Nuts {and other things} for healthy skin.

At Rese & Co. we love making products to help your skin be its most beautiful, natural, and nourished. We also understand that’s not just an “outside job”. Your skin is a direct reflection of what is going on health wise in your body and will often reveal problems in the body or the effect from an overall poor diet. Instead of looking for the miracle cream that will take your skin back 20 years, focus on nutrition to help firm the skin and fight signs of aging at the root cause.

We are past our New Year’s resolutions so let’s not just jump to “I’m going to eat healthier”. Instead, focus on making a few minor additions to your diet that will give your noticeable differences inside and out. We have pulled together a short list of items to add to salads, main dishes, as a stand-alone snack, or…well…there’s really a zillion ways to add them to your diet routine. Though the list is primarily nuts {in the most literal sense of the term}, we have included a couple other sources to consider as well.

• Almonds are extremely high in vitamin E. Vitamin E aids in moisturizing and tissue repair and has an incredible anti-inflammatory effect. Inflammation in the skin a leading cause of skin aging. Vitamin E has been shown to protect the fibroblast in the skin. These are the cells that produce collagen as well as other fibers found in the makeup of the skin.
• Avocados are rich in over 20 vitamins and minerals, including vitamin B, C, E and K, riboflavin, niacin, folate, pantothenic acid, magnesium, potassium, lutein, beta-carotene, omega-3 fatty acids and anti-ageing antioxidants. The monounsaturated fat content in avocados can also help hydrate, and moisturize the skin leaving it feeling refreshed.
• Brazil Nuts contain essential selenium. Just two Brazil nuts contain your daily dose of selenium. Selenium helps the production of glutathione with repairs damaged cells and slows down the aging process in the skin. Brazil nuts are also packed with omega-3 acids to relieve inflammation.  
• Cashews are rich in selenium, zinc, magnesium, iron and phosphorous which help hydrate the skin and reduce inflammation.
• Coconut Oil is a great way to get essential medium-chain fatty acids. The acids are easily absorbed and help with strengthening connective tissue in the skin. It’s a saturated fat which will help to firm up “less-than-firm” skin.
• Sunflower Seeds are rich in vitamin E, which keeps moisture in the skin and protects the oils in the skin’s moisture barrier from free-radical damage.
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids have a strong anti-inflammatory property which help speed healing and reduces the intensity of acne, help slow down the aging process and restore moisture to dry skin. Food sources include oily fish, walnuts, flax seeds, chia seeds.
• Walnuts are dense in omega-3 fatty acids which have an anti-inflammatory effect. Inflammation can also lead to topical breakouts so treat yourself to some walnuts as part of an acne fighting regime. As an added bonus, walnuts will also assist in reducing sun damage and leave your skin with more ample supplies of moisture.  

A nut is a nut, is a nut. Right? Wrong! When you’re out this week adding these items to your shopping cart look for organic, raw, and either unsalted or lightly-salted versions to get the most health benefit. These criteria will make sure you get the best quality of the fiber, essential fats, and proteins that are available from the product.

Set a goal for yourself this week to make sure you stay sufficiently hydrated, feed your skin from the inside a couple of the foods listed above, and, as always, feed your skin from the outside with simple skin care from Rese & Co..