Beautiful, clear, and healthy skin starts from within — and that means keeping your mind as much on the foods, snacks, and drinks you consume as it does your skincare products like serums and moisturizers. People with great skin usually have one thing in common — it’s not the procedures they get done or the sunscreen they use (though it’s likely they all use some brand of sunscreen on the regular): they incorporate healthy foods like veggies, fruits, and plant-based proteins into their diet every single day.
Eating for better skin can be easy to do, and it can also be delicious. Here are 14 foods and drinks that experts say people with great skin love to eat every day.
Dark Chocolate
Let’s start with a fun one: dessert. Eating a small pice of dark chocolate with a high percentage of cacao every day gives you the benefits of antioxidants that can protect the skin from harmful UV light, manganese for collagen production, and flavanols that can help hydrate your skin and reduce the appearance of texture from fine lines. The next time you crave something sweet, consider swapping sweet milk chocolate or candy for dark chocolate.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Olive oil is a great source of antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties, as well. It’s a healthy fat that you can use for practically all types of cooking, as well as in dressings and marinades. You can even apply it directly to your skin for ultra hydrating topical skincare.
Mixed Nuts
Whether your favorite nut is the almond, walnuts, pistachios, or some combination of every nut you can get into one bowl, this is one snack food that delivers a power antioxidant punch. Nuts contain vitamin E, which is important for healthy, hydrated skin, protein, healthy fats, and other minerals and vitamins.
Greek Yogurt
As we get older, getting enough calcium becomes even more important. The calcium, vitamin D, and protein in Greek yogurt is ideal for your health and skin, as is its probiotic content that helps balance the gut’s bacteria and keep your skin clear.
Beans and Legumes
Plant-based proteins like those you’ll find in beans and legumes provide energy without high amounts of fat or cholesterol. They’re also rich in antioxidants, amino acids, and essential fatty acids that keep your skin looking hydrated.
Leafy Greens
Leafy greens like spinach, broccoli rabe, and lettuce are rich in anti-inflammatory compounds that can reduce inflammation and redness in the skin and help curb acne and conditions like psoriasis. Make sure you get dark green veggies every day, whether in a salad, soup, or smoothie.
Berries
There are few foods as packed with antioxidants as blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries — meaning: the berry family is one you want to invite to your kitchen table. These foods are also rich in vitamins like vitamin C, which helps create more collagen in your skin.
Water
It may seem obvious, but it’s worth pointing out: water is incredibly important for your skin’s health. Drinking water helps flush out toxins from your system and transports nutrients where you need them. The result is clearer, more radian skin. If plain water is too boring for you, try adding lemon or orange slices to your water for a vitamin C kick.
Salmon
There isn’t a complexion on Earth that won’t benefit from the omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids found in cold water fish like salmon. Try not to throw away the skin on your salmon — it contains a wealth of omegas, as well as vitamins D and B.
Pomegranates
This anti-inflammatory fruit contains antioxidants to fight free radicals, essential fatty acids for cell growth and regeneration, and even something called ellagic acid that helps protect your skin from the sun. Think of it as a delicious, natural form of sun protection (still wear sunscreen, of course). If you aren’t sure how to incorporate pomegranates into your diet, you can try adding them to yogurt, oatmeal, or salads.
Green Tea
Green tea’s polyphenols are an anti-inflammatory compound that can help reduce inflammation like redness and irritation in the skin. This tea also has antioxidants and can help hydrate and promote DNA repair.
Citrus Fruits
Vitamin C is one of the most important nutrients for boosting collagen production and rebuilding collagen in the skin. Citrus fruits like oranges, tangerines, and grapefruits are among the most excellent sources of this key vitamin, so making sure you eat them whole can help get your skin looking even more radiant.
Tomatoes
Perhaps you’ve already seen numerous TikTok videos praising the tomato as an excellent topical skin mask. That’s great, but remember: adding tomato to your sandwich or salad also helps you reap the benefits of its vitamin C content, as well as antioxidants, potassium, and magnesium.
Avocado
Last, but not least, the humble, delicious, and super-healthy avocado. Yet another food that doubles as a great face and hair mask, the creamy avocado contains healthy fats for smoother, more hydrated skin, vitamin E, and free radicals. Spread it on toast, add it to sandwiches, salads, and smoothies — the possibilities are endless.
