Inside Out Guide for Skin & Wellbeing

07 APRIL, 2021

In honour of world health day we have put together an ‘Inside Out Guide for Skin & Wellbeing’ based on Ada’s and 001 Skincare London’s mantra of ‘To Treat from Within”. To really treat issues with the skin you have to ensure that you are treating your body positively and effectively from the inside (foods, mental exercises and drinks etc) and the outside (massage, and choosing the correct products to put on your skin). By being mindful of combining these two aspects in your daily life, your skin will gradually reveal its natural, healthy and radiant glow.

Below is our guide on how to treat daily skincare concerns with our ‘To Treat from Within’ Mantra.

1. DRY / OILY SKIN

Do you suffer from dry or oily skin? Any imbalance in your skin is also an imbalance in your body, you want to make sure you’ve a good water and oil balance in your body to help battle these issues.

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• Ensure you are drinking copious amounts of water everyday which will provide your body function and skin with all the nutrients and hydration it needs to operate at the optimal level. Water is a vital nutrient to the life of every cell in our body to function, it acts first as a building material. The skin contains 64% water, therefore dehydration in the body will show firstly on the face by feeling dry, tight and even red or sensitive.

• Digesting good oils will keep your skin plump and supple, fighting off signs of ageing. Food like salmon and avocado contain good oils, they also help to fight off inflammation in the body which is another plus.

• From a Chinese Medicine point of view, dry skin can be a symptom of root causes in internal imbalances between Qi, blood flow, yin, yang, and blockages of different energy pathways within the body. There are many reasons for how the body lands onto this imbalance but generally speaking, when fluids can’t be transformed or delivered to where our body needs, the imbalance occurs. Lack of rest and stress can make our body over work or over think creating a long burning fire that dries our essence out. Ageing can also lead to hormonal disruption or a drop of estrogen obstruct our moisture level. Try to opt for ‘moisture-generating’ food (think food that will make you salivate more) like berries, olives, cucumbers. Massage including Gua Sha can also help stimulate fluids production and enhance its circulation.

• Oily skin on the other hand can be a symptom of excessive moisture accumulation in the body, adding internal heat that comes from a hectic lifestyle it can easily turn into excessive fire breaking out through our skin as acne. Try regulating with fluid draining food like beans and barley. Massage including Gua Sha can help soften pore linings and loosen excessive sebum to aid with skin purifying and detoxification preventing further acne breakouts.

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• A good balance of oil and water creates a happy harmony within our skin, strengthening the skin’s natural barrier to keep your skin even and neutral. While humectants like Hyaluronic Acid, Glycerin can act as effective water magnets for hydrating the skin, non-comedogenic oils include small molecule sized almond or apricot oils are there to moisturise and lock in all the water content within our skin.

TRY: Alpha-Glow Flash Facial Serum A light water-based gel, 3-in-1 serum, primer and mask, this advanced daily “super serum” contains 9 powerhouse ingredients that work in synergy to deliver exceptional results. It contains 9 incredibly effective ingredients to address the 4 ageing concerns, Dehydration, Pigmentation, Wrinkles & Sensitivity.

TRY: VF Detox & Balance TCM-Cooling Concentrate A light, silky, easily absorbed and non-comedogenic oil rich in cold-natured ingredients known in TCM to be cooling, astringent and rebalancing, to address conditions linked to heated-nature-induced acne (from stress, hormones imbalance) or irregular sebum secretion. Watermelon, Plant Hormones & Squalane help protect from external aggressions, strengthen moisture barriers and improve the appearance of scars/blemishes.

• If you are suffering from dry skin, on to pof oils, we suggest you also layer products with water molecules and Humectants which act as ‘water magnets’, absorbing water content from the ambiance to the epidermis keeping it hydrated. Water content also creates water pathways to deliver actives for your targeted concerns. By creating this strong barrier, you’ll be able to deeply hydrate and avoid dryness which is one of the fundamental causes for fine lines and wrinkles. We recommend ingredients like Glycerin, hyaluronic acid and lactic acid, combined with natural plant lipids like,Cocoa and Shea butter.

