Eat your way to great skin

The saying goes, ‘you are what you eat’ so if you’re lusting after clearer skin, don’t look to your makeup bag, look in your kitchen cupboards because your diet has as much of an impact on your appearance as it does on your waistline. A nutritious diet helps to nourish your skin with the vitamins, minerals and other goodies it needs to stay looking healthy and youthful, so with that in mind, here’s our rundown of the ultimate skin foods.

1 Butternut squash
This orange-hued vegetable is high in antioxidant carotenoids like beta-carotene which acts like a natural sun screen by helping to protect skin from the sun’s damaging UV rays by neutralising harmful free radicals.

2 Kiwi
With more vitamin C than an orange, kiwi fruit is a must-try addition to a healthy beauty diet. Packed with collagen-building vitamin C, kiwi helps to preserve skin’s natural elasticity to keep skin firm and fine lines at bay.

3 Greek yogurt
Spotty skin is one of the first signs of an overburdened digestive system, but snacking on Greek yogurt is one of the best ways to help blast away breakouts. Unflavoured Greek yogurt is rich in probiotics which help to boost numbers of the good microflora that live in your gut and push out the bad, so that your skin gets back its natural glow.

4 Brazil nuts
Essential fatty acids like those found in Brazil nuts act almost like a miracle face cream to keep your skin looking plump and dewy. The good fats found in the nut help to keep skin cells healthy so that your skin retains a gorgeously youthful glow.

5 Spinach
Dark green leafy veg like spinach should be on the menu for so many reasons. Not only is it a great source of fatigue-fighting iron, spinach is also a powerhouse of vitamin A which helps to banish dryness and keeps skin moisturised. Spinach is also high in alkalising and cleansing compounds which helps to remove toxins so that your complexion looks beautifully fresh.