Your skin is your body’s largest organ. As such, you need to nourish it well for it to look and feel its best. Staying hydrated, eating a balanced diet, and supplementing where necessary will keep your skin healthy, smooth, and sparkly.
What Your Skin Needs
Believe it or not, fat is a large part of what makes your skin glow. If your skin is deprived of healthy fats, it can get dry and wrinkly very quickly. This doesn’t mean that you should overindulge or binge on junk food to prevent wrinkles. If you aren’t healthy inside and out, your skin won’t look great either. Instead, you should be feeding your skin plenty of monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. These are typically found in nuts, seeds, avocados, and fish.
Protein is also essential for healthy skin. When you consume protein, your body converts it into amino acids. These amino acids then make other proteins, including collagen and keratin. Collagen and keratin are the building blocks for your skin, so increasing the production of these proteins will renew your skin and keep it looking fresh. Healthy sources of protein include eggs, poultry, and lean meat, tofu, and nuts.
Vitamin A protects the inner and outer layers of your skin. It also helps prevent sun damage by preserving collagen. Vitamin A also keeps skin moist by promoting the oil glands around the hair follicles, and it can also help cuts and scrapes heal more quickly. Eggs are a good source of Vitamin A.
Vitamin C helps the collagen proteins hold their shape, which makes your skin firmer and healthier. It is also an antioxidant and may reduce the risk of skin cancer. If you are deficient in Vitamin C, you may bruise easily, and sores will heal more slowly. Vitamin C can be found in most fruits and many vegetables.
Vitamin E helps protect against damage from UV light, which can cause sagging, wrinkles, and even skin cancer. It also works in conjunction with Vitamin C to strengthen skin cell walls. Healthy sources of Vitamin E include dark leafy greens, eggs, avocados, and olive oil.
Zinc also helps protect against UV damage, and although it isn’t an antioxidant, it acts like one and therefore provides protection against free radicals. Zinc also helps skin recover after an injury. This is because it keeps skin cell walls stable. Zinc can be found in eggs and many legumes.
Selenium boosts the power of antioxidants to protect against skin damage from UV rays. Low levels of selenium have been linked to an increased risk of skin cancer. Eat eggs, flax seeds, spinach, and fatty fish for selenium.
Vitamin D helps create healthy cells, and this includes skin cells. Vitamin D improves skin tone, and research shows that it helps reduce inflammation and irritation in psoriasis people. You can get Vitamin D from the sun, fatty fish, or fortified foods such as dairy and whole-grain cereals.
Supplements for the Skin
While most healthcare professionals agree that the best way to take in vitamins and minerals is in whole foods, high-quality supplements can play a vital role in skin health and overall health. Therefore, if you cannot consume adequate amounts of the vitamins suggested above, you should supplement.
Some other supplements to consider are:
- Antioxidant blends: Antioxidants work against free radical damage connected with aging and make your skin look more youthful.
- Ashwagandha: Ashwagandha is an antioxidant, has healing properties, and can help mitigate stress. All of these can improve the look and feel of your skin.
- Chlorella: Chlorella is an antioxidant, and it also helps detoxify and clarify your skin to keep it looking smooth.
- Collagen peptides: Collagen peptides help strengthen the skin cells, increase elasticity, and reduce the appearance of wrinkles.