Raise your hand if you think of skin care as a form of self-care. 

If your hand is up, that’s awesome. You’re right on the money. 

If your hand is not up, let’s have a heart-to-heart about why taking care of your skin means more than just wanting to look good. (There’s nothing wrong with wanting to look good, by the way. That’s a huge value of mine and I definitely own it.)

As your body’s largest organ — it accounts for 7.5-22 pounds of your body weight, depending on your height and body mass — your skin acts as a natural filter, protecting your insides from harmful outside influences like toxins, germs, cold, heat, and other elements. The deepest layer of your skin (the subcutis) also stores water and fat, plus produces important hormones.

Simply put: your skin is pretty magical. And very important.

So how should you prioritize taking care of your body’s natural filter so you look good, feel good, and help your body function at its best? Let’s dive in.

Essential Nutrients for Healthy Skin

Foods For Great Skin

I’m a big believer that healthy skin starts from the inside out. What you put in your body (or don’t put in your body) shows up on your skin, so building great skin starts at a foundational level. 

Skin-renewing foods like avocados, Bone Broth, coconut oil, blueberries, and leafy greens are tops on my list. I eat these as often as I can and I honestly feel like I look younger than my age partly because of my skin-supporting diet.

Skin-Supporting Supplements

You may also ask your doctor about adding in supplements to boost your skin’s health, especially if your diet lacks fruits and veggies, or you have digestive issues that may impede your body’s natural ability to absorb nutrients. 

I recently created my BellaBiotics supplement to target your skin and gut microbiome from a cellular level, to help restore your skin’s elasticity, smooth out wrinkles and sagging, protect against ultraviolet damage from electronic devices, and boost your body’s collagen and elastin production — all from the inside out. If you love the idea of quick and easy supplementation, BellaBiotics may be for you!

The Nutrients Your Skin Needs

Whether you get your skin-loving essentials from foods or supplements (or both!), here are some nutrients to look for:

• Prebiotics and Probiotics
• Collagen
• Vitamins A, C, D, and E
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids

RELATED: Supplements For Glowing Skin

What To Avoid For Healthy Skin

Just Say NO To Sugar

Since food plays such a major role in the health of your skin, let’s start there. If you’re eating loads of sugar and processed foods and wondering why your skin looks dry and depleted, I think we’ve found your answer. 

Why is sugar so detrimental to your skin? Because sugar ramps up your production of AGEs (advanced glycation end products). AGEs “stiffen” collagen and elastin, which can damage your skin and make it harder to repair. So if you need yet another reason to ditch the sugar, there you go.

Stay Away From These Additives

Parabens

Parabens — chemical preservatives added to products to improve shelf life — have been a staple in the beauty industry since the 1920s. No one thought much of them until the past decade or so.

But with an increased awareness of what’s going into our products and onto our skin, parabens have been studied more and have been found to mimic the human hormone estrogen. This can interfere with how our bodies regulate our hormones. Yikes! 

Armed with this knowledge (or just a heightened exposure to the term “paraben-free”), many of us are choosing to use products with natural ingredients — ones that don’t contain parabens. And while it’s true you may not be able to avoid all products with parabens, limiting them can be helpful to your skin.

Fragrance

Artificial fragrances are chemicals that can irritate your skin. And while slathering on delicious-smelling products can be a highlight of your skin care routine, you may be harming your skin if you’re using harsh chemicals. 

An alternative would be to seek out products enhanced with natural fragrances, like essential oils.

RELATED: For Better Skin, Look To Your Gut

Start (or Enhance) Your Healthy Skin Care Routine

Your skin has your back (literally!) no matter what, so showing it love is one of the best moves you can make for your entire body.

You can start your Skin Care Self-Care routine today by adding nutrient-dense foods like Bone Broth (hello, collagen!) and blueberries (hello, vitamin C and collagen synthesis support!) to your diet.

If you want extra skin support, try a supplement like BellaBiotics.

And keep an eye on the ingredients in your skin care products. The more educated you are about what you’re putting on your body’s largest organ, the better choices you can make.

Here’s to beautiful, youthful, healthy skin!