Let\’s face it the  best thing you can wear is glowing hydrated smooth skin

Healthy skin never goes out of style

Healthy skin reveals  a healthy YOU overall

Growing up I suffered from a lot of acne. In fact it was so bad I remember isolating myself and being embaressed to go out with my friends. It affected my confidence BIG TIME.

I\’d wear makeup to hide it but I just didn’t feel beautiful.

I tried a lot of things and spent a lot of money. Nothing really worked.

I covered my whole face in pink blemish lotion to hide all my blemishes and acne scars as soon as I got home just so I wouldn’t see it in the mirror.

My skin started clearing up in college when I turned 18.

Getting books out from the library and researching natural remedies to help clear my skin was my hobby at this point

My favorite was turmeric, milk, lemon juice face wash ( recipe below) . It stained like crazy but I still love it to this day when I have a break out ( which believe it or not is like once a year nowadays!)

What I really felt helped me was my DIET!

Sure I want to get into products but I feel this article would be incomplete without discussing food and the role it has on our skin

I listen to a lot of podcasts and one of by favorites is called \”Broken Brain\” by Wellness CEO and Entreprenur Dhru Purohit. On it he speaks very openly about his past struggle with acne and how being dairy and gluten free completely changed his skin, DRAMATICALLY.

Just like him when I went to a dermatologist food/diet was never discussed. In fact we were told diet had nothing to do with acne and it was hormones and genetics.

Not the dermatologists fault since how can I blame them looking back now because unfortunately the medical school curriculum fails to educate us physicians on nutrition .

I ate a lot of processed food growing up. I didn’t know better. And neither did my parents. Can I prove that caused my acne? No but I can tell you in college I lost a bunch of weight , ate more healthy and automatically my skin improved.

I think if I drank more water my skin would have been even better!

It has been my mission to get healthy skin . I always explain to my patients taking care of your skin is a lifelong commitment . Healthy skin needs to be maintained and it takes effort. Below are my rules  and options for achieving flawless skin. 

Rules For Fab Skin

Start cooking more and eat less processed food /sugar

Eat the rainbow and shop at the perimeters of  the grocery store

Colorful fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants which prevent cellular damage to the skin. Most fruits and vegetables also contain essential skin vitamins : A, C and E.

For healthy cell membranes fatty acids are crucial to keep skin moisturized and supple. Omega 3 fatty acids can be found in fatty fish such as salmon, mackarel, and herring. Olive oil is also a great option.

Nuts and seeds are all usually rich in omega 3/6 fatty acids as well. Zinc is an important mineral for skin. It decreases inflammation and promotes wound healing. Avocados and walnuts are great sources for this.

My favorite on the list is dark chocolate. Dark chocolate contains cocoa which is rich in antioxidants. Find chocolate at least 70% cocoa with minimal sugar to reap the most benefits.

Green tea is filled with SUPERSTAR polyphenols, a powerful anti-aging ingredient. Green tea has powerful anti-inflammatory ,anti bacterial, and anti-cancer properties. I really need to drink more :).

Another last tip : Too much caffeine and alcohol can be very dehydrating to the skin so just be mindful how much you are taking in.

Drink water

Hydrated skin appears plump and healthy. Dehydrated skin can lead to premature aging leading to earlier fine line and wrinkles

Drinking water is not only essential for healthy skin but for a health mind and body. See my article \’why drinking water can change your life\’ to fully understand the power of water.

Incorporate Supplements

I feel this is an overwhelming topic and no one supplement has helped me alone. If you eat well nutrient dense foods you are on a great start. But my recommended “ flawless skin” supplements are vitamin C, vitamin E , alpha lipoic acid, vitamin D and Resveratrol ( antioxidant found in red wine) .

All of these are POWERFUL ANTIOXIDANTS. Think of them as a defense team trying to tackle all the harmful toxins/sun rays our skin is exposed to on a daily basis.

I love the Ritual Vitamins. . It\’s a monthly subscription of essential vitamins delivered to you. Why I love them? Backed by science and only include vitamins/minerals your body cannot get enough of from food. They are also coated in oil which I LOVE because it makes it easier on my digestive system.

I usually take these and my resveratrol and alpha lipoic acid separately.

No makeup to bed

Makeup is filled with chemicals and pretty  much will clog your pores at night and attract bacteria Your skin needs to recover and  BREATHE. I personally love oil based makeup removers, they are not harsh on the skin and feel so good when I take off my makeup.

Don\’t Overcleanse your skin

Your skin is naturally made up of lipids in other words fats. Harsh cleansers can strip away that barrier and leave the skin dry and dull.

I recommend using a gentle cleanser in the am . If you have  a good night time routine and use products at night I do not feel it is necessary to cleanse your skin with a cleanser in the am . If using a serum or moisturizer at night the skin will soak up all the goodness and leave your skin smooth and hydrated.

