What’s one thing we all have in common? True, there are lots of answers to that fairly wide question, but the one we’re focusing on here is the fact that we all want to look our best – we want glowing skin, shiny hair, and a certain sparkle that just tells people you know what you’re doing and how to make things work (even if you’re not all that sure in reality). But the thing is that true beauty isn’t just about what’s on the outside – it’s about what’s happening inside too.
That’s what inside-out beauty is all about; it’s where feeling good goes perfectly hand in hand with looking amazing, and that doesn’t mean you have to totally obsess over the latest miracle cream (although that can be fun, and it’s always your choice). What it’s about is taking care of yourself in ways that give you a glow from within, and that’s the difference. With that in mind, keep reading to find out exactly why inside-out beauty is the key to feeling and looking your best – you’ll love the results when you find out what works.
Beauty Is Built
You can buy lots (and lots) of things that can make you look fantastic – a good moisturiser can make your skin feel so, so smooth, and a bold lipstick can boost your confidence like nothing else, but the real secret to lasting beauty isn’t something you can buy in a shop or online (or at least, it’s not only that) – it’s got to start with how you treat your body. If you don’t treat it well, then it won’t matter what lotions and potions you treat yourself too or how well they’re meant to work (or how much they cost, come to that) because none of them will do the job they’re meant to do without a good foundation to work from.
Think of your skin, hair, nails, and so on, as a way to see what’s going on inside your body – when you do that, you’ll immediately see what’s working and what you need to put more work into, and that’s a great way to start when it comes to inside-out beauty. A nutrient-rich diet, plenty of hydration, and good quality sleep are things that can really make a difference, so start by working on getting these things right, and everything else should follow on more smoothly.
How Nutrition Helps
We mentioned good nutrition above, and it’s an absolutely crucial way to enjoy a healthy – and beautiful – body and even mind. If you’ve ever noticed how your skin looks bad after you’ve been eating junk food, you’ll know what we mean – the truth is that what we eat really does show on your skin, which is why eating food that’s full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants is so important, and why you’ll look a lot better when you make sure these things feature heavily in your diet.
Something that can really help is omega-3 fatty acids, and they come from things like salmon or walnuts – they’ll make your skin nice and supple, so they’re a great option. And vitamin C from oranges and berries helps your body make more collagen, which gives your skin more elasticity and reduces wrinkles and fine lines as a result.
Speaking of collagen, there’s a lot of excitement around supplements like Kollo collagen that can help with skin elasticity and joint health, so if you need an extra boost, that could be the way to go – after all, if your body needs something so it can repair itself and look more beautiful, it’s always a good idea to give it what it wants.
Hydration Can’t Be Ignored
Food and general nutrition is clearly a very important thing and it’s something you just can’t ignore if you want to look and feel good, and since it also benefits your overall health and wellbeing, why would you do anything other than eat well and enjoy a balanced diet? The occasional treat is fine (it’s actually important to indulge once in a while so you don’t feel like you’re missing out which can lead to bingeing), but for the majority of the time you’ll want good, healthy food to look good and healthy.
And guess what? The same goes for what you drink! The truth is that dehydration is the biggest beauty killer of them all, at least in terms of how quickly it can turn your skin from plump and fresh to dull with more pronounced fine lines – plus it can make your hair more brittle as well, so you’ll end up losing more of it and it’ll be hard to style.
The fix for this is so easy it’s something you can definitely start right away – drink more water. The more you drink, the more hydrated you’ll be and the better your skin will look and feel, but more than that, when you’re properly hydrated, your other organs and joints will all work much better too and your health will be far more positive.
Of course, not everyone likes water and that can be where the problem lies, but there are things you can do to fix that issue too, like adding fruit to the water or even cordial as long as it’s not full of sugar. Or what about eating more hydrating foods like cucumber, watermelon, and celery? Or how about herbal teas? They’re another great option and can help with all kinds of ailments from lack of sleep to stomach issues, so you can tick a lot of health boxes that way. Do whatever works for you as long as you lay off the sugary drinks like soda and too much fresh fruit juice because they can do more harm than good.
Stress, Sleep, And Self-Care
It’s no coincidence that you look your best when you feel your best, and the fact is that stress can wreak absolute havoc on your body and show up as very clear acne breakouts, hair loss, dull skin, and it’ll make you look permanently tired and unwell too – no one wants that. Plus, if you’re stressed you’re going to be unhappy, and that’s not a good way to go through life – if there’s something you can do to solve the issue (and there always will be, although sometimes it takes more hard work and more help than other times), you need to do it for your own good.
The real antidote to stress is sleep and self-care, which is fantastic because these things are wonderful and they’re within your control (most of the time – if sleep isn’t something you find easy, the best course of action is to see a doctor as soon as possible for some guidance and advice).
Sleep is actually when your body repairs itself, so you’ll need to aim for around seven to nine hours every night (less or more on occasion isn’t awful, but it’s not a habit you’ll want to fall into if you can help it). And self-care doesn’t have to mean expensive spa days (though they’re great so if you want one, go ahead and book it) – it can be as simple as taking a long bath, meditating, binge-watching your favourite show, or whatever else works for you. It’s your stress so you need to deal with it in your way.
And as for the thing that’s causing stress, that’s something else you’ll need to handle, otherwise you’re still going to be stressed no matter what you do. Get some help where necessary and move forward in life feeling – and looking – better from the inside out.
Rethink Your Skincare Routine
As we’ve said, and as you probably already guessed, inside-out beauty starts… inside. But that doesn’t mean your skincare routine doesn’t still play a big role, and the key is to think of that skincare routine as something that should work in partnership with everything else. That’s why you need to really think about what you’re doing and what you’re using because it needs to work with everything else you’re trying to do rather than against it.
One important thing to do is to focus on products that help your skin’s natural processes, which could be things like gentle cleansers, hydrating serums, and sunscreen (and this one is non-negotiable because UV damage can be devastating – not only can it make you look much older than your years, but it can cause skin cancer and other ailments, so making sunscreen a daily habit, no matter what the weather is like, will save you a lot of future problems).
And you’ll want to avoid using too many harsh skin treatments because once damage is done, it can be hard to repair it.
The Mind-Beauty Connection
This might seem like a strange idea, but read it through first because you might change your mind when you see how it could work. Could it be that your mindset actually affects your appearance? Well, think about it this way – when you’re feeling happy, confident, grateful, positive, and so on, do you look healthier and more radiant? And when you’re feeling angry or sad, unhappy, depressed, stressed, anxious, and so on, do you look unwell and does your skin bear the brunt? The answer is yes.
So it’s clear there’s a mind-beauty connection, which is great, but do be careful – you shouldn’t just go around pretending everything’s great just to get the look you want. What you really need to do is focus on good things, being kind to yourself, and always remember that beauty is more than skin deep.
