Tips For a Healthy looking skin

EAT A WELL-BALANCED DIET:
To remain healthy, your skin needs a regular and well-balanced supply of nutrients. You may not need any supplements, provided you look after your skin and you are generally healthy. Try to eat at least five portions of fresh vegetables or fruits every day: this should be quite easy if you have three pieces of fruit as desserts or snacks, plus a salad or vegetable dish with two meals.

Bad skin is not generally caused by any one food, unless it is an allergic reaction, but particular foods can aggravate poor skin.

The myth that chocolate, sweets and other fatty and sugary foods cause spots is not entirely unfounded: an eating pattern high in these foods and low in fresh, vegetables and other constituents of a healthy diet means that your skin is unlikely to be getting all the nutrients it needs. Women who would rather eat a bar of chocolate or a bag of crisps than an orange, for example, may lack vitamin C. This can make your immune system less able to fight infections, including those on the skin-spots. In addition, women often eat more chocolate at times when they are feeling down, whether emotionally, hormonally or physically, which also has a negative effect on the skin. If you already have spots, a diet that is high in sugar or fat may make your system even more susceptible to bacterial infections, which may further aggravate spots and other skin conditions.

PLENTY OF WATER:
In our society, where many of us have central heating and lead active lives, one of the commonest causes of tired-looking skin is dehydration, both on the surface and throughout the body. Aim to re-hydrate your body by drinking two to three litres ( four to five pints) of water a day.

This should ideally be taken as plain or lightly flavoured, unsweetened water and not tea, coffee or other caffeine-containing or sugary drinks.

CUT DOWN ON TEA AND COFFEE
Women who drink a lot of tea, coffee, hot chocolate and cola-type drinks are more likely to have tired-looking skin and to suffer from conditions such as greasy skin and spots. This is because these drinks contain caffeine, which prevents your body from making good use of the vitamins and minerals from your food. Try to drink no more than three cups of coffee, tea or other caffeine containing drinks a day.

KEEP YOUR ALCOHOL INTAKE LOW
Excessive alcohol intakes may lead to skin problems such as split veins. Try not to drink more than the recommended 21 units a week (a unit is the equivalent of a glass of wine, a standard measure of spirits or half a pint of beer, larger or cider of ordinary strength).

Some women have a skin allergy to some alcoholic drinks, which usually manifests itself as hives. Hives are little itchy red spots that appear under the surface of the skin and make it feel hot and sensitive; they are sometimes known as nettle rash. The most common allergic reaction is to Salicylates, substances that occur naturally in some foods, such as grapes, banana, beans, strawberries and other berry fruits. If you get, a rash after eating some of these foods, beers may affect you in the same way, since they are often high in Salicylates. Instead, choose wine, gin, vodka or whisky.

TRY TO GIVE UP SMOKING
Nicotine does not help you keep a healthy skin. It attacks the blood vessels that feed the skin with nutrients and oxygen, as well as those that drain away the waste products from the skin. Your skin therefore becomes poor at ridding itself of unwanted substances and in severe cases also starts to lack oxygen