by Ashley Raybourn

Created on: April 07, 2009   Last Updated: April 15, 2009

Winter often leaves our skin dry, dull and pasty looking but by making a few adjustments to your diet and beauty routine you can have luscious, glowing skin for summer.

Our skin is the largest organ in the body and needs to be taken care of like we protect other major organs. Since it is the body's first line of defense to infection it is important for skin to be healthy, and healthy skin will lead to a healthy you.

These are some easy ways to fine tune your skin habits, including one surprise ingredient.

Drink plenty of water through out the day to keep your body and skin hydrated. Ideally you want to sip eight eight-ounce glasses of aqua a day to maintain an ideal level of moisture. This is equivalent to two quarts or almost two liters. If you want your water intake to be in the form of tea make sure it is decaf, as caffeine will dehydrate your skin. In fact, tea contains a high amount of antioxidants that will help promote healthy, glowing skin.

On the topic of water: turn down the heat in your shower. Hot water is very good at stripping your skin of moisture. Instead, take cooler showers and for a shorter amount of time, especially if you have hard water. Hard water contains a lot of minerals that make it hard for skin and can even inhibit you from rinsing off soap completely.

When selecting a body wash it is important to find one that has a lot of natural ingredients and few, if any, chemicals. Opt for body washes and lotions that contain natural oils to hydrate skin from the outside.

Making your skin glow from the inside is largely about vitamins. Antioxidant vitamins C, A, and E are important to maintaining healthy skin.Vitamins C and A are important for cell creation and repair, while E helps retain moisture and protects against free radicals.

Any healthy body will require a healthy diet to support it. Our bodies need a balanced diet that includes lots of fruits and vegetables that contain water, vitamins and minerals. Include cranberry in your diet as it has natural antibiotics in it that will help keep skin clear of infections. Garlic, a blood purifier, should also be included in meals to keep skin glowing. Both garlic and cranberry are also effective in preventing acne.

Foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for healthy, glowing skin and also keep hair looking shiny.Stock your refrigerator with salmon or tuna and keep your pantry full of nuts, seeds and soybeans.

An ingredient for healthy skin that is often overlooked is apple cider vinegar. This can be applied topically as an astringent or ingested.
Simply add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to a glass of water or tea every day to transform your skin into a radiant, glowing work of art from the inside. Choose an organic apple cider vinegar that contains only natural ingredients.

You don't have to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars to get beautiful, glowing skin from the inside. Add these tips to your beauty arsenal to reinvent your skin.

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