Sometimes applying the latest miracle moisturiser just doesn’t seem to be enough. We talked to nutritional therapist Matthew Reay about the basis for outer beauty – a healthy inside!

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Cherwell: Is there a perfect diet for a clear complexion?

Matthew: A perfect diet? Well, l don’t really promote specific diets as such, but rather general sensible daily eating ideas which promote the benefits of blood sugar balance and sustained energy release. It’s important to understand what our bodies want instead of what we think we want, and hopefully this will put pay to overeating. Overeating can lead to an imbalance in blood sugar levels and the potential for too much fat; too much sugar, salt, alcohol or high energy foods can make the body overwork itself and leave digestion struggling to cope, whilst dehydration, extra stress or poor sleep all take their toll on the body. What’s going on in the inside will be reflected in how we look on the outside in the body’s biggest organ, the skin.

C: Can you recommend any ‘superfoods’ for fabulous skin?

M: One of mine would be cucumber. Cucumber contains phytonutrients such as caffeic acid which help reduce inflamed skin. Cucumber also contains the essential skin mineral, silica, the key component of collagen in the skin. I usually add mine to a smoothie with frozen berries, spinach and grape or beetroot juice. I would also choose avocado: they are great sources of vitamins C, B6 and K, as well as potassium, folate and copper. They provide large amounts of dietary fibre, which is good for digestion, and also contain biotin. Involved in the process of sugar and fat metabolism, biotin processes sugar into energy and acts as a precursor for fat production in the body, which is crucial for short-living skin cells which need to be replaced quickly and often for skin to replenish and restore itself. Finally, essential fatty acids contained in flax seed and nuts such as walnuts are important in our diets, the alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) they contain playing an important role in the structure and function of skin cells. ALA enables and controls water permeability, important for strength and elasticity of the skin. The omega 3 fatty acids found in many nuts inhibit inflammation, whilst ALA helps reduce the visible manifestations of various skin conditions by keeping skin cells functioning normally. 

C: Is taking a ‘Hair Skin and Nails’ supplement really worth it?

M: Personally, I don’t think so – l tend to stay clear of such supplements if l am getting lots of good vitamins and minerals in my diet, keeping well hydrated with fluids, getting the sleep l need and getting out to do some exercise. So many of these supplements contain fillers, binders and preservatives that a good diet doesn’t contain, so l make my diet work for me, as we all should. The key is to listen to your body, gain some insight and knowledge and then act accordingly.

C: Are there any natural beauty brands you would particularly recommend?

M: As someone who overcame eczema as a child and frequently deals with patients with skin complaints, l am a firm believer that what you put on your skin ends up in your body, so l avoid skin care products which include chemicals and toxins – watch out for parabens, sodium lauryl/laureth sulphate (SLS), DEET and aluminium, among others. These chemicals have been linked to harmful effects on the body and can be found in many of the products we use on a daily basis. I like the skin care range at Neal’s Yard Remedies, and would also recommend the eco-conscious German company Weleda, who do fantastic natural skin products at very good prices. Top tip: companies who specialise in natural skin care for babies and young children tend to offer high quality products containing nice essential oils and creams – check out Earth Friendly Babies or the Cardiff based company, Pur Babies.

C: Do you have any recipes for homemade beauty products which anyone can make with ingredients found in their kitchen?

M: Well, given that l sport a beard sometimes, I’m not one to often be found wearing a face mask with cucumbers on my eyes – it could get a bit messy! However, some friends of mine have had success with homemade face masks made from ingredients such as avocado or egg. I’ve also heard good things about James Wong’s book, Grow Your Own Drugs, which contains recipes such as a yogurt, lime and strawberry face pack, and a honey and yogurt face mask – so that might be something to look into, even for me, especially if l shave off my beard!

C: Students have a reputation of being rather over-enthusiastic when it comes to alcohol. What natural solutions would you suggest for getting over a hangover?

