Sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure I'm not having some sort of fantastical beauty dream. Last night was one of those times, as I was invited to a dinner with Dr. Howard Murad. Yes, that Dr. Murad. He was in town to fete the opening of the spa at the InterContinental Hotel, where his products and techniques are incorporated into skin-care treatments. (Never have I sat at a table among people with skin that beautiful. Never, ever.)
After meeting Dr. Murad, it's easy to understand why he's such a popular dermatologist. He's a gentleman, he's friendly, and he sincerely loves talking about skin. While enjoying beet salad, I asked him what we can do to have healthier skin. For a few of his tips for a beautiful complexion, read more.
Some of Dr. Murad's advice for healthy skin:
- Deliver water to your skin from the inside and out. Using a moisturizer is just part of hydrating your skin; you need to deliver water to your skin cells, whose membranes weaken with age. Drinking water is good, but juicing your own juices is even better. Dr. Murad recommends "eating your water" by consuming raw fruits and vegetables, whose vitamins and antioxidants support your skin from the inside. Healthy fats such as olive oil are better for your skin than butter, but here's something I didn't expect to learn: Eggs are rich in lecithin, which helps repair cell walls.
- Wear sunblock. Daily, consistent application of sunblock helps to prevent environmental damage, which in turn prevents photoaging and skin cancer.
- Repair damaged skin. "You can't treat the skin cells you had yesterday," Dr. Murad explained. "But you can treat the developing ones." He recommends topical vitamin C treatments, and he's just released Intensive Wrinkle Reducer for Eyes, which contains extracts from the antioxidant-rich durian fruit.
- Stop the stress. "Being isolated isn't good for you," Dr. Murad said. (I hope that he meant "you" in the abstract sense and that he hadn't overheard me talking about how I watch a lot of Smiths videos at home.) He went on to say that emotional self-care is essential to overall health — and that when you're not emotionally healthy, your skin cells suffer, too.
on Yahoo! |
I never thought of the Isolating factor... though the rest I believe are pretty common knowledge- at least I hope so! He's great - that must have been so wonderful to meet him, Bella.