TRY: Amino Acids & Lipids Recovery Cream A nutritional first-aid cream formulated with skin-identical amino-acids, lipid proteins and antioxidant complexes. It helps strengthen the skin barrier, makes the skin appear tighter and helps combat dullness, wrinkles and sagging. Combating against skin dryness, giving you that plumper and fuller appearance.

2. Dull Complexion and feeling stressed ?

You need to take steps to manage your stress better as this will have an effect on your skin and its complexion.

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• Make a to-do list and don’t forget to include things that will bring you happiness such as hobbies, how to relax, and making time to see important people in our lives. Stress management helps to balance hormones and avoids the over-secretion of cortisol, which contributes to excessive oil production, leading to fuzzy and dull complexion.

• From a Chinese Medicine, Dull Complexion can be a symptom of a sluggish metabolic rate and excess of waste products, we suggest replenishing the blood and activating its circulation and nourishing the YIN for lubrication. We suggest digesting more ginger, wolfberry fruit and peaches, to brighten that complexion.

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• Massage, massage massage! This will minimise the tension over your face and neck which can be caused by stress. Increasing more blood circulation and guiding oxygen and nutrients to the skin, enhance lymphatic drainage to reveal a clear, bright and healthy skin tone. Time to get your Gua Sha tools out and Massage, massage, massage !

TRY: microSculptor Joy Kit This kit contains uniquely crafted massage devices that stimulate natural biological reaction via acupressure & lymphatic movements, promoting micro-circulation for enhanced oxygenation, nutrient deliveries and toxins & fluids drainage. Paired with our serum, you are ready to see lifted and sculpted contours with an even complexion & a translucent glow from within.

3. Do you have hyperpigmentation or fine lines and wrinkles ?

Time for some science to help you truly understand the reasoning behind our ‘To Treat from Within’ mantra:

What are free radicals and why are they so bad you ask? Free radicals come from pollution, dust and even UV rays. They damage the skin's DNA by trying to grab an extra electron from other molecules in the body. When these molecules are stolen, it causes direct damage to our skin’s DNA which results in accelerated skin aging. They are responsible for breaking down our skin’s collagen, resulting in unflattering skin blemishes like wrinkling, dark spots and loose,saggy skin.

Antioxidants are compounds which give out an electron to a free radical, therefore the free radical does not consume the electron from the skin’s atom, as a result they fight off the ageing effects caused by free radicals. Neutralising the free radicals and helping to break a chain reaction that can affect other molecules in cells in the body.

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• Consume antioxidant rich foods, to help replenish the levels of antioxidants in your body. With the purpose of ensuring the body does not suffer from oxidative stress from the free radical process. We would recommend consuming walnuts, almonds, oats, quinoa, berries, oranges, broccoli and spinach etc. All rich in antioxidants to fight off the breakdown of collagen which causes fine lines and wrinkles.

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• Ingredients to look out for include Vitamin A,C,E, Marine Algae, Berries, Squalane and plant oils.

TRY Active Marine Collagen Serum This super concentrated serum with a light and glossy, gliding gel texture. Rich in Multi-Algae actives, Co Q10, Vitamin C and Green Tea, this serum provides lasting hydration and an immediate collagen-plumping effect, to visibly even out lines and wrinkles. An innovative antioxidant-packed complex assists in repairing environmental damage and intensively brightens, reducing dullness and boosting radiance.

One big aspect of ‘To Treat from Within’ to us is linking all that are visible on our skin to our internal wellbeing, by joining the dots between our external and internal self, we are able to be more mindful in the lifestyle that we lead. But let’s not forget even the slightest positive lifestyle changes like nourishing our bodies with real food, moderate exercise and allowing our emotions out - not only do they lift our skin, it also takes us a step closer to being healthier and stronger.