How to Eat Your Way to Glowing Skin

We all know that what we eat can have a significant impact on our skin. After all, who hasn’t noticed an outbreak of zits after a week of chowing down on greasy, processed, high-in-sugar-foods?

When we eat poorly, it can show up on our skin in the form of dull skin, sometimes along with other issues like acne, oiliness, dryness, or dark, panda-like under-eye circles.

While it doesn’t take a genius to work out cheese-laden pizzas and soft drinks packed with sugar aren’t the best for our complexions, it can be hard to know which foods actually are good for our skin.

That’s where we come in to help. We’ve put together some handy tips and grocery list ideas to leave you with smooth, blemish-free, and glowing skin. Let’s get started.

Eat a Minimum of Five Portions of Fruit and Vegetables Daily

Fruits and vegetables are packed full of powerful antioxidants that help protect the skin from free radicals' cellular damage.

Make it a daily habit to consume a rainbow of colorful fruit and vegetables, aiming for at least five portions a day, and your skin will thank you for it.

Betacarotene is found in carrots, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin and contributes to a healthy complexion and skin cell development. Lutein is present in kale, papaya, and spinach and is also excellent for skin health.

Tomatoes are a salad favorite, and they’re one of the best sources of lycopene, an anti-aging antioxidant that may help prevent heart disease. Some research even indicates that lycopene is best absorbed by your body when it’s cooked, so don’t hold back with brewing up homemade tomato soups and stews.

Dose up on Vitamin C

Vitamin C is another antioxidant that works wonders for the skin. It’s necessary to support the immune system, contribute to radiant skin, and help acne and blemishes heal well. Find it packed into oranges, strawberries, blackcurrants, blueberries, guava, kiwis, broccoli, and sweet potatoes.

The antioxidant helps produce collagen that strengthens the capillaries that supply the skin, so don’t forget to order that fresh glass of orange juice next time you head out for brunch.

There are also many vitamin C topical products that help improve the complexion. Dermalogica’s Biolumin -C Serum is a high-performance product that works with the skin’s defenses to brighten and firm the face.

Innovative biotechnology fuses ultra-stable vitamin C and palmitoyl tripeptide-5 to reduce fine lines and wrinkles' appearance significantly. Other key ingredients include lactic acid to boost cell turnover, sophora japonica flower extract to calm the skin, and chia seed oil to hydrate and quench free radicals.

Opt for Omega 3

Always make sure you’re consuming enough omega-3 and omega-6 fats. These are essential fatty acids which cannot be produced in the body and must be consumed through the diet.

You’ll find omega-3s in oily fish and plant sources, including linseed and their oil, walnuts, chia seeds, and rapeseed oil. Omega-3 fats are excellent in producing anti-inflammatory compounds in the body to help with inflammatory skin concerns like eczema and psoriasis.

If we had to pick one source of omega-3 to recommend, we’d say go for salmon. Not only can salmon taste delicious, but it’s renowned for its myriad of health benefits. As well as contributing to smoother, healthier skin, salmon can also lower the risk of heart disease and reduces blood pressure. No wonder Victoria Beckham is such a fan.

The fatty acids that salmon have contribute to collagen production, a well-known protein that helps the skin remain firm and wrinkle-free.

The American Heart Association suggests eating 3.5 ounces at least twice a week, so use that as your benchmark and go from there.

Heap on the Healthy Fats

Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats offer essential fatty acids, which work well as a natural moisturizer for your complexion, keeping it soft and supple and improving elasticity. Find these fatty acids crammed into avocados, oily fish, seeds, and nuts.

These fats also come with a healthy dose of vitamin E, which is also excellent for skin health as it helps protect against free radical damage. It’s time to bring on the guac!

Tuel’s Rescue Anti-Aging Skin Essential Oil is an antioxidant-rich blend of avocado, vetiver, cypress, and carrot seed, so the healthy fats can help when applied topically to the skin too.

The essential oil delivers a powerful, concentrated dose of vitamins and nutrients that work to stimulate regeneration, significantly reduce age spots, and give skin a firmer look.

Do you want more skincare advice? Here are our top tips for combatting oily skin.