3 of the most skin-clearing juices

The secret to soothing irritated or spotty skin is in your fridge, and here are 3 of the most skin-clearing juices to try at home today. Skin woes, begone!

Nicole Richie has declared herself a ‘juice fanatic’, Colin Farrell is often papped with a green smoothie in hand and, rumour has it, blended greens were the secret behind Kate Middleton’s pre-wedding diet. But before you dismiss liquid kale as simply the latest bikini-body trend, it’s worth exploring the true benefits of juicing, which extend far beyond weight loss.

Miracle medicines

Extracting liquid nutrients from specific fruit, veg and herbs can target very specific health complaints. Struggling with insomnia? Add a few sprigs of tarragon to your favourite juice – it helps relax the nerves and regulates the circulatory system, inducing a restful night’s sleep. Juicing ginger can settle an upset stomach and relieve the pain of PMT. And starting the day with a green alkaline juice, rich in dark, leafy vegetables, can have a miraculous effect on your skin.

Internal inflammation is so often the common denominator in skin complaints. Whether you’re suffering from acne, eczema or psoriasis, there are some important foods to include and exclude from your diet to prompt dramatic remission. Target the underlying cause rather than the symptom and you’ll kickstart a process of true healing from within. Juicing floods your body with a ton of nutrients while requiring little assistance from your major digestive organs. This allows your body to rest, inflammation to cool and your skin to heal.

Easy diet changes

Reduce…

Nightshade foods (including tomatoes, potatoes, chillies and peppers)

Dairy

Refined sugar

Alcohol

Increase…

Water consumption (squeeze a fresh lemon into still water to alkalise it)

Green leafy vegetables – use in juices and salads

Avocado – a brilliant plant source of healthy omega oils

Brazil nuts – their selenium content is fantastic and super beneficial for skin

Complaint #1: Psoriasis

This autoimmune illness is a skin condition close to my heart. I struggled with psoriasis from 15 years old. Twenty years on, having tried steroid creams, tars and light treatments, I finally found my answer in juicing.

Here’s my favourite little skin cleanser that combines five cooling, alkaline fruit and veg, each providing a powerful vitamin boost. With the magnesium in spinach designed to promote rest, the ability of celery, cucumber and avocado to help prevent unwanted inflammation, and the pectin in apples to coat the gut, this all-round cooling juice will alkalise the body, calm the internal heat and reduce skin redness and itching.

The cure: High 5

½ cucumber

2 sticks celery

3 apples

Handful spinach

½ avocado

Lecithin granules

Run everything except the avocado through the juicer. Add to your blender with the avocado, a tablespoon of lecithin granules and some ice. Blend until smooth.

Complaint #2: Eczema

I went through a really painful phase of having eczema around my mouth and across my eyelids last year. Reducing dairy products and switching from regular milk to almond milk can calm eczema very quickly. Oranges and strawberries are two fruit that also seemed to cause a real problem for me. Strawberries are often sprayed with a ton of pesticides and the little seeds you see in their skin can prove to be an irritant, causing inflammation that often manifests itself a skin complaint.

Apples are anti everything: antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-allergy. Lemons have immune-boosting powers and are excellent as a digestive aid and liver cleanser. Asparagus contains high levels of the amino acid asparagine, which acts as a natural diuretic. Increased urination not only releases fluid but helps rid the body of excess salt. Celery, with its high water content, will continue hydrating your body and mint acts as an excellent skin cleanser, soothing and helping to cure infections and itchiness.

The cure: A Proper Skinful

6 small asparagus spears

2 sticks of celery

2 apples

A few sprigs of Mint

Small chunk of lemon

Run everything through the juicer. Add to your blender with the some ice. Blend until smooth.

Complaint #3: Acne

I had a huge problem with spots as a teenager and in recent years I started suffering from jawline acne outbreaks, which are more commonly associated with hormones changes. Drinking beet juice regularly may be beneficial in the prevention and cure of skin inflammation like acne. This juice helps eliminate blemishes and promotes healthy hair.

It would be easier to list the things beetroot doesn’t do Not only is it great for boosting stamina and making muscles work harder, the high content of nitrates mean it’s awesome for widening blood vessels, in turn lowering blood pressure. It also contains potassium, an essential stress-busting nutrient, plus magnesium, iron, vitamins A, B6 and C, and folic acid… phew!

Coriander calms the mood and aids sleep, and this clever plant is full of zinc and binds to heavy metals in the body, helping to expel them as toxins. The chemical compound quercetin is especially prevalent in red apples – mostly in their skins – with specific immune-modulatory properties, these sweet little additions are perfect for regulating autoimmune disorders.

The cure: Just Beet It!

1 small beetroot

2 stick celery

2 red apples

A few sprigs of coriander

Small chunk of lemon

Run everything through the juicer. Add to your blender with the some ice. Blend until smooth.

Download my free skin-clearing guide here