Great skincare shouldn’t be confined to your bathroom cabinet or dressing table – it can be found in your food cupboard and supplements drawer too. For a taste of how a colourful, nutrient-rich diet can support your skin, check out our recommendations for foods and drinks that could help keep your skin feeling smooth and, well, peachy...

Why does food affect our skin?

It’s widely accepted that the food we eat (or don’t eat) will have some effect on our overall skin health and appearance.¹

You can see evidence of this in the many vitamin deficiencies that result in skin disorders. For example, a vitamin B deficiency may show symptoms like patchy red rashes, dermatitis and fungal skin infections.¹

Food is where we get the majority of our vitamins, especially from fruits and vegetables, providing us with nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin E and selenium. Our diet helps us to get some of the most important antioxidants for our overall wellbeing, including skin too.

Which colour foods are best for clear skin?

Yellow, orange, red and dark green foods contain large amounts of beta carotene, a skin-essential mineral the body converts into its own form of vitamin A, retinol.²

Vitamin A is important for normal vision, the immune system, reproduction, and growth and development.³

Retinol is said to support the maintenance of our skin’s vital support structures – collagen and elastin,⁴ which hold the skin together.

Many fruits and veggies are also rich in vitamin C, an antioxidant vital for normal collagen production. Our expert explains how it works in 10 collagen-friendly foods to add to your menu.

Vitamin E is essential for the protection of cells from oxidative stress and it’s found in sunflower oil and seeds, whole grains and nuts.⁵ You can find out more about the benefits of eating a varied, colourful diet in our article on superfoods.

Which foods provide antioxidants?

Young woman hands holds a bowl of veggie summer fresh salad with carrot, spinach, seaweed, cabbage, lemon and olive oil.

One of the best ways to get more antioxidants is to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day.⁶

The fruits and veggies with the most intense colours are the ones richest in antioxidants; think about a rainbow of foods on your plate⁷ – such as green veggies like kale or fruits such as kiwi, orange pumpkins or satsumas, red peppers and tomatoes.

So, try to eat a few different colours at every mealtime.

Best foods for skin

Foods that contain a high percentage of water may be good for your skin due to their hydrating qualities.

A study found that dietary water (that’s water in your food) is beneficial for health, especially in terms of your skin. The study concluded that higher water inputs in a regular diet positively impacts normal skin physiology.⁸ It’s particularly good to put hydrating foods on the menu in warmer weather, when it’s easier to become dehydrated.

Here are six foods with a high-water content:

lettuce – 96% water
cucumber – 95% water
tomatoes – 94% water
watermelon – 92% water
strawberries – 91% water
cantaloupe melon – 90% water

Other foods that are beneficial for your skin due to their nutrient content are:

carrots provide a good source of vitamin A, which supports the maintenance of normal skin. (Other vitamin A rich foods include kale, sweet potatoes and mangos)
Brazil nuts contain selenium and omega 3 (an essential fatty acid). Selenium is an essential antioxidant, which also supports the normal function of the immune system
broccoli is also a good source of vitamin C,⁹ which supports the maintenance of normal skin. (Other vitamin C rich foods includes citrus fruit, peppers, strawberries, brussels sprouts and potatoes)
chia seeds are thought to have a hydrating quality when soaked in water (or any liquid). Not only that, but they’re a nutritional powerhouse. So, why not give our omega-3 packed chia berry pudding a try?

Best drinks for skin

Additional dietary water intake may increase hydration¹⁰ in the surface layer of skin which plays a crucial role in retaining hydration; dry skin may result because of poor water retention.¹¹

Fresh beetroot juice in glass holding by woman hand, Healthy drink

Here are six drinks that may support your skin:

The final say

Colourful and diverse ingredients will not only brighten your mealtimes, but they’ll also provide an abundance of nutrients and antioxidants.

Eating a healthy balanced diet not only nourishes you from within but it may also help to support healthy skin too. Sebum content, skin hydration and acidic skin pH are major factors in maintaining skin health.¹²

The importance of hydration really shouldn’t be underestimated, so check out these foods and drinks and go get that glow.

Disclaimer

The advice in this article is for information only and should not replace medical care. Please check with your GP or healthcare professional before trying any supplements, treatments or remedies. Food supplements must not be used as a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.

Sources

Pullar JM, Carr AC, Vissers MCM. The Roles of Vitamin C in Skin Health. Nutrients [Internet]. 2017 Aug 12;9(8):866. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5579659/
NHS . Vitamin A - Vitamins and minerals [Internet]. NHS. 2020. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-a/
National Institutes of Health. Office of Dietary Supplements - Vitamin A [Internet]. ods.od.nih.gov. 2022. Available from: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminA-Consumer/#:~:text=Vitamin%20A%20is%20important%20for
Zasada M, Budzisz E. Retinoids: active molecules influencing skin structure formation in cosmetic and dermatological treatments. Advances in Dermatology and Allergology [Internet]. 2019;36(4):392–7. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6791161/
NHS. Vitamin E - Vitamins and minerals [Internet]. NHS. 2019. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-e/
NHS. Why 5 a Day? [Internet]. nhs.uk. NHS; 2022. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/5-a-day/why-5-a-day/
Cömert ED, Mogol BA, Gökmen V. Relationship between color and antioxidant capacity of fruits and vegetables. Current Research in Food Science [Internet]. 2020 Jun 1;2:1–10. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2665927119300097
Rodrigues L, Palma L, Tavares Marques L, Bujan Varela J. Dietary water affects human skin hydration and biomechanics. Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology [Internet]. 2015 Aug;8(8):413.
NHS. Vitamin C - Vitamins and minerals [Internet]. NHS. Crown Copyright; 2020. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-c/
Akdeniz M, Tomova‐Simitchieva T, Dobos G, Blume‐Peytavi U, Kottner J. Does dietary fluid intake affect skin hydration in healthy humans? A systematic literature review. Skin Research and Technology. 2018 Feb 2;24(3):459–65. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29392767/
Osseiran S, Cruz JD, Jeong S, Wang H, Fthenakis C, Evans CL. Characterizing stratum corneum structure, barrier function, and chemical content of human skin with coherent Raman scattering imaging. Biomedical Optics Express. 2018 Nov 26;9(12):6425. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6490993/#:~:text=The%20most%20superficial%20layer%20of,consequence%20of%20poor%20water%20retention
Lim S, Shin J, Cho Y, Kim KP. Dietary Patterns Associated with Sebum Content, Skin Hydration and pH, and Their Sex-Dependent Differences in Healthy Korean Adults. Nutrients [Internet]. 2019 Mar 14;11(3). Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6471406/