It is a role in which professionals have the responsibility and opportunity to continually check themselves in terms of their own self-care. People attract others in the same state of health or desiring the same state of health as they are; therefore, in order to bring clients into a practice that is receptive to the mind, body, and spirit (such as skin care, body care, overall wellness, and lifestyle), professionals must be as healthy as possible. Nutrition is a key component of this healthy living focus.

Organizations such as Nutritional Aesthetics Alliance are pioneers in the subject of nutrition and skin care. Integrative medicine physicians, such as those at Reviva Med, can lead the charge linking a holistic approach to medicine to advanced skin care procedures; skin care professionals act as the bridge between the specialties. Those skin care professionals must walk the walk and live out the philosophy of the organizations they believe in and are partnered with on a daily basis. Nutrition for skin care professionals involves three to six meals daily of minimally processed, vegetable- and protein-focused, and hydration-monitored meals to ensure energy, clarity, and focus is at its peak. Health and wellness within the professional’s work environment will spill directly, or indirectly, into their family life. Grocery shopping and food consumed on the run will need to start falling in line with a higher focus on the purity of the food and the sourcing of the food.

Professionals should take a careful look at the health of their digestive system, which is known as the gut microbiome, by meeting with a professional who can analyze the influence of digestion and the microbiome, showing the connection to skin health. Eating a variety of food and plenty of color in a diet of antioxidant-rich foods detoxifies the skin; the unstable free radical molecules that the antioxidants target will create less damage to skin cells and help to control the aging of the skin cells. The fruits and vegetables that offer the most benefit include green, leafy veggies, such as kale and spinach, colorful peppers, tomatoes, and bright fruits, such as berries and citrus fruits.

Eating fortifying foods to strengthen the outer skin barrier will keep environmental degradation at bay. Fresh seafood is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which directly impacts the barrier function of the skin.