It's easy to put beautiful skin down to youth and great genes.
But as I've got older I've become much more aware of the older women who have great naturally beautiful skin.
Of course they don't look twenty and they are not wrinkle free, but their skin has a beautiful radiant glow and even with age still looks alive.
And their secret?
Very rarely, enormously expensive creams.
Almost always, exercise, relaxation and a seriously great diet!
I know I see an enormous difference in the quality of my skin on the days I exercise, drink plenty of water and stay off the sugar with plenty of healthy snacks.
But as a tired mum, I know I need to do some serious investment in my skin, if I am going to have any chance of that beautiful radiant grow as I get older.
So I've been doing my homework and finding out what the best food is for beautiful skin and how different foods can help specific skin complaints.
I've put all this research together in three super helpful lists:
- 10 top tips for naturally beautiful skin
- Which nutrients help which skin conditions
- Top 10 nutrients for beautiful skin & which foods to find them in
I do hope you find this helpful ... if you're looking for more natural beauty tips check out the links from other bloggers at the bottom of this post and feel free to share your own ...
10 Top Tips for Naturally Beautiful Skin
Exercise and relaxation really help but the biggest help for beautiful skin is what we eat ...
- Drink loads of water
- Oily fish & shell fish every week
- A rainbow of different coloured veg including bright reds & oranges
- Several helpings of green veg every single day e.g. - spinach, kale, brussels, broccoli, sprouts
- 2 or 3 helpings of pulses every week
- Whole grains
- Free range eggs
- Nuts & seeds particularly walnuts, brazil nuts, almonds, cashews and flax, pumpkin and sesame seeds
- Plenty of fruit
- Dried fruit including apricots & raisins
Which Nutrients Help Which Skin Conditions?
| Sun Damage | Omega 3, Zinc, Lycopne, Vitamin A |
| Wrinkles | Folic Acid, Iron, Selenium |
| Tired Skin | Folic Acid, Iron |
| Acne & Spots | Folic Acid, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6 |
| Eczema and Psoriasis | Omega 3, Zinc, Vitamin A, Vitamin E |
| Cold Sores | Iron, Vitamin A, Vitamin B6 |
| Dry Skin | Omega 3, Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, Vitamin E |
| Scars | Zinc, Vitamin A |
Top 10 Vitamins & Minerals for Beautiful Skins
You can get these vitamins and minerals from supplements but research suggests they are much more effective within food ...
1. Omega 3
Omega 3 protects against sun damage to the skin and actually helps repair it!
It's anti-inflammatory powers also make it great for eczema, psoriasis and other dry skin complaints.
You need a good helping Omega 3 every day so you need to plan to get a good helping of some of these omega-3 rich foods every day:
- Oily fish particlarly mackerel, trout, herring, tuna, salmon, canned sardines, anchovies but don't eat more than 2 helpings a week if you could get pregnant in the future & more than 4 otherwise
- Walnuts
- Free range eggs and you can get some from hens with an omega-3 rich diet
- Edamame beans - add them to salad or anything you're cooking
- Flax seed oil or flax seed (usually cheaper) which you can add to porridge
- Avocado
- Oregano & marjoram
- Green veggies - kale, spinach, brussel sprouts
2. Folic Acid
Folic acid supports cell regrowth so helps to smooth and firm skin. But also helps the body to eliminate unwanted chemicals from the body and seems to help with acne.
Great sources of folic acid are:
- Pulses & legumes particularly lentils, pinto beans, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), black beans, navy (haricot) beans, kidney beans and lima (butter) beans
- Green veg including spinach, asparagus, kale, broccoli, bok choy, brussel sprouts
- Beetroot
3. Iron
Soreness around the edges of the mouth is a classic sign of iron deficiency.
Iron rich food includes:
- Liver
- Oysters, clams and mussels
- Sardines
- Turkey
- Pumpkin and sesame seeds
- Dried apricots
- Green veg particularly broccoli, spinach and green peppers
- Nuts including peanuts, pecans, walnuts, pistachios, almonds, cashews
- Raisins
4. Selenium
Selenium prevents sun damage and supports body's retention of vitamin E and C and so prevents signs of ageing. Food that is particularly rich in selenium includes ...
- Brazil nuts - only need a few a day
- Tuna
- Crab, oysters & shrimp
- Whole wheat carbs - bread, pasta
- Mushrooms
- Eggs
5. Zinc
Zinc repairs damaged tissue and wounds, protects against sun damage - may help with eczema and psoriasis
- Oysters
- Beef & lamb
- Whole wheat
- Spinach
- Pumpkin seeds
- Nuts particularly cashews
- Mushrooms
- Mung beans
6. Lycopne
Lycopne is the pigment found in bright red and orange foods and seems to protect against sun damage.
- Tomatoes including tomato rich products such as puree
- Water melon
- Pink grapefruit
- Guava
- Papaya
7. Vitamin A
Vitamin A helps to regulate kidneys which themselves eliminate waste food from our bodies, so if our kidneys aren't working effectively all the gunk hanging around shows up on our skin.
Vitamin A can help relieve acne, rough dry cracked skin, cold sores, eczema and psoriasis and can help the body to heal scarring from sun damage, burns and scarring. Vitamin A rich food includes:
- Liver
- Butter
- Eggs
- Spinach
- Carrots, sweet potato
8. Vitamin C
Vitamin C is very valuable in preventing spots and blemishes. Rich sources of vitamin C include:
- Guava
- Red pepper
- Kiwi fruit
- Orange
- Green pepper
- Grapefruit juice
9. Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 helps skin growth but also helps regulate sugar, fat and protein in the body. It is believed to relieve acne, itchy rashes, seborrheic dermatitis, cracked skin, and sores around mouth. Great sources of B6 include:
- Tuna
- Chicken turkey
- Potatoes
- Cod
- Sunflower seeds
- Spinach
- Banana
- Avocado
10. Vitamin E
Vitamin E helps to soothe and moisturise the skin and may help dry skin, eczema and psoriasis. Good sources of Vitamin E include:
- Sun flower seeds
- Almonds
- Spinach
- Chard
- Turnip greens
- Mustard greens
- Collard greens
- Asparagus
- Bell peppers
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