You know that old axiom “beauty starts from within”? Well, in the case of your skin it’s 100% true—which is one of the reasons the new goop skincare line is packed with vitamins and food-grade ingredients. What we eat has a direct effect on our skin and eating a healthy diet full of good fats, antioxidants, vitamin C, collagen, and amino acids can mean the difference between a fresh, glowing complexion and a tired, puffy, wrinkled one. Here are six superfoods packed with nutrients that directly benefit your skin and some of our favorite goop recipes that include them.
Avocados
Avocados are famously great for skin; high in poly- and monounsaturated fatty acids (like omega 9’s), they keep skin looking firm and dewy, help regenerate damaged skin cells, and reduce redness and irritation. The omega 9’s, in particular, keep your epidural layer (the top layer of skin) moisturized, which gives you noticeably hydrated and healthy-looking skin. Avocados are also full of antioxidant carotenoids that not only fight free radicals, which are one of the major culprits of damaged skin and aging, but also help your skin maintain water content and elasticity.
Salmon
Oily fish in general, and salmon in particular, is packed full of omega 3’s, another good fat that does wonders for your skin. These polyunsaturated fatty acids protect the skin from sun exposure, help repair already damaged skin, and keep cell membranes healthy and hydrated, keeping toxins out and your skin looking supple and soft.
Blueberries
Antioxidants are one of the most important factors in maintaining beautiful skin, and eating blueberries is one of the easiest ways to get them. Antioxidants help fight and neutralize free radicals (one of skin’s worst enemies), which are known to damage skin cells and collagen, causing wrinkles, dry skin, and a host of other aging skin factors. Blueberries are also full of vitamin A, which helps normalize oil levels in your skin, and is very helpful in naturally clearing up acne-prone skin.
Bone broth
Bone broth is great for elasticity of skin as it’s full of collagen, minerals like calcium and magnesium, and essential amino acids. When bones are simmered for hours, the collagen inside them cooks down into gelatin, which when ingested, keeps skin firm, smooth, and elastic. The gelatin in bone broth also helps soothe our digestive tract, which can help reduce inflammation, fighting yet another aging factor.
Lemon
Lemon is incredible for skin, not only because it’s packed with vitamin C, which helps neutralize free radicals and helps us make collagen and elastin (which bind skin cells together, giving us firm, younger-looking skin), but it’s also one of the most alkalizing foods available. Although lemons taste incredibly acidic, once metabolized, the minerals in them help alkalize the blood and balance our bodies’ pH (which in most bodies is too acidic due to over consumption of things like coffee, alcohol, and processed foods). When our bodies’ pH levels are out of whack, our skin becomes super sensitive, dry and irritation-prone, so maintaining a good balance is key.
Turmeric
Turmeric is great for skin due to its incredible anti-inflammatory properties. Inflammation in the body is really rough on skin, leading to wrinkles and aging in the long term and making skin look puffy and tired in the short term. Eating or drinking dried or fresh turmeric helps fight inflammation, keeping skin looking fresher and younger, while also helping relieve more serious inflammatory skin problems such as eczema and rosacea.