Creating Your Best Self Begins with Your Skin

Feeling good in your “skin” often takes a combination of things that rely on each other to work in harmony. Taking care of your mental health, managing your stress, enjoying adequate exercise, getting balanced nutrition, attaining sound sleep cycles, and choosing products that are rich in “good” ingredients are six key areas that can make all the difference. For many, creating daily habits that surround these important areas helps set them up for wellbeing success throughout the seasons.

I’ve found that my first step in this process every morning is to give thanks and align with gratitude for a mental health boost that will set me up for success throughout the day. Next, stress can be a very harmful factor – more than people realize – so I pay careful attention to what my body is telling me. So for my second step, I focus on turning inwards and if I need to take a break in my work day, I do. If I need an extra day off, I make it happen. I have realized that being true to what my body needs is most important versus following trends or what “influencers” are saying to do. When it comes to feeling good in my “skin,” I recognize that starts on the inside. It is also affected by my nutrition, my activity level, and my sleep. These things allow for my skin to have the best chance of absorbing the care and attention I give it with premium-grade products. However, our skin is highly intelligent. We can’t trick it into thinking products will solve all of its problems. Doing your part to “eat the rainbow” as nutritionists say, drinking lots of water, moving your body, and getting restful sleep are truly the unspoken first steps of skincare. 

The last of the six areas I mentioned that I focus on to feel good in my “skin” is skincare. Over the years I have noticed that my skin feels best when I have less product on it. I think many of us are conditioned to think that more is more, but with skincare, more can often mean extra chemicals that merely disrupt our health and cause caking, buildup, and inflation in our skin. I would rather have a small selection of really clean, highly effective products that are made from natural ingredients than a dozen products that only clog my pores and countertops while draining my bank account.

As a functional medicine specialist, I firmly believe in avoiding toxins that can be harmful to our bodies, hormones, and the gut. The first thing I look at when I am considering skincare products is whether or not the products contain harmful chemicals or items such as Parabens, Phthalates, and Sulfates. I also make sure there are not too many “filler” ingredients and that the product contains mainly “active” ingredients. While products that have more “active” ingredients will have fewer artificial preservatives and will likely expire within two years, they are often far better for your skin and body’s health. Plus – if you aren’t going to finish a product in two years, is it even working or necessary?! It is important to note that skincare products with extended shelf lives are often filled with toxic preservatives. I strive to read ingredient lists and steer clear of products that are merely endorsed without their quality being up to par. 

I love to travel and it is always interesting when I visit Europe or the United Kingdom. I purposely will make trips to places like Sephora to look at ingredient lists on products that are sold in the USA. While Europe has banned or restricted more than 1,300 chemicals in skincare, of that list, the USA has only banned about 12. Quality and a product’s ingredient list are not necessarily universal worldwide! Some of my other non-negotiables I look for in skincare as a functional medicine doctor are ingredients that are clinically studied and used at clinically effective dosages. Plus, the ingredients must be from a trusted source. While there is no “perfect” product necessarily, I believe in creating awareness, so we can choose the best possible options to elevate our overall wellbeing.

Our global society’s mindset has shifted significantly in the last two years due largely as a response to the pandemic. While the talk of wellbeing in years prior may have seemed like a trend, wellbeing has now become an important pillar in our daily lives. For each of us, achieving wellbeing consists of a variety of areas working synergistically, addressing internal factors as well as external factors. We’ve realized as a community that the mind-body connection is very powerful and that less is more – in so many ways. As the architects of our lives, we have the right to make intentional choices based on our own needs. We also have information at our fingertips, allowing us to make informed decisions about the way we choose to cultivate our wellbeing. As a functional medicine physician, my goal is to empower people to take care of their bodies, as truly, “it is the only place we have to live in.”

Written By Dr. Yeral Patel

About Dr. Yeral Patel: A board certified family medicine, anti-aging, and regenerative medicine physician, Dr. Patel founded YouvaMD to bring transformative skincare products to market. Following her passion for skincare, and channeling her extensive medical background, Dr. Patel is committed to creating products that are free of toxins and full of pure ingredients. Dr. Patel’s expertise has been featured by the Washington Post, Authority Magazine, and Women’s Health Magazine, showcasing her ingenuity and foresight in the skincare industry.

Learn more: https://youvamd.com/