Beauty is the sum of all its parts; great hair, strong nails and glowing skin all combine to create your ultimate individual beauty. And not surprisingly, each element needs attentive nutrition, protection and correction to be at its best, working from the both the inside and out.
Here’s your guide:
HAIR:
Inside: Long, luscious locks start at the scalp, so an unhealthy diet will basically show in every single fragile, dry, wiry strand. Feeding the cells so that they can fortify the hair is essential. Without this initial internal boost, your hair hasn’t got a blow-dry’s chance in a hailstorm of surviving anything. Feed your locks internally, not externally – with oodles of Zinc, Vitamin D and Vitamin B rich foods including milk, yogurt, leafy green vegetables, salmon, tuna and fish.
A mineral supplement will boost brilliance and resilience in hair – not to mention give it a little kick in the pants if you’re trying to grow it — as it’s difficult to get enough of these through diet alone. Experts have long recommended mineral silica – a super nutrient that aids the cross-link mechanisms in collagen and elastin within the hair.
Out: Hair products can prove double-edged swords. Too much is often simply too much. So keep styling products as natural, chemical free and sparsely applied as possible. Think of your hair as you would your skin; you would never apply makeup three days in a row without cleaning it off at the end of each day and cleansing skin in between, would you? The same goes with hair. Overdosing on product will create dullness over time, so use a cleansing shampoo and conditioner every second wash to really reduce residue. Add a scalp massage at every wash, have ends trimmed every two months, use an intensive protein mask once a week and treat dry, battle-worn ends with a nourishing oil daily.
SKIN:
Inside: Cell fatigue (aka ageing) begins in your 20’s and doesn’t break pace until you’re in your 60’s, resulting in increasingly tired, lined and dehydrated complexions. Women the world over scramble for skincare to remedy ageing, but the best results come from looking within. With the skin relying on many essential nutrients, look to supplementing your diet for a boost (shock, horror, think Silica, Zinc, and Biotin again!), which will replenish the hair and nails as well. With diet think oily fish, leafy greens and loads of hydrating water. What to cut out? Cigarettes, excessive alcohol, sugar, salt and caffeine which all trigger inflammation in the body and expresses itself on the epidermis as uneven texture, greyish skin tone, acne, deep lines and dehydration.
Out: Any skincare expert will tell you that skincare doesn’t mean squat unless it’s pre-empted with SPF. Sun protection is absolutely 100% the best anti-ageing tool there is as sun-exposure (and general pollution) cause stress to the skin. This then stimulates the production of free-radicals that negatively effect cells, depleting the natural antioxidant system within the skin and going on to damage the binding proteins and healthy pace of cell production. When it comes to skincare, super-hydrators and antioxidants are a great start in your 20’s. Continue with this and introduce active ingredients and possibly in-clinic sessions as you get into your 30’s and 40’s. You can apply your vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants topically too — look for natural antioxidants, infused colloidal silica and vitamins in your skincare to promote elasticity and suppleness.
NAILS:
Internal health: Nourished, strong, split free nails and crack-proof nail beds are inexplicably linked with diet. Particularly important for nails is calcium. Just a little bit a day aids the health of the nails (not to mention bones and teeth) and can be found in a scrummy serve of natural Greek yoghurt, a glass of milk or cottage cheese. Silica comes to the fore here also, with Qsilica One a Day – an award-winning formula that blends colloidal mineral silica with Selenium, Biotin and Zinc – working wonders towards protecting against free radical damage that depletes nutrients from nails (not to mention hair and skin!)
External beauty: Oil, Oil, Oil! Nails are overused and under-loved everyday – typing, tapping and swiping to name just a few instances – with the only spoils we give them being the odd manicure, which is more superficial than nurturing. But external nail health is something that can be done each and every day in three seconds flat. Simply massage nail oil or cream rich in vitamin E and fatty acids into polish-free nails and cuticles each morning and evening. The difference is noticeable in days – especially in the cooler months. If you’re out of nail oil, olive oil or a natural, chemical free clear lip balm is also a super option to keep nail beds smooth, soft and split-free.
Qsilica One A Day is available from leading Pharmacies, natural health stores, and Priceline stores or online at www.qsilica.com.au RRP $34.95 for 30 tablets or $79.95 for 90 tablets.
