We’re all on the hunt for beauty miracles—potions and lotions our go-to usual suspects. But we may be only reaping half the benefit if we’re not eating the right skin foods. Yes, not only does the absence of refined carbs and excess sugar from the diet do wonders for our skin, but being sure to include bona fide skin foods can make all the difference in your beauty regimen. Bon Appétit!
7 Skin Foods
- Soy: Plant-based eating is on the rise for health, environmental, and ethical reasons. And you can add beauty to the list, too—at least where soy is concerned. Aglycone, an isoflavone found in soy, showed a correlation with fewer lines and wrinkles in a 12-week study.
- Avocado: Everyone’s favorite toast topping is also your secret to gorgeous. Loaded with healthy fats that provide the skin with hydration and oils to keep it smooth and supple, avocados are also rich in fiber, which helps to pull toxins out of the body (and away from your face).
- Coffee: Eating, or drinking, as the case may be, for your health doesn’t have to mean total wheatgrass juice cleanse and good food deprivation. And if you’re a coffee-every-morning kind of person, you’re in luck as regular coffee consumption (in moderation, of course) is connected with a decreased risk of skin cancer.
- Kiwi: This fuzzy green fruit may not look like much, but it’s packed with vitamin C—more than a day’s worth of the recommended daily intake in just one little kiwi! Vitamin C boosts collagen production helping to prevent lines and wrinkles.
- Sunflower seeds: Chomp on sunflower seeds for a snack and you may notice your acne begins to disappear. That’s because the high level of vitamin E in the seeds has been clinically associated with a decrease in acne break outs.
- Carrots: What’s up, doc? Your glow if you’re crunching on raw carrots! They’re loaded with carotenoids, which have been linked to healthier skin less prone to break outs. It can also boost your glow, quite literally—the orange in carrots can boost your skin tone.
- Chocolate: Yes, dreams do come true. In case you haven’t heard, chocolate can be a healthy food when it’s not overly sugary. Look for a dairy-free chocolate with 70 percent cacao solids (or darker) to reap the cocoa flavanol benefits. These little antioxidants not only help to improve circulation to the skin for a healthy glow, but keep it hydrated so fine lines and wrinkles appear less visible.
