Summer Edition II: How to get skin that glows, from a nutritionist who knows.

The Summer Edition II: how to get skin that glows, from a nutritionist who knows.

One of the best things about the long and (if you’re lucky) languorous summer days is that it affords you more time to read. While we’re all for indulging in an occasional trashy romance novel from the safety of our Kindles, we also think of summer as the perfect time to embrace new ideas and ways of thinking. With that in mind, we’re thrilled to present some words of wisdom from a trio of our eternally-inspiring friends. You can find parts 1 and 3 here and here.

For the second interview of our Summer Edition series, we spoke with Frances Philips of The Natural Edit. Frances is a registered nutritional therapist who draws on her decade of modelling experience to specialise in skin and beauty-related issues. It’s easy to forget the role that good food choices play when it comes to healthy skin – Frances’ food recommendations below will help you really radiate summer goodness over the coming months.

What are your top foods for glowing skin?

The best way to ensure you’re getting all you need is to eat a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables rather than obsessing over one “superfood”. That being said, I’m a big fan of foods high in antioxidants such as açaí, blueberries and cacao. Ensuring you are getting lots of vitamin C is also beneficial so you can incorporate foods like papaya, broccoli and peppers into your diet. I also advise eating oily fish such as salmon or mackerel a couple of times a week and/or taking a good quality fish oil supplement. If you’re vegetarian or vegan, chia seeds and flax seeds are great sources of omega-3. Finally, incorporating foods containing probiotics (e.g. kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi) and prebiotics (e.g. oats, bananas, onions) and/or taking these in supplement form has been linked to gut and skin health.

Do we need to drink more water in summer?

Almost all the clients I see benefit from drinking more water. Everybody has a different optimal amount and this increases in the summer months but I usually advise around 2 litres sipped throughout the day rather than downed in one go. To make water more appealing, I often suggest infusing with strawberries, blueberries, cucumber or citrus fruits. Coconut water is another good option but I wouldn’t recommend more than a glass a day and opt for either fresh coconut water (straight from the coconut) or a raw bottled coconut water.

Are there other ways to hydrate instead of drinking tonnes of water?

Watermelon is particularly hydrating and a good way of effectively “eating” your water. As are the fresh tropical fruits such as pineapple, papaya and mango (these also contain enzymes which are beneficial to both gut and skin health). Cucumber and celery also have a high water content.

Do hormones play a big role in skin issues?

Addressing hormonal balance is a big focus in my clinic, especially for those with adult acne. These days it’s easy for our hormones to be out of whack with the level of stress in our day to day lives, poor sleep patterns, processed foods and environmental aggressors. To help with this, I like clients to focus on including some form of protein with every meal (this doesn’t have to be meat, there are plenty of vegetarian and vegan protein sources out there too). Balancing blood sugar levels through reducing sugar consumption is also helpful.

How can we reduce our sugar intake?

There are plenty of healthier swaps you can make. For example, frozen fruits instead of ice cream, iced green tea instead of sugary lemonade or a protein ball rather than a chocolate bar. That being said, I’m all for people indulging in a little of what they want - whether that’s ice cream or rosé, sometimes having the real deal stops you from over indulging in “healthier” options. Just make sure it’s the exception not the rule.

Any other summer natural beauty tips?

I love using a natural exfoliator like a coffee or sugar scrub. I’m not against a bit of sun exposure to top up vitamin D levels but I’ll use a more natural high factor SPF for protection against UV rays. I also love using rosewater spritz to refresh at home or whilst travelling and using the gel from fresh aloe vera as a natural after-sun.