Our skin is the largest and most visible organ in our bodies, acting as a protective shield deflecting potentially harmful environmental elements. It might look like nothing much but if you delve deeper down you’ll find out that our skin is the product of countless complex processes occurring every millisecond. Skin is far smarter than you think and has adapted for use in different areas of the body – from the temperature-regulating armpits to the soles of our feet.

Ignoring skin problems is extremely hard so we must do all we can to ensure that our skin is at its optimal health every day. Remember, prevention and general upkeep is far more effective than damage control and treatments.

External pressures on skin health

Skin deterioration and damage is undeniably endured on a daily basis. And like every other organ, our skin constantly works to repair itself. As you can imagine, with an immense amount of pressure, the integrity of your skin suffers and if we don’t reinforce our protective barrier it might just collapse.

Skin dryness is a fact of life that severely impedes our skin’s ability to function efficiently. How does our skin get dry you might ask. The water we wash ourselves with everyday has chlorine added which naturally dries out the skin and being indoors with air-conditioning on throughout the day dehydrates your body as well as skin.

If you couple dryness with poor hygiene or genetic predisposition to skin irritation or inflammation, then you could have a big problem on your hands. Now imagine adding the daily stresses of life into the mix as well! Can you now see how at risk your skin health is? There are hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders with skin conditions and the rate of incidence is growing dramatically each day.

So what can you do?

Simple things like having good sleeping habits, relaxing or meditating, and eating a healthy well-balanced diet go very far in helping to ensure optimal skin health. But these are usually not sufficient enough to meet our needs.

It has been found that in addition to good general nutrition, omega-3 fats are one of the major components of healthy skin. Omega-3s are vital as they make up the outer hydrophobic, water hating, part of skin cell membranes. They work as gatekeepers by controlling the movement of substances in and out of skin cells. On top of that they influence our skin cell’s ability to hold onto water, contributing to moister and softer skin, by helping to repel water which can cause dryness.

We know omega-3 fatty acids are essential for good health but eating the right foods to get the right doses can be quite tricky. Modern diets contain far less omega-3s than your daily recommended intake. This is a result of manufacturers mainly using less beneficial omega-6 fats instead, a low consumption of fish per week per capita, and a preference for foods that don’t contain omega-3 fats.

Now this where supplementation comes in! Your body can’t make omega-3s so you need to get them from other sources, such as food or supplements. Plant sources include walnuts and flax seeds but omega-3s are also found in the oil from fatty fish, like salmon or mackerel.

As far as skin is concerned, omega-3 fats help to:

• Nourish the skin.
• Hydrate the skin by encouraging skin cells to retain natural moisture.
• Encourage the maintenance of healthy skin cells.

A good quality fish oil is a good way to ensure adequate omega-3s and is generally safe unless you are sensitivity to fish oils, are taking a blood-thinning medicine, or you’ve been advised by a medical professional not to take the supplement.

Why not give your kids BiOmega^TM Jr.?

Children are far more susceptible to developing skin conditions due to poorer hygiene, a weaker immune system, and a heightened exposure to skin irritants. Because of this, it is extremely important to have a protective system in place to help your child cope with all the health stresses they encounter every day.

Fish oil supplements vary a lot in their content and quality. You must make sure that you choose a supplement that is high quality, has the right amount of omega-3 fats in the right forms, and meets all regulatory standards.

BiOmega^TM Jr. is a great choice because:

• It has high levels of EPA and DHA – two of the most important constituents in omega-3 fats.
• It uses natural sweetener only, with a creamy orange flavour that all children will love.
• It is packaged in single-serve packets for convenience and personalisation.
• It is manufactured under the most stringent standards, ensuring that what is written on the label is actually in the capsule and in the exact same amounts.

Click here to buy BiOmega^TM Jr. now!

Vitamin supplements should not replace a balanced diet. Use only as directed. Always read the label.

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