12 Natural Age-Defying Tips for Healthy, Younger-Looking Skin

The skin is the largest organ of the body. The appearance and quality of our skin is a reflection of our overall health, our emotional state, hormones, lifestyle, environment and dietary choices. Imbalances in the body often reveal themselves in skin problems.

Choices made in our 20s and 30s tend to show up in our 40s, 50s and beyond. The appearance of our skin is where we visually notice the first signs of aging. As we age, hormones decline, skin cells regenerate slower and become overloaded with toxins, gravity takes effect, and collagen and oil-producing glands become less active. Ne need to fret! Below you’ll find twelve of of my personal Age-Defying Tips for Healthier, Younger-looking Skin.

12 Natural Age-Defying Tips for Healthy, Younger-Looking Skin

1. Healthy, glowing skin starts with the foods you eat. There’s a direct correlation between the quality of the foods you choose to eat and the condition of your skin.

♦ Thumbs up: Fat from avocado, coconut oil, olive oil; wild salmon and sardines, whole eggs, pastured butter, nuts and seeds (if you’re not sensitive to them) and organic, grass-fed and free-range protein. Tons of fresh, organic dark, leafy greens, cucumbers, celery, sea veggies and colorful veggies. Blended veggie smoothies. Fruits (apples, kiwi, papaya, watermelon, pomegranate, dark-skinned grapes, lemons, cherries and berries), yams and sweet potatoes; gelatin; fresh aloe vera; garlic and onions; turmeric (curcumin); bone broth and raw cacao.

♦ Thumbs down: Inflammatory foods such as wheat, gluten, sugar, grains, vegetable oils and trans fats, fried foods, factory-farmed meat, processed foods, fat-free and low-fat foods, artificial sweeteners, GMOs, pesticides, preservatives, and additives, which are a direct cause dry skin, hair loss, brittle nails and accelerated wrinkling of the skin, aging and inflammation.

♦ Eliminate foods you’re sensitive to that increase inflammation and can cause a variety of skin problems including dark circles under the eyes, hives, acne, eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis.

2. Heal the gut and optimize digestion. The quality of your skin is strongly linked to the health of your gut. Skin, hair and nail problems are often the result of an sad, unhealthy gut. Identify and rule out gut dysfunction: conditions such as leaky gut, infections (Candida, H.pylori, bacterial, viral and parasites), SIBO, sluggish bowels, constipation, and abnormal bowel flora all affect the health of your skin. Check out these tips to optimize digestion.

3. Sleep, the fountain of youth. Aim for 7-9 hours every night. During restful, uninterrupted sleep the skin and body repair, and growth hormone is released, which helps skin remain thick, more elastic and less likely to wrinkle. The adrenals do the majority of their recharging and recovery between 11:00pm and 1:00am. Sleep on your back to offset the effects of gravity and creating wrinkles.

4. Manage stress. The appearance of our skin reflects our overall health including stressful lifestyles, emotional unhappiness, work-related anxiety, toxic overload, sleep deprivation and lack of rest. Excess cortisol production damages elastin and collagen, and prevents the skins’ ability to repair.

♦ Practice daily stress-less techniques: here are some of my favorites! It’s important to make time to de-stress and enjoy personal downtime and relaxation every single day (meditate; total body and facial massage; yin and restorative yoga; spend more time in nature; walk; read something uplifting; help others; listen to your favorite music; take five minutes of solitude and breathe deeply; pray; keep a journal; gratitude).

5. This one’s a no brainer….if you smoke – quit!

6. Hydrate from the inside out! The simple act of drinking more clean, filtered water does wonders for the appearance of your skin. Dry skin and cracked lips can be a direct consequence of dehydration. Install a water filter in the shower and a reverse osmosis in the kitchen to filter out chlorine, fluoride and other chemicals. Minimize intake of dehydrating beverages (too much caffeine or alcohol). Avoid drinking alcohol within 3 hours of bedtime. Alcohol increases the risk for capillary breaks, which allows more water in and causes sagging, bloating and puffiness.

7. Move Your Body Every Day. Keep flowing, increase circulation and bring oxygen to the skin. Oxygen is an important ingredient for healthy skin. Lift weights, perform short bursts of your favorite activity and always balance with more yin-style activities such as walking, yoga, Qi gong, Tai chi, gardening or whatever you enjoy doing to get your body moving.

♦ Bounce/rebound on a mini trampoline to increase circulation and stimulate the lymphatic system.

♦ Avoid excessive amounts of exercise, especially long, slow distance (LSD) exercise, which is inflammatory, causes premature aging of the skin, disrupts hormones, oxidation and accelerates cellular aging.

8. Minimize exposure and production of free-radicals to reduce oxidation and lower inflammation. This includes excessive exercising, gum disease, household chemicals, heat and air conditioned air, underlying infections, air pollution, toxic overload, pesticides, glyphosate, GMOs, obesogens, consistently staying up late, partying and heavy drinking, negative thoughts, eating sugar, processed foods, inflammatory foods and foods you’re body’s sensitive to.

