The summer can be tough on our hair, skin and nails: UV exposure, air conditioning, and more frequent dehydration and leave us fighting frizz, dryness and flakiness. Your first thought might be to turn to expensive creams and conditioners, but these tend to have a very fleeting effect and don’t address the underlying causes of the problem.
The real key to looking great all summer long lies in what you put into your body, not onto it. Here’s a look at some organic superfoods and supplements that can help you on the path to naturally glossy hair, glowing skin, and perfectly shaped nails.
The all-round skin, hair & nails hero
Cold-pressed castor oil is made from the seeds of the castor bean plant, and has been used as a health and wellbeing supplement since the days of ancient Egypt. It has natural anti-inflammatory and skin-nourishing properties, so it’s ideal for treating very dry or inflamed skin or chapped lips.
Use it to smooth out those stubborn rough patches on elbows and knees so that your spray tan looks great, or to treat specific conditions such as rashes and minor inflammations. It’s gentle and made with 100 per cent organic ingredients for the highest quality and purity.
Castor oil is also perfect if your hair is giving haystack rather than lustrous and lovely. It can be used as a weekly deep conditioning mask, and it’s safe to massage it right into your scalp. It can also be used to enhance the condition of your eyelashes and eyebrows, or just instead of your regular conditioner.
Omega-3s and healthy fats
If you’ve been cutting down on fats to manage your weight, you might have noticed that your skin feels duller and drier than usual. Our body needs essential fatty acids that are found in foods such as avocados, nuts, oily fish and seeds to lock in moisture and maintain suppleness and even skin tone.
To keep your skin barrier healthy, stock up on nutritious seeds such as chia, flax and hemp seeds. They can easily be added to breakfast cereals, smoothies, or pasta dishes, or used as a baking ingredient for cakes and so on. Nuts such as walnuts and Brazil nuts are excellent sources of healthy fats, zinc and selenium to promote clear skin and strong nails.
Antioxidant rich foods for a natural glow
Stress, sun exposure, late nights and pollution can increase the amount of free radicals in the body, which causes oxidative stress. This means your skin is less capable of repairing itself, and it can accelerate the ageing process, meaning you may notice more fine lines, a sagging jawline, and hollows under your eyes.
The good news is that we can combat oxidative stress through the foods we eat. For example, the antioxidant lycopene is found in tomatoes, and other red fruits such as apricots and pink watermelon. Flavonoid rich foods can also help to combat oxidative stress, such as blueberries, acai berries and raw cacao.