We devote years to refining our skincare regimen, our routine forever shifting and evolving as we search for a golden ratio of products that, when used in succession, will deliver us our best skin ever- but perhaps the act truly necessary for beautiful skin is as effortless having a drink.
We have all experienced, to varying degrees, the effect consumption has on the appearance of our skin- a pimple after chocolate, a dull complexion when our water intake drops. This in mind, a truly thorough skincare routine really should include steps beyond topical skincare that cater to our overall health and wellness.
“What happens in our gut can impact our skin profoundly,” Carla Oates, The Beauty Chef, tells me in Episode 15 of the Glow Journal podcast. “Where there’s gut inflammation, more and more studies are showing that there will be skin inflammation. When people have a healthier microbial balance in their gut, they’re going to have a healthier fatty acid profile in their skin. People with SIBO, which is Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth, are ten times more likely to have acne.”
To improve the health of the gut and, in turn, the skin, we need to curate a skin ritual that includes inner beauty elixirs as well as topical skincare products. Fermented ingredients are particularly good for the gut, as they contain probiotic bacteria for a healthy, balanced microbiome. “While genes are important, very important, we know that there’s 150 more microbial genes than human genes,” says Carla. “Being able to manipulate our gut microbiota is going to have a huge impact on our skin health, our gut health and our overall wellbeing.”
The topical skincare products I personally use are ever changing, however my inner beauty 
routine has been finely crafted to ensure my insides are having as positive an impact as possible on my skin. For upwards of four years, the beauty beverages that sit at the core of my inner beauty routine have remained unchanged- The Beauty Chef’s Glow Powder, a berry-flavoured daily beauty blend of 24 Certified Organic, bio-fermented and probiotic superfoods for a healthy gut and skin, Cilk Rose Water Inner Beauty Extract, an organic rose, small-batch concentrate rich in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds for both hydration and detoxification, and finally The Beauty Chef’s Collagen Inner Beauty Boost, a berry elixir formulated with bio-fermented probiotics to increase the skin’s natural production of collagen.
While there is still some debate over whether or not ingestible collagen supplements, or beauty supplements in general, do have a quantifiable impact on the skin, at their very simplest they’re ensuring that we drink water and are adequately hydrated. “Water is so important,” says Carla. “It’s important for carrying nutrients and oxygen to our cells, it’s important for lubricating our joints, it’s important for our metabolic function, for boosting our metabolism and for cognitive function.”
Debate aside, I personally and consistently see a transformation in my own skin when I indulge in an inner beauty ritual- and I intend to continue relying on my now refined inner beauty cocktail to deliver my glow for as long as possible.
“Wellness is beauty and beauty is wellness,” says Carla. “There’s no amount of cosmetics that can replicate the radiance of when someone feels good in their skin.”
GLOW JOURNAL LOVES:
THE BEAUTY CHEF GLOW INNER BEAUTY ESSENTIAL
THE BEAUTY CHEF COLLAGEN INNER BEAUTY BOOST
CILK ROSE WATER INNER BEAUTY EXTRACT
Photography and styling: Gemma Watts
This article is not sponsored and all views are the author’s own.
