Diet & Fitness
Is an Alkaline Diet Better for Your Skin?
I
t’s not uncommon to spend the first few
months of a new year making changes.
We sign up to gym memberships, rid out
our wardrobes and convince ourselves that a
new hairstyle will make us feel like a whole
new person, but if you spent the last twelve
months feeling sluggish and fighting with
unpredictable skin, the only cure is to adopt
a more alkaline lifestyle.
Experts believe that eating too many acidic
foods – things like cheese, cow’s milk and red
meat – makes the body acidic and, therefore,
more prone to health problems and imperfect
skin. As we age, the body becomes naturally
more acidic, so it needs to be counteracted
with more alkaline foods in order to keep it
balanced. “With an alkaline diet, you will feel
more energised, experience better sleep,
improve your weight, and prevent many dis-
eases that are due to over-acidification,” ex-
plains Dr Isabel Sharkar, a Naturopathic
Doctor who specialises in digestive disorders,
clinical nutrition, and body optimisation. And
your skin will benefit too. Alkaline-rich foods
like coconut water, leafy vegetables and quinoa
contain natural antioxidants and fatty acids
which can restore stability to skin prone to
breakouts and inflammation.
“If you’ve ever struggled with sensitive skin,
acne, rosacea, eczema or psoriasis, or even just
the effects of ageing, it is likely because your
body is acidic,” says Dr Sharkar. “When skincare
products are applied to and absorbed by the
skin, they push it to be either more acidic or
alkaline. By using skin care products that allow
for the most optimal pH, the skin is able to
properly defend against bacteria, regulate natural
oil production and increase cell regeneration.”
Most topical skin care that is available today
is acidic in pH (around 5.5, which is the same
as a cup of coffee) and it has been this way
since the 1950s. The best alkaline skin care will
tend to have a pH of around 7.2 or 7.3, which
is slightly more alkaline than water. Once the
body and the skin have been alkalised, the cells
can regenerate more efficiently and can func-
tion more effectively.
“Our skin cells carry out multiple functions
including regenerating themselves every 27
days, absorbing nutrients, metabolising waste
and producing melanin to protect from UV
rays,” explains Dr Sharkar. “Cells can perform
all of these functions more effectively in an
alkaline environment, leading to brighter,
healthier skin. Also, because our cells are neg-
atively charged with a higher pH, this stops
them from ‘stacking,’ which improves blood
flow and cell metabolism. Your skin will also
be more hydrated, because there is more
oxygen available with a higher pH and this
increased oxygen allows your cells to absorb
more water.”
Dr Sharkar recommends switching to products
like Sönd Skincare’s Midnight Feast Night Cream
and Strength Training Serum which contain silica,
to support skin on a deeper level, making it
appear healthier and become more resistant
to external irritation. After a few months of
switching to alkaline skin care ourselves, we
can confirm that our skin feels soft, firm, and
is much less angry looking, plus we’ve noticed
a reduction in the number of breakouts we’ve
experienced since the start of the year. Using
alkaline products might be one change we’re
willing to stick with for the rest of 2018.
ISSUE #06 | 2018 | SkinHealthMagazine.com 21