10 Foods That Give Your Skin an Instant Beauty Boost

September 23, 2019

When it comes to skincare, we’re so quick to reach into our beauty cabinets and grab a cream or lotion to fix our problems. But, what if we could fix our skin by doing one of our favorite pastimes: eating delicious food? Thanks to Mother Nature, our food has everything we need to have flawless skin. Check out the 10 foods to include in your diet for beautiful skin:

1. Almonds:Nuts tend to get a bad rep for being a high-fat food, but we’re here to clear their name. Almonds are one of the highest food sources of Vitamin E, a vitamin that keeps skin smooth and moisturized. This nut is also high in magnesium, a mineral that counters stress in the body. You know what stress does to your body? Its ages you quicker and breaks you out. We’ll take a natural anti-aging and anti-acne food any day, fat or no fat. But since the healthy fats in almonds also keep skin cells healthy and alive, we’ve got nothing to complain about.
2. Carrots:If you were anything like us as kids, you did notwant to eat your carrots at dinner. Looking back, we were so naïve. We all know carrots are high in Vitamin A, but this vitamin goes far beyond helping your eyesight. Vitamin A helps to fight pigmentation and uneven skin tone, rendering your daily airbrush foundation a complimentary addition to your routine instead of a stressful necessity. Carrots are also high in potassium, an instant skin hydrator. So, next time you’re looking a little flaky, throw some carrots in your stomach. No excuses.
3. Dark Chocolate:You can have your cake and eat it too. As long as your cake is actually dark chocolate. For years, we were told that chocolate was horrible for our skin, causing breakouts and other skin ailments. Well, the science was luckily a little off. Flavonols found in dark chocolate have been shown to help your skin protect itself from sunburn, meaning you can worry a little less about those beach days. We’re not saying to lay off the sunscreen, just to eat more chocolate. And that’s advice we think everyone can get behind.
4. Turmeric:This strange orange spice has a lot more to it than meets the eye. While generally used in curry dishes for flavor, it was discovered to have multiple skin benefits (We’d love to here the story of how somebody found that out.) Turmeric can be used as a mask to help control oily skin. The paste soaks oil right out of the skin, preventing unsightly shine and clogged pores. The spice can also be used to fight acne, since turmeric is an anti-bacterial agent. Next time you’re making your favorite curry recipe, consider throwing some turmeric on your face as well.
5. Beets:Beets was another food that as a kid you couldn’t have paid us to touch. I mean, you couldn’t really pay us to touch them now either. But we will, because these vegetables sure do pack a punch. Beets contain a high number of anthocyanins, an element which helps reduce both age spots and inflammation on the skin. For you sensitive skinned people like us, beets should be your new go-to to help ward off redness. So, we’ll eat our vegetables, even if we are doing it begrudgingly.
6. Edamame:While no one wants to be young forever, we’d sure like to slow the aging process down a bit. Due it its high amounts of isoflavones, edamame can slow down time, at least on our faces. Isoflavones help keep collagen intact, the element that keeps skin looking youthful and glowing. So next time your out for sushi, consider edamame as a starter. Your skin will thank you years from now.
7. Beans:They’re called the magical fruit for a reason. Most types of beans are high in magnesium and protein, which help to keep skin cells from breaking down. Skin cells that take longer to break down help prevent aging and also keep prevent pollutants from getting through the skin. While we know now that beans aren’t really magical, we still like to pretend.
8. Grapefruit:This fruit is one that hits hard, both in taste and benefits. Grapefruit increases the pH of your skin, which may help reduce acne. Its high water content also promotes collagen growth, giving you that full, youthful glow. Its high Vitamin C content boosts the health of skin cells, giving you a more radiant complexion. Grapefruit may be sour, but its skincare benefits sure are sweet.
9. Chia seeds:For such little seeds, they sure do have a big impact on skin. Chia seeds are abundant in Omega-3s(Even more so than salmon!) Omega-3s are basically the Holy Grail of skincare ingredients. They help prevent acne, fight wrinkles, and help to keep your hormones in check. It’s almost as if your entire skincare regimen got boiled down into these seeds. Add them to your regular smoothie, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for great skin.

• Seaweed: We always knew all those sushi dates with our girls would pay off. Seaweed, as it turns out, is one of the best ingredients possible to help skin renewal. Seaweed’s highly adaptable nature and quick regrowth abilities can be boiled down to have the same effect on skin, helping cells to renew themselves and help prevent aging. So we’ll say yes to that extra California roll next time. It’s for the good of our health! At least that’s how we’ll justify it.