March 23, 2022
7 min read
No matter if you’re a self-confessed beauty expert, or not—it’s likely that most of us have an established daily skincare ritual that we are dedicated to.
Open our bathroom cabinets and you’ll no doubt discover a stack of products that (hopefully!) provide both an enjoyable and efficacious experience. But truth be told, beauty goes beyond skin deep and our outer beauty routine is just one piece of the puzzle.
While LAMAV has always emphasised the importance of a holistic approach to health, beauty and wellness—the reality is that for many of us, until we have a specific skin concern or condition to deal with, we probably don’t give too much thought to what we can do to remedy it beyond the topical creams, serums and oils we apply so religiously each day.
But in the quest for glowing, radiant, youthful-looking skin, it’s important to consider the inextricable link between inner and outer beauty—and how the two go hand in hand.
Why Is Inner Beauty Important?
When you look in the mirror, what do you see? If your complexion is clear, healthy and glowing, there’s no question you can thank your outer beauty routine for nourishing your skin on a surface level. But you should also give thanks to your inner health as the two are intimately connected and it is only when our inner health is functionally optimally, that we can truly enjoy the benefits of great skin—as well as robust immunity and overall vitality.
Likewise, if you look in the mirror and see skin that is red, sensitive, blemished, dry, dehydrated, prematurely ageing or irritated—it’s an indication that things may be a little off-kilter within. This is because as our body’s largest organ, our skin can actually tell us a lot about the state of our inner health—and also be one of the first places to manifest symptoms. Just as your skin requires essential vitamins and minerals to be applied topically in order to remain healthy, we also need to consume these nutrients internally to ensure our gut is functionally efficiently and that we are subsequently able to absorb, assimilate and utilise these vital nutrients effectively.
So, How Can We Nurture Our Inner Health?
Simply put, it all begins with the gut. And just as there are a myriad of lifestyle and environmental factors that can impact our gut health—similarly, there are also a number of ways to support our gut, nurture our inner health and consequently experience radiant, resilient, youthful-looking skin.
De-stress
While we already know how detrimental stress can be to our emotional wellbeing, the truth is that stress can also negatively impact our gut health—as well as our skin. Given the complex pathway between our gut and brain known as the gut-brain axis—the balance and diversity of our microbiome is directly impacted by stress, which compromises the integrity of our gut wall, triggering inflammation and weakening our immune system. Interestingly too, this pathway is bidirectional, meaning that if our gut health is out of balance, it can actually trigger feelings of stress. When it comes to our skin, stress is also bad news as our stress hormone cortisol exacerbates collagen degradation—weakening our skin and contributing to sagging, fine lines and wrinkles. There is also a mounting body of research that has shown how stress can impact and inflame existing skin conditions such as eczema, acne and psoriasis—so the bottom line is, for radiant skin and good gut health, it’s vital we stress less.
Yoga, pilates, mindfulness and meditation techniques as well as journaling, walking in nature, taking a warm bath or even reading a good book are all effective ways—as well as scientifically proven—to reduce stress and subsequently, support your inner health and wellbeing.
Develop an inner beauty routine
Just as it’s super important to create the perfect outer beauty routine for your skin type—it’s equally important to cultivate a daily inner beauty routine. This is because the two work hand in hand to complement and supercharge the effects of one another. And this is also why LAMAV decided to formulate an Inner Beauty range to offer a complete and comprehensive solution for beauty from the inside, out. Designed to work synergistically with your existing LAMAV skincare products—our innovative inner beauty products target your specific skin and wellbeing concerns from within—for even better results. Reflecting our Ayurvedic roots, each formula also contains our exclusive proprietary Ayurvedic Beauty Blend™—which contains a potent combination of adaptogenic herbs Amla, Ashwagandha, Holy Basil and Turmeric. Designed to support your body’s response and ability to adapt to stress, this nourishing blend bolsters gut health, fights inflammation and protects cells from the ageing and damaging effects of oxidative stress. The result? Improved wellbeing as well as gorgeous, healthy, glowing skin!
Restore & Nourish Your Gut
As we already know, our gut health is truly the key to unlocking optimal health, beauty and wellbeing—which is why it is so vital to restore and support this complex system at every opportunity. While there are certainly lifestyle practices that can positively impact our gut health—our diet is undoubtedly the most profound way we can influence and restore our inner health. Firstly, it’s important to consume enough probiotics daily to bolster your microbial health, support gut wall integrity, imune health and improve overall digestion and the easiest way to do this is by incorporating a variety of fermented foods (like kimchi, lassi, sauerkraut, dahi and miso) in your diet daily. Adding a probiotic inner beauty formula like our Beauty Restore liquid to your daily routine is also a simple way to ensure you’re getting your daily boost of probiotics. Containing a complex blend of eight beneficial probiotic strains derived from bio-fermented papaya, this nourishing inner beauty elixir is the perfect way to restore good gut health and support radiant, luminous skin from within.
And secondly, eating a diverse diet loaded with an abundance of colourful fresh fruits and vegetables will not only provide your gut (and skin!) with all the lovely vitamins, minerals and nutrients they need to thrive—but these foods are also naturally rich in fibre, which is arguably one of the best ways to support digestive wellbeing. In the first instance, fibre helps to keep things moving—but more importantly, fibre-rich foods act as prebiotics, which feed and nurture the good bacteria in your gut, encouraging them to diversify and proliferate. Furthermore, when fibre ferments in the large intestine, it also produces short-chain fatty acids which strengthen the gut wall, support immune health and fight inflammation. If you’re unsure whether you consume enough fibre daily, try adding our Ayurvedic Beauty Powder to your inner beauty routine—which includes prebiotic inulin to feed and foster those healthy microbes.
Add Antioxidants & Adaptogens
For skin that truly glows from the inside out, it’s also essential to harness the powers of antioxidants and adaptogens. Although there are countless nutrients essential to our health—a few that play a key role in both our inner and outer health include vitamin C, zinc and adaptogenic herbs like ashwagandha and holy basil. Vitamin C, for example, is critical not only for our immune health and supporting our body’s ability to fight off infection, but when consumed internally, this powerhouse antioxidant mops up free radicals, combats oxidative stress and prevents ageing by fighting inflammation and supporting collagen formation. Likewise, zinc is key to reducing cell damage caused by free radicals, improves wound healing, boosts immune health and supports hair and nail health, too.
While you previously may not have considered the full body benefits of adaptogens, the truth is these hardworking ingredients are not only essential in terms of helping the body adapt and respond to stress—but many of them act like antioxidants in the body, helping to fight inflammation and boost general wellbeing. Ashwagandha, for example, is excellent at fighting free radical damage—preventing ageing of the skin and body, while holy basil is used to treat gastrointestinal disorders and ameliorate skin conditions. To experience the inner and outer beauty benefits of both antioxidants and adaptogens, try adding our inner beauty products to your daily routine!
Exercise regularly
While we already know how beneficial exercise is for our overall physical health and wellbeing—truth be told, moving regularly benefits our inner and outer beauty, too! This is because exercise helps to keep our digestive system moving, supports our elimination channels (including our gut and skin!) and promotes increased blood circulation which helps to ensure those delicious skin-loving nutrients we’re consuming daily are transferred and utilised by our skin’s cells—just where we need them. Exercise needn’t be rigorous, either. A simple daily yoga or Pilates routine will suffice—as will a lovely long walk in nature. When it comes to exercise, the most important thing is consistency—and finding something you enjoy.
Find out more about our brand new Beauty Restore inner beauty liquid by clicking here!
