To Get Your Glow Back, You Gotta Get Over
The “FAT” Thing!
Like all living things, our skin, hair, and nails require nourishment to stay healthy and to carry out a repair when damaged. A wide range of nutrients is needed, including essential fatty acids. Known as long ago as the 1930s, that essential fatty acids (EFAs) were vital for healthy skin, hair, and nails. As crucial structural components of cell walls, they ensure the flexibility of cells; this gives our skin its smoothness and suppleness. EFAs also prevents water loss from the skin surface. As water is lost, the skin becomes dry, rough and loses its firmness. Insufficient intake of essential fatty acids (which occurs when we reduce our fat intake) results in loss of skin elasticity and dryness and increases our susceptibility to premature aging.
The first barrier you have to overcome is the FAT THING! From the teenage years, all the way through to maturity, a good portion of women “watch what they eat.” This statement generally means instead of being selective of the fats, they cut out everything, including our precious EFAs. In that pursuit of a trim figure, they have been unknowingly creating a much bigger monster for later years, namely an aging skin! EFA’s are vital to the health of our lipid bilayers. We now understand that the skin is the last organ these essential fats reach – the body’s vital organs consume them first, and any lack of EFA’s means the skin often gets no share of these valuable nutrients.
Unfortunately, few of us know how important essential fatty acids really and how great they are for our skin, hair, wound healing, and overall immunity. EFA’s govern every crucial biological function in our bodies.
Both Omega-6’s and Omega-3’s are polyunsaturated fatty acids that are critical to good health. But even though your body needs these special fats, the body can’t manufacture them. EFA’s consume through either diet or supplements. Once in the body, these EFAs break down to form eicosanoids—hormone-like substances that regulate essential bodily functions, including the nervous system and immune response.
EFAs are critical structural components of cell membranes throughout the body. They help cells stay fluid and flexible, allowing nutrients to enter the cells and wastes to exit. EFA metabolites also “waterproof” the skin, creating an antimicrobial barrier against the elements. Without enough EFAs, your skin can suffer from dryness and premature aging.
A sun-infused blend of precious plant oils and essential fatty acids strengthening the skin’s barrier function and profoundly replenishes the skin to restore a healthy glow.
Essential Fatty Acids help to:
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- Breakdown of saturated fats
- Balance skin lipids
- Prevent dehydration
- Balance the acid mantle
- Assist in oxygen transfer
- Helps the immune system
- Increases the metabolic rate
- Assist in the formation of ceramides
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Vital Functions of EFA’s in Relation to the Skin
Normalizing Lipids (Oil) – The top layer of the skin (stratum corneum) consist of a layer of keratinized cells bound by both lipids (oil) and water (bilayers). Skins surface lacking in EFA’s appear dull, coarse, and unpliable. In severe cases, we see evidence of conditions such as eczema and dermatitis, with scaling and cracking. Essential fatty acids from within are a vital component to normalizing these epidermal lipids.
EFA’s Prevent Dehydration – We realize the importance of the epidermic lipids for the health of the skin and body as far as preventing dehydration, by acting as a barrier to lock in moisture. Topically applied EFA’s, may metabolize by the skin, resulting in free fatty acids incorporated into the lipids making up the barrier; decrease the evaporation of water from the skin surface.
Balances the Acid Mantle – Protection is the primary function of the skin. The acid mantle, which has a high content of free fatty acids, is the first significant deterrent we have for penetration of unwanted compounds. Thus, here again, we see the importance of external and internal application of EFAs.
Assists Oxygen Transfer – EFAs encourage oxygen transport through the body, across cell membranes, to assist with the oxidation of foods for energy.
EFA’s are vital for the proper functioning and formation of Ceramides– Ceramides are lipids that help form the skin’s barrier and help skin retain moisture. Ceramides also help the skin protect against environmental aggressors like irritants and pollution. Without the proper ratio of ceramides, the skin’s barrier can become compromised, leading to dryness, itching, and irritation.
EFA’s Increases the body’s metabolic rate – An increased metabolic rate burns saturated fat into carbon dioxide, water, and energy. It helps our immune system to resist and fight infection and prevent allergies. Along with skin aging comes joint stiffness and pain, perhaps due to earlier injuries or just years of wear and tear. Improved energy levels and relief of skin dryness are the most common benefits gained from taking Essential Fatty Acids. Of particular importance during and after menopause is the role of EFAs in increasing calcium absorption from the diet; thus, it enhances calcium levels in the body and helps maintain healthy bones.
Which Sunshine Botanicals Formulations Contain EFA’s?
Lipid Booster Flawless Facial Oil
A sun-infused blend of precious plant oils and essential fatty acids that strengthen the skin’s barrier function and deeply replenishes the skin to restore a healthy glow.
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