Naturally... How to eat for your skin

For smooth, bright, healthy skin, quality products are crucial and the occasional treatment is no bad thing, but pretty pots of goodness-infused moisturisers and even experts with lasers can only work so hard – you have to start with a good foundation.

"What you put in your body is what you see in the mirror really," says Emily Byrne, a naturopath and acupuncturist who, with her sister Elaine, owns Rejuvenate Advanced Skin Clinic in Naas, Co Kildare.

This might not be something you’d expect to hear from women who make a living from the likes of glycolic peels and laser treatments, but a “healthy from the inside out” ethos is at the heart of their business. These “super-facialist” sisters combine the array of treatments they offer with healthy lifestyle and diet advice – a holistic approach that’s catching on.

After 19 years in the skincare business, Emily and Elaine say they’ve noticed a decline in cosmetic surgery and an increase in skincare-savvy women in their 20s who know that prevention beats a quick fix.

I visited Rejuvenate – a teal-coloured oasis of calm oddly located in a business park (but there’s plenty of parking) – to find out how the sisters combine their treatments with take-home tips.

“We try to find out what’s going on under the skin,” says Elaine. Problems with skin can arise for a number of reasons, including sun damage, hormone imbalance, production of excess sebum and food allergies. According to Emily, stress and diet are particularly common culprits.

After assessing my skin, which tends to be on the dry side, Emily suggests their Mind Your Cells Signature Treatment, which they customise to suit the needs of individual clients. In my case, it includes a superficial glycolic peel to lift dead cells from the skin’s surface, and galvanic iontophoresis, a moisture-boosting process that uses an electrical current to help nourishing ingredients penetrate into the skin.

Emily explains that a deeper peel, such as a lactic acid peel, produces greater, longer-lasting effects (such as the reduction of minor wrinkles), but as glycolic acid is mild and suitable for many skin types, she recommends a glycolic peel for first-timers and for anyone looking for an instantly brighter complexion. If you want a fresh face for an event or special occasion, glycolic, she says is the way to go.

After about an hour of cleansing, toning, peeling, moisturising and massaging, all of which felt like heaven (with a bit of tingling), Emily sent me home with tips on how to eat for my skin.

She suggests I start the day with a cup of hot water and lemon – hydration with a refreshing hit of vitamin C, which is crucial for collagen production.

She also tells me to “eat your water”, something of a mantra for the sisters. They recommend thinking of daily doses of fruits and vegetables not just as essential to nutrition, but also hydration. And the more colourful the better – a rainbow of foods means a broader range of antioxidants, which help in the fight against free radicals.

Add to that, portions of oily fish, nuts and seeds for their essential fatty acids. Omega-3 and omega-6 are crucial to building healthy cell membranes and the skin’s lipid layer, which maintains moisture and elasticity.

In terms of what not to eat, Emily says to stay away from sugar. We all know that eating sugar contributes to those wobbly bits, but few probably worry about it having anything to do with wrinkles. The proteins most prone to damage caused by sugar molecules are those responsible for all that spring and bounce: collagen and elastin. To limit this damage, I’m told to eat low-glycemic foods and avoid refined sugar as much as possible.

I left the clinic with hair that looked like it hadn’t been washed in a week, but my face was brighter, smoother and glowing. And, with the diet advice and suggestion to wear SPF15 sunscreen with UVA and UVB protection daily, I felt well-equipped to look after it.