Do you love the skin you’re in or do you think it could be improved? Skin is one of the first things people notice about each other, and even though makeup can help improve the appearance of it (at least on your face), great skin starts from within.
What you eat and drink, and whether or not you’re getting enough beauty rest (this is not a myth!) can have a huge impact on how your skin looks today, tomorrow, and a month down the road. You can do serious damage to your skin in a short period of time by not taking care of it, so if you’re looking to maintain or improve your skin, start by taking a good, hard look at your diet.
Are you eating healthy, fresh foods? Certain foods are better for your skin than others—try to incorporate at least a few (if not all) of the veggies and fruits and snacks below in your daily diet. Watch your skin transform!
Tomatoes. The phytochemical lycopene, found in red fruits and vegetables, protects your skin against sun damage. They help get rid of skin-aging free radicals caused by UV rays. All you need is half a cup a day to help protect your skin from the sun (along with a healthy slathering of sun block).
Sweet potatoes and carrots. These orange colored vegetables provide high doses of vitamin C, an antioxidant known for its skin-friendly properties (ingested and topically as well!). Vitamin C helps stimulate the production of collagen, the lack of which leads to wrinkles.
Both are also chock full of vitamin A, which is used to treat a host of skin ailments like acne, eczema, and psoriasis. Added bonus: eating a lot of richly hued fruits and vegetables can give your skin a golden glow from within!
Almonds. Packed full of skin-friendly vitamin E (but only ingested—topically, vitamin E seems to harm more than help), almonds are an easy, portable, diet-friendly, and heart-healthy snack that also does double duty as a sort of internal sunblock. People who ate about 20 almonds a day burned less in response to UV rays than those who didn’t eat any almonds.
Salmon. An excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids and protein, salmon is a brain-boosting food as well as a skin-supporting. The omega-3s can help reduce signs of aging by improving skin hydration (and minimizing the signs of fine lines).
Green tea. Not only is green tea a great afternoon pick-me-up and metabolism-booster, this verdant-hued drink also protects your skin from cancer. The polyphenols are primarily responsible for the protective effective of green tea, sometimes actually reversing the damage done to your skin by the sun’s harmful rays.
Dark chocolate. A delicious treat that boasts a boatload of health benefits, dark chocolate also helps prevent sun damage to the skin. A study found that women who drank cocoa fortified with a candy bar’s worth of flavonols (the phytochemical found in cocoa) had better skin texture and more resistance to UV rays than those who drank unfortified cocoa.
Dark chocolate has a much higher percentage of cocoa compared to milk chocolate, so opt for the dark stuff to improve your skin’s health.
While great skin is built from within through healthy foods, don’t forget to take care of the surface, as well. Using a great cleanser, toner, exfoliator, and moisturizer support your efforts to improving and maintaining your skin. And always apply sunblock to any skin that is exposed to the elements, regardless of whether it’s overcast or sunny outside!
Nourish your skin from within and pamper it from the outside and you’ll be rewarded with glowing, healthy skin.
GUEST POST WRITTEN BY: Marcela De Vivo, a freelance writer in Southern California. She knows how important it is to have glowing and healthy skin, and enjoys incorporating as many of these foods into her daily diet as possible. Follow her on Twitter today!
If you want to write a guest post here on my blog, don’t hesitate to contact me!
