Healthy and beautiful skin

How we feel is reflected in our skin. Although it is always regenerating, everyday stresses or internal and external influences can throw it out of balance and affect its appearance. Too much stress, too little “beauty sleep” and a lack of skin-active nutrients can lead to a pale and tired complexion.

Our skin is highly sensitive, registers even the gentlest touch and reacts to the slightest pain, while serving a number of important functions. It ... 

• holds our body together.
• functions as the first line of defence against viruses and bacteria.
• controls the fluid balance.
• helps regulate body temperature.

You might say the skin is an organ with superpowers. Its three-layer structure is one of nature’s masterpieces. 

1. The top layer, or epidermis, is a dense network of cells that acts as a protective barrier against germs, foreign matter and the outside world. This outer layer of the skin completely renews itself about every four weeks.
2. The dermis contains blood and lymph vessels, hair roots, nerve endings as well as sweat, apocrine and sebaceous glands. It supplies the epidermis with nutrients and clears away pollutants.
3. The bottom layer, or subcutis, consists of loose connective tissue, a fatty layer, blood vessels and nerves. It connects muscle and skin.

But what if our skin’s superpowers begin to wane? What causes this, and what can we do about it? Usually, free radicals are to blame – if they are present in overly large quantities. And the secret to regenerating the skin in the best possible way lies in the acid-base balance.

Skin ages – naturally. There are, however, factors that accelerate the ageing process, chief of which are exposure to sunlight and the cold, stress, an unhealthy diet as well as alcohol and nicotine consumption.  

More often than not, aggressive oxygen compounds known as “free radicals” play a key role in skin health. These exist in the environment as well as being a natural by-product of the body’s metabolism. Free radicals can damage skin cells if they are too abundant. This is called “oxidative stress”.  

The good news is that antioxidants, which intercept free radicals, offer a certain degree of protection against skin damage. Substances with antioxidative properties include vitamin C and selenium, a trace element.

There are other factors to consider apart from natural skin ageing. One is that, since the epidermis needs to regenerate, new cells are forming all the time. This requires nutrients such as zinc, magnesium and vitamin B12, all of which have a role in the process of cell division. 

And although our largest organ is always regenerating, everyday stresses or internal and external influences can throw these regeneration processes out of balance. Too little “beauty sleep” and a lack of skin-active nutrients can lead to a pale and tired complexion. 

The following signs may point to overly stressed skin:

• a stressed complexion
• dry skin
• swollen eyelids and dark under-eye circles
• tight skin

An alkaline-rich diet supports a healthy and vibrant complexion. We all know that there is simply no substitute for a healthy and varied diet. But the rigours of everyday life can make it very hard to maintain one. People often consume too high a proportion of protein-rich foods – such as meat and meat products, fish, cheese, eggs, milk and cereal products. These ought to be balanced out by alkaline foods like fruit, salad and vegetables. Our food chart offers a useful overview – and anyone who wants to try and prepare alkaline-rich meals themselves can find inspiration in our recipes.