They say you are what you eat, which is why it’s so important to make sure you’re eating foods that are good for your skin. From helping skin glow to helping protect it from the environment, the food you eat can make an enormous difference in your skin. That’s why in this article, we’ll talk about the best foods for healthy skin and what they really do.
IN A NUTSHELL
Main Takeaways: Your diet can seriously affect the look of your skin. That’s why it’s good to eat healthy foods rich in antioxidants and essential fatty acids.
Good to Know: The beta-carotene in carrots converts to vitamin A in the body, which helps keep your skin healthy.
Recommended Products: Deluxe Set.
10 Best Foods for Healthy Skin (and One Fabulous Bonus!)
1. Salmon
Because of its low calorie count, its taste, and the fact that it’s fantastic for your skin, salmon is really an incredible food. Full of omega-3s that help alleviate temporary redness or discomfort, salmon helps restore skin’s natural glow. It also contains vitamin D, which is an antioxidant that has anti-aging benefits and helps create a radiant, glowing complexion. Salmon also contains vitamin E, which helps moisturize the skin!
2. Berries
The next time a waiter or waitress asks you if you want berries with your waffles, say yes. Different berries offer different benefits; but in general, berries are incredible for your skin.
Here are just a few examples of how different kinds of berries benefit your skin:
- Blueberries - In addition to being full of antioxidants, blueberries give skin a fresh and revitalized appearance while calming it at the same time. Blueberries are also full of vitamin C, which is known for its ability to make the skin glow.
- Blackberries - It’s kind of astounding just how many vitamins are in blackberries. Vitamin A, Niacin (vitamin B3), and vitamin E, all of which are known for hydrating the skin, can all be found in blackberries. They also contain vitamin C, which is a must for combatting dull skin.
- Strawberries - Once again, it’s the vitamin C in this delicious fruit that makes it one of the best foods for healthy skin.
3. Pink grapefruit
Pink grapefruit is not only full of antioxidants, it actually acts as an exfoliant, helping keep skin young looking and healthy. While it’s great for your skin, not everyone is fond of its tartness. Luckily, we’ve included it as an ingredient in our Nectar of the C vitamin C serum, so you don’t have to actually eat pink grapefruit to benefit from it.
4. Green tea
Green tea performs so many functions for the skin that it would almost be easier to say what green tea doesn’t do. For starters, green tea contains vitamin A, which helps reduce the visibility of fine lines and wrinkles.
Green tea also contains vitamin C, and it features niacin to help lessen the appearance of redness in the skin. For those reasons, we’ve included green tea leaf extract in our Prince Charcoal detox mask, which nourishes the skin while drawing out impurities.
5. Pomegranates
Pomegranates provide powerful antioxidant activity to help promote beautiful skin and visibly reduce fine lines and wrinkles. Packed with vitamin C, pomegranates also help restore skin’s youthful glow. It would be hard to find a better anti-aging food than pomegranates.
6. Coconut oil
There’s a good reason coconut oil has been all the rage recently--when used correctly, it’s great for your skin. Like many of the foods on our list, it’s great for anti-aging as it helps soften fine lines and wrinkles like nobody’s business. Its emollient properties also have a wonderful calming effect on skin. That’s why you’ll find it in our So Clean!, a gentle facial cleanser that will purify skin without drying it out.
7. Leafy greens
Not only do dark, leafy greens like spinach and kale make you healthy and strong, they do fabulous things for your skin. Leafy greens are full of vitamins A and E and packed with riboflavin (also known as vitamin B2) to encourage revitalized skin. They also include vitamin B3, which helps smooth the skin and keep the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles at bay. You will also find calcium in dark leafy greens, which vastly improves the appearance of skin tone and radiance.
8. Carrots
It’s the beta-carotenes (which convert to vitamin A) in carrots that will balance the skin and keep it looking healthy and vibrant. As antioxidants, they act as natural skin protection, but be careful about eating too many as they can give your skin an orange tint when consumed in excess.
9. Nuts
Full of omega-3 fatty acids, nuts like walnuts, cashews, and almonds, have a gentle effect on the skin and create the appearance of a brighter, smoother complexion. They also help tighten and firm your look, so reach for a handful of nuts the next time you need a snack.
10. Sunflower seeds
Full of oleic acid and linoleic acid (often referred to as vitamin F, although it’s really a fat and not a vitamin), sunflower seeds are wonderful for calming the skin. They’re also great for hydrating the skin, as they contain vitamin E. That’s why we’ve included organic sunflower seed oil in both our Eyes Eyes Baby, anti-aging eye cream and our Crème de la Cream brightening moisturizer.
11. Dark Chocolate
Yes, we’ve saved the best for last– and no, we’re not kidding! Dark chocolate is great for your skin for many different reasons. Not only is it a great antioxidant, it also contains flavonoids to help renew the look of beautiful skin. It also contains vitamin E and niacin (or vitamin B3) which helps control sebum production. Not just any chocolate bar will do, of course. Look for 70% more higher cocoa content to obtain the most flavonoids, and choose those with less refined sugar whenever possible.
These are just a few of the best foods for healthy skin. There are many others– such as other plant-based foods– that will help keep your skin looking its absolute best. When in doubt, look for foods high in antioxidants! And while you are treating your skin from the inside out, choose clean skincare that is infused with these same vitamins and antioxidants. Our Deluxe Set features an entire daily routine that will soothe, smooth and nourish your skin topically.
