to shift the focus from quick fixes to sustainable, whole-body support.

By nourishing your body with whole-foods and shifting your perspective from what you are removing to what you are adding in, finding small steps to managing stress, and prioritising movement and rest equally, you create the conditions your skin needs to thrive, naturally and for the long term. Our small daily habits build longevity for our body, mind and our skin.