How Does a Vegan Diet Affect the Skin?

From working with skin hands-on as an esthetician and skin care expert for over twenty years, I have to say that I most definitely have seen similarities in the skin of people who have a vegan diet versus those who are not. What I have noticed is a dull, tired, sallow look to the skin, similar to that of a heavy smoker’s skin, as well as a premature loss of skin tone. By no means am I knocking someone’s choice to live a vegan lifestyle, I’m simply sharing my observations and thoughts.

Because a vegan diet consists of mainly fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and whole grains, those that follow it may have trouble getting enough protein—the building blocks for skin. Protein is an essential component that makes up cells in the epidermis, including collagen and elastin fibers to keep skin firm and smooth.

Many vegans rely on beans and soy as their main source of protein, but protein that comes from fish, poultry and meat may be more complete and therefore make for a better effect for the appearance…

Here are skin care tips to get your skin glowing:

-Use skin care products with ingredients like Ginseng, Peppermint and Rosemary. When applied topically to the skin, these ingredients work to dilate the blood vessels, therefore, allowing the skin to accommodate more nutrient-rich blood. With continued use, you can get skin that glows! Try Renée Rouleau Triple Berry Smoothing Peel, Revitalizing Ginseng Toner, Luxe Mint Cleansing Gel, Rosemary Mint Cleanser and Mint Buffing Beads.

Read: How is Your Skin’s Circulation? Take the Pinch Test

-Avoid smoking. Smoking causes cells to be starved of oxygen resulting in dull, sallow, tired-looking skin with an absence of a glow. (Do you smoke? Read skin tips for smokers.)

-Avoid wearing yellow-based colors for makeup and clothing. Colors like mustard, olive green, khaki and burnt orange can make the skin appear sallow.

-Wear mineral-based makeup. The natural luminescent properties of mineral makeup make it a great choice for giving your skin the look of radiant glowing skin!

-Massage the skin. When applying your moisturizer, massage into the skin using firm circular motions to help increase blood flow.

-Get professional facials. They are extremely beneficial for stimulating circulation to get your skin glowing. Read: How to Give Your Skin a Facial

-Use skin care products exclusively for your skin type. At Renée Rouleau, our skin care line is based on nine different skin types. Skin type #2, #6 and #7 are especially good for stimulating blood flow the skin making it ideal for those with a vegan diet.

Which skin care products are right for you? See our nine skin types and get products recommended.

For expert skin advice, check out Skin Source–the A-Z guide on all things skin. Also sign up here for our skin tip e-newsletter, follow Renée Rouleau on Twitter and like our Facebook page. You’ll be your own skin care expert in no time!

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Information courtesy of www.ReneeRouleau.com, a website with skin care tips, products based on nine skin types and advice from skin care expert and celebrity esthetician, Renée Rouleau.