Exfoliation

Your skin is always renewing itself and its important to remove the dead layers of skin so healthier brighter skin can reveal itself. Also if you remove dead skin cells then the skin products have a better change of penetrating healthy skin cells.

Using a scrub or gel with microbeads  is a physical exfoliator. A chemical exfoliator is a skin product that usually has the word ‘acid” in it. My favorites are alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) and glycolic acid. I usually alternate nightly with retinol ( see below) and glycolic acid at night and then additionally I use a microbead scrub twice a week in the am.

A natural alternative is making your own scrub and the simplest yet effective one is lemon juice, sugar, olive oil , honey and a little water if necessary ( recipe below)

Also important to exfoliate your body! Dead skin cells are not just on the face .

SPF

This is a must even if its cloudy!. UVB rays cause more superficial damage while UVA rays cause deeper damage . Sunlight causes premature again by causing sun spots, dark spots, freckling, wrinkles . Use a broad spectrum spf so it blocks UVA and UVB rays . protecting against UVB is crucial in preventing skin cancer and the SPF number usually correlates with UVB protection

The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends a water-resistant, broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher for any extended outdoor activity. Regardless of the SPF, though, it’s important to apply one ounce (two tablespoons) 30 minutes before going outside and reapply it every two hours or immediately after swimming or sweating.

It is important to not just rely on spf especially if in the sun for extended period of time. Protect your skin by wearing a hat and sunglases.

Vitamin C Serum

Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant and it helps repair damaged skin cells, fades dark spots and prevents future discoloration . It has a brightening affect and helps the body boost collagen thereby also being a great antiaging ingredient .

I usually apply mine in the am after cleansing.  It has helped me trememdenously with not getting dark spots on my face even after a breakout or from the sun. I\’m brown so I have a tendency to hyperpigment easily.

Retinoids

Topical Vitamin A drug products are the most researched antiaging compounds. They are clinically proven to improve collagen and decrease fine lines and wrinkles. Who doesn’t want that? It can also help with evening out pigmentation and fading dark spots since it increases cell turnover. It is also very commonly prescribe for acne.

Tretinoin (Retin-A, generic), tazarotene (Avage, Tazorac), and adapalene (Differin) are prescription retinoids. Over the counter products have retinols and are not as strong.

A lot of my patients stop using retinoids or retinols because they feel it is too drying. I always say to start slowly so even maybe once or twice a week at night and you can always put a moisturizer on top. This wont make it less effective as per my research from dermatologists.

They make you more sensitive to the sun so make sure you protect yourself from the sun

Apply a small drop  to hands neck as well!

Am/Pm Skin Routine

It\’s important to have a day time and night time skin routine. I really don’t think there is one RIGHT routine. Everyones skin is different and skin needs are different. So when I see people recommended what they use it may not work for you.

As a customer you need to look at the science and ingredients of the products you are using and then make those decisions based on how your skin feels. Yes this means trial and error sometimes. But c\’mon we all know we love trying out products J. You don’t need that many just follow the skin staples above.

Facials

Now I am very guilty of this but I need to improve on this. Getting consistent facials allow you to deep clean your skin, exfoliate all the dead skin cells , increase blood circulation ( which means more blood with good nutrients can get to the skin) and even out skin tone.

My absolute FAVE is the GLOW FACIAL at The Enhancers.

Sleep

When we sleep we DETOX. The body is healing during this time including your skin. Sleeping 7-8 hours a night ( I know its not likely at times but we can try) is a MUST . Sleeping takes us down a repair and regenerate path. It has to be made a priority.

That sums up my rule list.

I know it sounds like A LOT. But start slow and take it from there. Or pick steps that you think work for you at this point in your life. Doing everything at once with anything in life is too much for the brain to process.

Personally doing all these things has taken me time and its a Lifestyle for me now. Am I 100 percent all the time? NO! But I try my best to be aware and mindful of what I need to do.

Remember its never to late to start!

Flawless skin will never go out of style

Dr Khiani MD

*Recipes

Quick Turmeric Face Wash to revitalize skin or help with a break out

This can stain so I prefer to do it in the shower or make sure you are wearing a raggedy t-shirt and nothing around you is white esp. the towel to dry your face

1/4 teaspoon Ground turmeric

1 teaspoon lemon juice ( fresh is always preferred)

1 teaspoon milk

1 teaspoon honey

Mix everything together and wash your face with this over the sink. Let it sit on your face for 30 sec to 1 minute to reap full benefits. Gently tap your face dry with towel.

DIY Gentle Face Exfoliation

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon honey

Mix all ingredients together and again I like to do this in the shower when my skin feels dull or dry. I usually have extra and use it all over my body.