♦ Chronic sun exposure is destructive to the skin, robs the skin of moisture and breaks down the protective lipid barrier. Summer weather can wreak havoc on your skin. Many commercial sunscreens contain chemicals that mimic hormones and disrupt hormones, block your body’s natural ability to produce vitamin D, and can cause other problems such as skin irritation or allergy and skin damage. Sulphoraphane (found in broccoli sprouts & other cruciferous vegetables), astaxanthin, curcumin, sesame, avocado, coconut and olive oil, resveratrol and vitamin D are helpful in providing natural protection from the sun.

9. Balance hormones. Too much testosterone, increased or decreased cortisol, adrenal deficiency, thyroid imbalances and too little estrogen can affect the appearance of your skin. Oral contraceptives, antibiotics and many OTC and prescription drugs can cause imbalances. According to John R. Lee, M.D., author of What Your Doctor May Not Tell You about Menopause estriol, the weakest form of estrogen applied to the skin reverses wrinkling and should be an essential part of an anti-aging skin regimen.

♦ Optimize liver function, which is a possible cause of hormone imbalances, age spots and undesirable skin conditions.

10. Maintain a healthy weight. Avoid extreme dieting, which takes its toll on the appearance of your skin. Diets, extreme fasting and many cleanses are a major stressor to the body, destructive to metabolism, create hormonal disruption, shut down the thyroid, cause nutrient deficiencies, muscle loss, older looking skin, fat storage, and added weight gain once you’re off the diet.

♦ Follow the lifestyle principles found in Fat Loss Revolution and The Power of 4.

11. Supplemental nutrient support. Did you know there’s an association between aging skin, wrinkles and nutrient deficiencies such as essential fatty acids and Vitamin D? Include high-grade quality omega-3 fatty acids with GLA (borage, black currant seed or evening primrose oil), digestive enzymes with HCL and probiotics as part of your healthy skin regime.

♦ Other nutrients that are helpful for healthier, more youthful-looking skin include green tea extract; vitamins A, B2, B3, B6, B12, C, D and E; zinc; antioxidants; probiotics; alpha lipoic acid; CoQ10; pycnogenol; turmeric/curcumin (Meriva-SR); astaxanthin and grapeseed extract.

12. DIY Remedies for Healthy, Younger-looking skin

♦ Use a natural bristle body brush to dry brush your skin before showering to stimulate the lymphatic system, improve circulation, gently exfoliate the skin removing dead skin cells, open pores and rid your body of toxins. After showering, moisturize with coconut oil.

♦ Use a Clarsonic cleansing tool to clean and wash your face in the morning and again in the evening.

♦ Blend aloe vera gel, vitamin E and frankincense oil as a moisturizer before bedtime.

♦ Remove makeup with either coconut, jojoba, sesame or Kukui nut oil.

♦ Give your skin some love with a weekly facial mask: Blend bentonite clay with raw apple cider vinegar and gently apply to your face and neck. Leave on for 10-15 minutes and rinse.

♦ Install a shower filter to removes chlorine and other harsh chemicals that are damaging to your skin and your health. Use chemical-free skin care products. The average woman puts 200-500 chemicals on her body every day that compromise the liver and lymph. It’s important to recognize that whatever you apply to your skin can be absorbed into your body and potentially cause serious damage over time.

♦ Many skincare products contain estrogen-mimicking chemicals and harmful ingredients. Look for and avoid products containing parabens, phthalates, mineral oils, aluminum, hard soaps, antibacterial gels and artificial fragrances. Opt for paraben-, hexane- and chemical-free products. According to the Environmental Working Group, women use an average of 12 products a day, containing 168 different chemicals. Men use fewer products, but still put 85 chemicals on their bodies.

♦ Use organic, non-toxic skin care products, shampoo, cosmetics and laundry detergent void of chemicals. Some of my favorite skin products that I personally use are Devita Skincare Products, Sanre Organics and AnnMarie Skincare…they’re 100 percent paraben-free and PETA certified. Zum Clean Laundry Soap.

A few of my other personal natural skincare favorites include Dr. Bonner’s soap, coconut oil, aloe vera gel, shea butter, topical coQ10, cocoa butter, witch hazel, jojoba oil and essential oils (frankincense, lavender). More of my favorite skin products.

As a holistic nutritionist and functional health practitioner, my philosophy is to identify the root cause of any underlying health issues, slowly "peel away the layers of the onion," and design a healing protocol and comprehensive LIFESTYLE plan specific to your unique biochemistry so you can heal, experience vibrant health, balanced hormones, age well, and look, think and feel better than ever for a lifetime. I consult with men and women around the world, all over the U.S. and with clients locally in the Phoenix area. Schedule a free 15-minute consultation!

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