Top 10 Anti-Inflammatory Ingredients for Your Body and Skin
As we head into the autumn and, eventually, winter months, the atmosphere around our skin changes. The air grows cold and dry. We see the sun a lot less, depriving us of a good chunk of our Vitamin D needs. The heating goes on indoors, exacerbating the change in temperature from outside to inside. It can be a tough time for those dealing with rosacea, eczema, acne and all sorts of other conditions, as all those previously mentioned things (and more) can lead to flare-ups in our skin and inflammation if our bodies aren’t handled gently. With that in mind, we thought we’d take a look at what we believe to be the top ten best anti-inflammatory ingredients for your skin, and for your body as a whole!
We’ll start with TURMERIC: A well-known anti-inflammatory, turmeric is a member of the ginger family, and contains a substance called “curcumin,” which blocks the actions of inflammatory molecules within the body and is used to treat heart disease as well as cancer. It does wonders for inflamed skin as well, but don't apply it topically, because of the extreme yellow colour! Turmeric is wonderful in tea, soups and curries (just remember to take it easy on the chilli powder if you suffer from rosacea), but can also be taken in concentrated capsule-form.
Secondly, OLIVE OIL. As part of your skincare routine or as part of a balanced diet, olive oil is key to controlling inflammation in your skin. It contains several antioxidants, one of which is called oleocanthal, which works in a similar way to ibuprofen. It might be quite heavy if you were to apply it directly to the skin, but many natural skincare products out there contain it as a key ingredient - for example our sister company Salcura's DermaSpray.
GREEN TEA EXTRACT is another that bridges the gap between anti-inflammatory foods and skincare product ingredients. It can be consumed directly as a warming cup of tea or as a part of your array of skincare products, with its major component, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (or EGCG, for short) having proven anti-inflammatory properties. Do you find that hot drinks make your skin flush? Brew some strong green tea, add sweetener if you wish, let it cool and stick it in the fridge with some mint sprigs of lemon slices. Home made, all-natural, anti-inflammatory iced tea!
Another hugely helpful anti-inflammatory is ALPHA-BISABOLOL. Alpha-bisabolol is very effective at reducing the production of cytokines (inflammation-stimulating molecules) in our bodies, thereby reducing inflammation in our body and skin. Rosalique has it in spades!
CRUCIFEROUS VEGETABLES are a great foodstuff for dealing with rosacea and reducing inflammation. Veggies like cabbage and broccoli are great, not only for your skin, but for your joints too!
Also housed in our Rosalique formula is a vitamin called PANTHENOL, which is the active ingredient in provitamin B5 – a protectant for skin with strong anti-inflammatory properties. It relieves systemic itching while also helping to soothe dry, red, inflamed skin.
NIACINAMIDE is another substance that has been known for its anti-inflammatory properties. It can be taken orally as a supplement or applied topically to skin to reduce inflammation. It is regularly used in treating rosacea and acne and is certainly worth adding to your arsenal of skin treatments. Niacinamide can be quite strong however, so make sure you add it in gently to let your skin adjust and don't use it more than a couple of times a week.
A funny one now: we know that alcohol can be a trigger for rosacea and can exacerbate inflamed skin. In response to that, we’d recommend a beer. Yep. HOPS is a well-known anti-inflammatory plant and is all-natural. While we do recommend avoiding alcohol while dealing with a flare-up, if you’re having some after-work drinks, the hops in beer can go some way to counteracting the negative effects of alcohol. Not a fan, or rather avoid the alcohol all together? Hops is also available in supplement-form.
LAVENDER can be incorporated into your life as an anti-inflammatory treatment in a number of ways. As lavender oil, when applied to inflamed areas, it soothes and calms the skin, while the beta-caryophyllene present in the oil acts as an anti-inflammatory. The same effects can be felt when consuming lavender orally, as part of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking, for example. Finally, lavender can relieve stress when used in aromatherapy, and your skin will thank you for it! Like olive oil, lavender is a key ingredient in Salcura's DermaSpray and DermaSerum, contributing to their skin boosting properties as well as their amazing, natural, herby scents!
Finally, UREA is a substance that we would recommend adding to your skincare routine. Skin becomes inflamed when the body produces new skin cells to deal with broken and dead skin on the surface. The body can get a little over-excited though, and produce too many, which is where constant inflammation becomes an issue. Urea balances the production of such cells, thereby reducing inflammation. Again, Rosalique has got you covered!
It’s always good to look at an issue holistically. It’s nice to have a product that covers the problem up but, at Rosalique, we want to do more - we want to tackle the problem at the same time, at the root of the issue. Are any of these substances, foods and vitamins lacking form your diet while you suffer with inflamed skin? Try working them into your daily routine and see the difference for yourself!