M: Well, stick to your alcohol limit, know your numbers in terms of alcohol units to avoid long-term health issues, and the short-term embarrassment of missing an exam or finding yourself waking up with someone you never expected to! If you do end up feeling worse for wear, keeping well hydrated is important, so get plenty of water into the system. Herbal teas such as nettle, dandelion and milk thistle will help the liver do its job better after a ‘session or three’! I always like some banana to boost my potassium levels, so maybe include it in a reviving, healthy smoothie with frozen berries and cucumber to top up your body’s supply of valuable nutrients, vitamins and minerals which may have been affected by consumption of too much alcohol. If you can eat, stick to smaller, lighter meals after a heavy night; healthy snacking that helps with balancing those all-important blood sugar levels should be better than heavy meals. Eggs are a good option, as they contain the chemical cysteine, which may have an effect counteracting the damaging by-products left by alcohol. A boiled or poached egg with mushrooms and toast sounds like an ideal hangover cure to me! And when you get the chance, get back to bed and make up for any lost sleep!

Check out Matthew’s blog for loads more tips and information about all things nutrition!

Bath. The famous site of the Roman baths, Jane Austen’s setting for many of her novels, and more importantly the residence of the one and only Manolo Blahnik. Over Easter I went to ‘Bath in Fashion’- Bath’s week-long celebration of Fashion- to see Amanda Wakeley’s show transferred from London as the event’s first inaugural designer.

When I stumbled across the event in the newspaper I didn’t hesitate. A chance to spend an afternoon in one of my favourite cities boasting beautiful architecture and all my high street favourites and quirky boutiques, combined with Amanda Wakeley’s Spring/Summer collection sounded pretty perfect to me (the glass of real champagne included in the £15 ticket price was just an added bonus…).

So, did Bath’s Fashion Week live up to its surroundings? Wakeley’s collection showcased thirty-nine pieces transferred from London Fashion Week that exuded subtle glamour and gentle movement. In the Q and A which followed the show she said that for evening wear she wanted to ’empower’ a woman, not in the ‘shoulder pads 80s way’, but just ‘to have more confidence in life’. She said that every woman should be able to feel like a ‘goddess’, and that her use of Scuba jersey helps to ‘skim over and smooth’ a woman’s ‘less beautiful parts’.

It all sounds a bit Gok Wan, but a ‘goddess’ was certainly what we were presented with. There was a great sense of draping of the body, and the bright jewel colours such as turquoise, gold, and orange only added to this— aspects only fitting for a show taking place in Bath, synonymous with Rome, and the toga.

Both maxi and mini dresses seemed to glide and wrap around the body, in a way that celebrated the female form. This was another thing that Wakeley underlined in the Q and A when asked about her approach to dressing those in the public eye, such as Demi Moore and more recently the Duchess of Cambridge. She said that you shouldn’t just take into account the view of a woman from the front or back but also consider the way the clothes move around the whole body; something which is vital for those under the constant glare and judgement of the camera.

However, the focus wasn’t just on the famous. One photographer sniped looking at the beautifully coiffered and pampered female audience ‘…so these are the ladies that lunch’, and I suppose many in the crowd could be placed under this banner, but my mother kindly corrected him ‘No, ladies that work’. They may look glamorous and as if the only care in their world is whether Waitrose will have run out of the salted quail’s eggs, but like Amanda Wakeley herself, these women were mostly those who work hard but manage to look glamorous at the same time.

The room was full of ambition, and this was reflected by the strong female presence not just on the runway but at every stage. Wakeley was interviewed by the successful Grazia Fashion Editor, Paula Reed, and there were frequent mentions to Wakeley’s right-hand woman, Bridget Bowen. Let down by her ex-husband and then the ‘ruthless’ man her husband sold his share (and the brand name) to, Wakeley, having now managed to build the business back up, runs a rather female affair.

According to Wakeley living in a man’s world is difficult, especially where women seem to be judged on their appearance at every turn, and it seems she has hit the nail on the head. The audience fell in love not just with the clothes but with the ideology behind them. It seems that these days a successful woman is not one who just succeeds in the work place and has a career as well as balancing a family, but one who does all that while doing their best Beyoncé impression. So yes, they may look like ‘ladies that lunch’ but really they are women who not only work hard, but look, and more importantly feel, beautiful too.

So the collection certainly wasn’t groundbreaking, and it was definitely aimed at the ‘woman’ rather than the ‘girl’ — but I still found myself marvelling at the brilliant simplicity of the designs, and even the message that was conveyed. Wakeley demonstrates that there is no shame in a woman wanting to look good, as well as wanting to be taken seriously in the workplace. You don’t have to make a choice between airhead and career woman. In fact, feeling beautiful can bring about amazing results, as Wakeley showed in her battle against all the odds to get her very successful business back on track.