The Best Foods for Beautiful Skin
It is a fact that a balanced and healthy diet has a positive effect on the skin. But what exactly should you be eating to make a difference and which foods should you avoid?
How Your Diet Affects Your Skin
Beautiful skin requires a healthy and balanced diet that contains plenty of fruit, vegetables, fiber and minerals. Certain foods are considered true beauty foods that make your skin look radiant and glowing. Of course, every skin type has different needs. However, there are some key nutrients that are really essential for healthy skin.
- Minerals are crucial for maintaining skin health and vitality. Silicon, zinc and sulfur play a particularly important role. A silicon-rich diet is beneficial for the connective tissue. Zinc has anti-inflammatory, soothing and dehydrating properties. The latter effect ensures that inflammation is deprived of moisture and thus the breeding ground for bacteria. Sulfur has detoxifying properties.
- Omega fatty acids combat inflammation, regulate the skin’s moisture levels and help to prevent dryness, tightness and wrinkles. They also make the skin more resistant to harmful environmental influences. Omega-9, omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids are particulary important for the skin. They are considered healthy fats and essential for our overall health.
- Minerals are crucial for maintaining skin health and vitality. Silicon, zinc and sulfur play a particularly important role. A silicon-rich diet is beneficial for the connective tissue. Zinc has anti-inflammatory, soothing and dehydrating properties. The latter effect ensures that inflammation is deprived of moisture and thus the breeding ground for bacteria. Sulfur has detoxifying properties.
- Omega fatty acids combat inflammation, regulate the skin’s moisture levels and help to prevent dryness, tightness and wrinkles. They also make the skin more resistant to harmful environmental influences. Omega-9, omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids are particulary important for the skin. They are considered healthy fats and essential for our overall health.
- Antioxidants are the antagonists of free radicals and protect the skin cells from oxidative stress and premature aging. There are countless effective antioxidant-rich foods that can improve the appearance of the skin. Berries, green tea and dark chocolate are great sources of antioxidants, to name just a few. Among other benefits, beta-carotene, vitamin A and vitamin E help to prevent free radical damage, too.
- Vitamin C strengthens the connective tissue and stimulates collagen production. Vitamin C-rich foods include citrus fruits, spinach and blackcurrants. As the human body cannot produce vitamin C on its own, we must consume it in our diet.
- Antioxidants are the antagonists of free radicals and protect the skin cells from oxidative stress and premature aging. There are countless effective antioxidant-rich foods that can improve the appearance of the skin. Berries, green tea and dark chocolate are great sources of antioxidants, to name just a few. Among other benefits, beta-carotene, vitamin A and vitamin E help to prevent free radical damage, too.
- Vitamin C strengthens the connective tissue and stimulates collagen production. Vitamin C-rich foods include citrus fruits, spinach and blackcurrants. As the human body cannot produce vitamin C on its own, we must consume it in our diet.
The Glycemic Index
The glycemic index (GI) is a rating system specifically for carbohydrate-containing foods. What does this have to do with a skin-friendly and skin-healthy diet? Quite simply, carbohydrates with a high GI are digested and absorbed more quickly. This causes a rapid rise in blood sugar levels. A high GI also increases hormone production, which in turn stimulates sebum production. In short: If you have blemish-prone skin or acne, you should keep your blood sugar levels as low as possible. Foods with a high glycemic index include white flour products, sweets, alcohol and certain types of fruit. Nuts, fresh vegetables, lentils and skimmed milk products, on the other hand, are low-glycemic foods and have a positive effect.
Tips from Food and Lifestyle Influencer "bigmamas.journey"
Our beauty expert Vanessa had a chat with food and lifestyle influencer Laura from "bigmamas.journey". Laura had struggled with blemish-prone, acne-prone skin for a long time, but has managed to improve her skin health with the right skincare and a healthy diet. Here are her top tips for you.
Food und Lifestyle Influencerin Laura von "bigmamas.journey"
Tip no. 1: Drink enough water
Drinking enough water is oh-so important. We’ve all been there: Drink too little and you’ll find yourself battling a nasty headache in the afternoon. Just like our body, our skin also reacts to a lack of water. Too little moisture dehydrates the skin and at the same time leads to blemishes and wrinkles. To avoid this, you should drink at least 1.5 liters of water every day. If you increase your fluid intake, some of the water will reach the skin cells and restore the skin’s elasticity. Drinking enough water also keeps the pores clean and helps to flush out toxins. As a result, blackheads, pimples and the like are reduced. Laura confirms: "People always say that drinking is important, but very few people know why and I think that is the reason why it doesn’t work for many people. You would be much more motivated if you knew what positive effects it has on healthy skin, weight loss and metabolism. The skin becomes plumper and cellulite is reduced."
Tip no. 1: Drink enough water
Drinking enough water is oh-so important. We’ve all been there: Drink too little and you’ll find yourself battling a nasty headache in the afternoon. Just like our body, our skin also reacts to a lack of water. Too little moisture dehydrates the skin and at the same time leads to blemishes and wrinkles. To avoid this, you should drink at least 1.5 liters of water every day. If you increase your fluid intake, some of the water will reach the skin cells and restore the skin’s elasticity. Drinking enough water also keeps the pores clean and helps to flush out toxins. As a result, blackheads, pimples and the like are reduced. Laura confirms: "People always say that drinking is important, but very few people know why and I think that is the reason why it doesn’t work for many people. You would be much more motivated if you knew what positive effects it has on healthy skin, weight loss and metabolism. The skin becomes plumper and cellulite is reduced."
Tip no. 2: Avoid sugar
It is no secret that excessive sugar intake is bad for your health. It also has a negative impact on the skin. If you consume too much sugar in your diet, you accelerate the process of "glycation". As a result, tissue fibers stick together, which promotes the formation of wrinkles. In addition, high blood sugar levels promote blemishes like pimples and pustules and the development of cellulite. Laura tells us her top tip for clear skin: "I go sugar-free for four weeks at least once a year. It probably sounds hard for many people to give up sugar completely, but the effect on the skin is enormous. This is the third or fourth time I’ve done it. It gets much easier over time as you continue to find lots of healthy alternatives. It also has a great effect on your generall well-being."
Tip no. 3: Laura’s skincare secret
In addition to changing her diet, Laura has also revised her skincare routine to get her blemish-prone skin under control. For Laura, removing make-up and proper cleansing is key: "Sometimes you fall asleep on the couch or you’re just too tired and don’t feel like removing your make-up. When that happens, I immediately notice that my skin becomes more prone to breakouts. Cleansing has a huge effect on the general appearance of the skin.“
