We have all become preoccupied with general immunity over the last few years. Warding off a pandemic, aggressive flu strains and other nasties have deeply compromised our way of life. All this stress has taken a huge toll which can not only be seen on our skin but can impact how well our skin acts as our protective layer. Therefore, we need to think about how we can boost our skin immunity.
What is Skin Immunity?
Skin immunity refers to the health of the skin’s (epidermis) barrier, similarly to how our internal system requires immunity to maintain overall health. Skin immunity’s role in skin health includes how it maintains water content and balance, its response to the invasion of toxins, how it reduces the effects of UV exposure and the mitigation of the effects of oxidative stress (aka free radical damage), not to mention its ability to repair itself from the blisters of your too small ‘restaurant shoes’ (shoes you wear in the car to sit in a restaurant but don’t walk around in).
If your skin is unable to perform these miracles of nature, the barrier is considered compromised. Your skin may then experience water loss, the inability to self-repair, loss of elasticity, and other signs of stress.
Five Skincare Ingredients that Boost Skin Immunity
If boosting skin immunity is important to you for skin health, here are some skincare ingredients to help you achieve stronger, healthier skin (with the added benefits of being good for your innards too):
1. Vitamin A or Retinol
Vitamin A in skincare is often associated with its anti-aging benefits and ability to treat blemishes and acne. It’s also an antioxidant that supports the skin’s immune response and blocks the damaging actions of free radicals.
You may see these ingredients listed as Vitamin A, Beta Carotene, Retinyl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, or Retinol. Botanical ingredients such as Carrot seed Oil, Hemp Seed Oil, Rosehip Oil, Avocado Oil and Sea buckthorn Oil all contain Vitamin A.
You can pump up your Vitamin A by ingesting natural food sources like:
• Leafy green vegetables (kale, spinach, broccoli),
• Orange and yellow vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin and winter or summer varieties of squash)
• Tomatoes
• Red capsicum
• Cantaloupe, mango
Check out Adorn Cosmetic's natural Vitamin A face oil here.
2. Vitamin C
Vitamin C helps reduce dark circles, brighten the complexion, diminish fine lines, and firm delicate skin (sign me up).
For those that are a little sensitive to (Ascorbic Acid) Vitamin C; Kakadu Plum, Desert Lime and Caviar Finger Lime are excellent natural sources of Vitamin C with Kakadu Plum known as the highest natural form of Vitamin C in the world. How wonderful are Australian superfoods! It contains 75% more Vitamin C than oranges and you don’t have to fly to Kakadu to get it, although wouldn’t we all like an exotic holiday?
Many health food stores will stock these ingredients as powder extracts that you can add to cooking or smoothies too.
Check out Adorn's Vitamin C Brightening Serums here.
3. Mineral SPF
Applying sunscreen regularly is one of our most common skincare tips. Using safe SPF products is beneficial to skin immunity in many ways, even on cloudy winter days. Mineral sunscreen ingredients like Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide protect the skin against the damage caused by UV radiation from the sun. If skin cells are damaged due to UV radiation, this may compromise the skin barrier and therefore the skin’s immune health.
Foods that boost natural sun protection and can support increases in skin immunity include:
• Citrus fruits (lemons, limes, oranges, and grapefruits) are high in vitamin C too.
• Carrots
• Strawberries
• Green tea
• Pomegranates
• Almonds
• Red grapes
• Leafy greens
Adorn Cosmetic's SPF products are:
SPF 50+ Sunscreen here. Loose Mineral Foundation SPF 20+ here. BB Cream SPF 20+ here.
4. Ceramides
The skin barrier consists primarily of lipids, (they are the skin's natural fats). Among those are ceramides, which act as the glue that holds skin cells together. Since ceramides play a vital role in skin barrier health, they are also vitally important in promoting skin immunity. When applied topically, ceramides can boost skin hydration, firmness, and integrity.
Ceramides can be sourced naturally from:
• Soybeans
• Eggs
• Dairy
• Brown rice
• Sweet potatoes
• Wheat germ
• Spinach
……basically a good quiche!
Check out Adorn Cosmetic's skincare which contains Jojoba Oil, Safflower Oil, Coconut Oil, Hemp Oil, Wheat Germ, Soybean Oil, and Rosehip Oil.
5. Hyaluronic Acid
One aspect of healthy skin that is often overlooked is hydration and moisture retention. The skin needs both water and oils to stay hydrated, and Hyaluronic Acid can help. This skincare ingredient is believed to hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water, which results in some serious hydration. Regardless of your skin type, everyone can benefit from having a hydrated skin barrier.
Some foods your body uses to boost hyaluronic acid production are:
• Oranges. Oranges don't contain hyaluronic acid, but they do contain naringenin
• Tofu
• Kale
• Almonds
• Edamame
• Sweet potatoes
Check out Adorn Cosmetic's Hyaluronic Acid Night Serum here or Hyaluronic Acid Eye Cream here.
Now if all of that has made you feel full as a boot and you want to do some further reading, you can jump over to the Adorn Ingredients Directory for more information about these 5 skin immunity super ingredients or refer to some of our products that will allow you to support your skin immunity campaign as part of your everyday skincare routine.
