Inflammation is a natural process of healing; it is how our immune system protects our body against pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. The body reacts to these threats by sending antibodies to the area, a process that destroy the damaged cells in order to begin the body’s healing process. When your body reacts through redness, heat, pain, swelling, and loss of function, this is your immune system working to heal itself.
There are two types of inflammation that exist: acute and chronic. As an example of acute inflammation, we may become sick, our temperature elevates with a fever, our body aches, and we stay in bed as our body fights off a virus. Chronic inflammation on the other hand, is a condition where we may experience these symptoms at a functional level though they affect our overall health and sense of well-being over time.
In our skin, chronic inflammation can result in long-term issues which we may be trying to manage through products.
The skin is the largest organ of the body, so it makes sense that it would show signs of chronic inflammation. When our body is inflamed, our skin will demonstrate these signs:
One of the first visible signs of a healthy diet appears in the skin. When we make strives to improve our health, we can make huge gains by changing the way we eat. We cut down on processed foods that are loaded with saturated fats, refined sugar, and carbohydrates and increase our intake of whole foods including leafy green vegetables. We also cut down on sugary drinks and drink more water throughout the day. Staying well-hydrated and eating nutritious meals inevitably improves our skin.
When we strive to exercise, sleep well, and reduce stress we also improve our skin. We do not break out as easily, because we are getting enough sleep and exercise to reduce our stress levels. Exercise boosts the body’s production of endorphins, which are not only anti-inflammatory, they also lead to that joyous feeling we get after a workout. Increased sleep also ensures that we are giving our bodies—and our skin—the time to heal itself.
Another important way to stop inflammation of the skin is to focus on products that use all-natural ingredients. By switching to skin care made from organic and botanical ingredients, you are reducing the inflammation that flares up with the use of chemically-produced skin care products, alone or in reaction to the many other products we use in a day. Skin care that is naturally rich in antioxidants will nourish your skin and help accelerate its healing process.
See the Sola face collection to discover a healthier skin care regime.
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