Skin care shouldn’t skip skin health |

While skin care routines can be beneficial, diet choices, sun care and sleep also contribute to achieving a healthy glow.

Recent social media trends, like “morning shed,” suggest that using an abundance of skin care products with an extensive routine will grant users their desired look. However, implementing healthy fats and vitamins into your diet can aid too. 

“You are what you eat,” said Stacie Ellis, registered Campus Recreation dietician. 

Beyond skin care routines, she said there’s a strong connection between diets and skin health. Food significantly impacts one’s appearance. While people can invest in extensive routines, a poor diet can undermine those efforts. 

Incorporating Omega-3s, healthy fats and vitamins into your diet can result in healthier and hydrated skin. Ellis said these fats can help skin look moisturized. Flax seeds, fish and walnuts  have high levels of Omega-3.

“Eating a balanced diet makes a huge difference,” she said. “If you eat a balanced diet, you don’t have to do as much topically.” 

Influencers often promote long, complex skin care routines, but using too many products can irritate your skin, offering minimal benefits, said Northwell Health dermatologist Reshmi Kapoor in an article on The Well.

Ellis said the placebo effect can affect how people feel about their appearance after partaking in skin care trends. While some might feel more confident, others may find excessive shine from moisturizers undesirable. The pressure to conform to beauty standards can lead individuals to resort to extreme measures, she said. 

CAP student Emile Baltau  said social media constantly puts new pressures and new insecurities onto people, especially women. Beauty trends tend to point out things people “should” feel insecure about, like acne, even if they hadn’t before. 

Vitamin C and E are important for the body’s collagen production process, Ellis said. 

Collagen’s specific role for the skin includes giving structure, strength and elasticity; helping fibroblasts form in your dermis, the middle skin layer, which helps new cells grow; and replacing dead skin cells, according to Cleveland Clinic. 

According to the Skin Care Foundation, two types of sun rays reach Earth. UV-B rays lead to sunburns while UV-A rays travel more deeply into the skin, but both can affect skin health.

Ellis said everyone should wear sunscreen to protect their skin, no matter what skin tone they have. 

The more exposure to the sun, the earlier skin ages, according to News in Health. Too much exposure without protection can make skin less elastic and may become thickened, leathery, wrinkled or thinned like tissue paper. 

At night, skin cells regenerate quicker, and collagen is produced to help the skin keep volume and elasticity. 

Those who sleep seven to nine hours at night have skin that is more moisturized and can protect and heal better after being exposed to ultraviolet light, compared to those who sleep five hours or less per night, according to Samaritan Health Services.

“Invest in good products. Don’t just buy the first thing you see, actually research your skin type and what is gonna work for your skin,” Baltau said.

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