Natural beauty secrets from the experts

Want to know how to get a glowing, radiant complexion and glossy hair? We asked top natural beauty experts to reveal their best secrets.

Healthy hydration
“Water is not only essential to the day-to-day functioning of your body and mind, but it is the key to achieving glowing skin. When you stay hydrated, your skin looks more plump and radiant. Isn’t that what we all want? Make sure you stay hydrated by sipping on water throughout the day. You can add some mint leaves or fruit slices to your glass to mix up the flavour. I also recommend eating water-rich food such as fruit and veggies and trying to avoid going heavy on the caffeinated drinks too as these can dehydrate you.”

Zanna van Dijk, fitness blogger and author of STRONG (£16.99, Headline)

An anti-ageing hero
“The juice from the aloe vera plant is legendary for the speedy healing of burns and wounds, reducing inflammation and promoting tissue repair and regeneration, making it an exceptional anti-ageing ingredient. In addition, pure aloe juice is high in skin-essential antioxidant vitamins, minerals and amino acids so is great for keeping skin smooth, hydrated and youthful.”

Margaret Weeds, founder of natural and organic bodycare brand Odylique (www.odylique.co.uk)

Get the glow
“The key to glowing skin is to ensure that you help the process of collagen cross linking which works like a little lift for the skin – it can also help to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. In order to do this you need to include those foods or supplements that are high in vitamin C and are antioxidant-rich and contain bioflavonoids too. So I love the idea of a bowl of brightly coloured red or blue or black berries, together with a glass of freshly squeezed orange, lime or grapefruit juice. If you want to turbo charge this further you could add in a teaspoon of a nutrient-dense superfood powder like acai or a berry blend.”

Rick Hay, anti-ageing food and fitness nutritionist (www.rickhay.co.uk)

Say goodbye to spots “Zinc is essential for the production of collagen, which ultimately is what heals the skin after we have had spots. Often people complain that spots and small scars heal slowly, or leave discolouration or pigmentation and zinc can really help with this as well. If you have white spots on your nails then this is a sign you’re low, but even if you don’t it might be worth trying to top up. Good sources of zinc include salmon, poultry, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. You can also try taking 25mg zinc picolinate daily for two months and then stop. It’s always ideal if you can test levels first.”

Alice Mackintosh, a nutritional therapist practising at The John Tsagaris Clinic in Chelsea (www.alicemackintosh.com)

A treat for hair
“I recommend using a tiny amount of essential oil on the ends of your hair. You can buy hair oils or just use a teeny bit of your facial oil. For a deep conditioning treatment after washing your hair, apply extra virgin coconut oil and wrap your hair in a towel. You can leave it overnight and, in the morning, wash it through a couple of times. Your hair will be silky soft!”

Janey Lee Grace, author of Look Great Naturally without ditching the lipstick (www.imperfectlynatural.com)

Natural and gentle
“Cleansing oils are a natural and gentle way of melting away dirt – whether it’s make-up, natural face oils or pollution on the surface of the skin. They gently cleanse but don’t strip the surface of the skin like so many cleansing washes can do. Look out for plant-based and natural ones rather than oils that contain petroleum, and ones with no synthetic fragrances. Oil cleansers can be used on their own, or they can be used for a double cleanse. Remove make-up and sweat as a first action using an oil cleanser. Remove with a warm cloth and then you can do a deeper cleanse with a gentle wash or water and lotion to ensure you have thoroughly cleansed your skin. Rinse with a warm cloth again, pat dry and finish with your other skincare.”

Abigail James, international facialist, wellbeing expert and author of Love Your Skin, published by Kyle Books (www.abigailjames.com)

Take action!
“Whilst daily cleansing and moisturising are required to keep skin healthy, additional measures can have a real impact on your looks too. Regular exercise helps you to stay healthy, improve circulation and get glowing skin. Eat right by adding some good sources of vitamins and antioxidant nutrients to your diet. Include orange or yellow vegetables such as carrots, yellow bell peppers, green leafy vegetables such as spinach, and broccoli, and other fruits in your diet.”

Rebecca Goodyear, marketing consultant at Kinetic, distributor of natural beauty brands JĀSÖN and Alba Botanica.

The power of probiotics
“Adding probiotics to the diet can alleviate rosacea. Science shows they may reduce symptoms such as redness, pimples, and dryness that result from the condition. Probiotics have also been used as a treatment for psoriasis, and consuming them has been linked to a reduced chance of developing eczema in studies of children whose families had a history of the disease. Probiotics also can ultimately boost collagen production in skin, a powerful anti-ageing component that increases elasticity and can help reduce sun damage. Probiotics can be found in fermented drinks, yogurt with live active cultures, sauerkraut, kimchi, and miso soup.”

Dr Trevor Cates, author of Clean Skin From Within, published by Fair Winds Press, an imprint of The Quarto Group (£14.99). Out now.

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