Today sees the start of Lent, the 40 day period in which many of you will be trying your best to give up that vice or bad habit you know you’d be better off without.
A good lifestyle and clear skin go hand-in-hand. So, abstaining from some of the common baddies will not only improve your health but your complexion too. Purify your skin this Lent by giving up one of the following, and see if you notice the difference by Easter.
Chocolate
Chocolate is probably the first thing people think to give up, and with good reason.
Milk and white chocolate commonly contain high levels of refined sugars and low-grade animal fats, both of which cause blogged pores and breakouts. See my previous blog for an explanation.
If you do need your chocaholic fix by the end of your abstinence, indulge in a dark Easter egg. Dark chocolate (70%+ cocoa solids) is full of anti-oxidants and studies have shown it can even help promote cardiac health.
Smoking
When we breathe in smoke we starve our blood cells of oxygen and fill them with carbon monoxide instead.
This carbon monoxide, along with a host of other chemicals, is then transported around all of our organs, including our skin. As a result, the skin loses its healthy glow and takes on a dull, yellowish tinge.
Smoking also causes premature ageing by using up our Vitamin C stores. Without Vitamin C, the body cannot produce collagen, the substance responsible for keeping skin firm and supple.
If it’s too hard to quit altogether, why not try to cut down. The fewer the chemicals you are inhaling, the lesser the detrimental effects on the skin.
Alcohol
Drinking alcohol dilates the tiny blood vessels or capillaries in our skin, some of which sit close to the skin’s surface so are visible.
This makes alcohol particularly bad news for Rosacea sufferers – where broken capillaries is a common symptom of the condition.
Alcohol is also very dehydrating – the skin naturally carries a lot of water, so when this is stripped bare it can lead the skin to prematurely wrinkle.
As a general rule, alcohol also depletes the body of its important vitamin reserves – particularly Vitamin A and C which are important anti-oxidants that keep skin soft, supple and radiant.
Good luck and may the force be with you!
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