Things to Know About Foods That Are Good for the Skin

What Should Healthy Skin Be Like?

Healthy skin is the most significant indicator of a well-functioning body. Healthy skin means a bright, smooth, lively and clean skin that can maintain its moisture. Of course, it is not possible to maintain all these features all the time. Both environmental and genetic factors play a major role in skin health.

Factors such as dirty or cold air exposed during the day, harmful sun rays, a stressful life, bad habits such as alcohol and smoking, unhealthy diet, and insufficient sleep are among the environmental factors that have a negative impact on skin health. Your genetic structure and skin type are also factors that affect your skin health^[1].

Over time, when all the bad things are combined, your skin will begin to communicate negatively. Among these negative signals that your skin will give, the first ones that stand out are an oily or dry appearance, acne, blackheads and acne, large pores and a pale complexion^[2].

Making a few minor lifestyle adjustments, though, will help you prevent having weakened, pale, and lifeless skin. As we said at the beginning, a healthy body and healthy skin are like two playmates that complement each other. You have the ability to maintain a youthful and bright appearance for both your body and skin by choosing a healthy lifestyle.

What are the Vitamins and Minerals Needed for Healthy Skin?

Your skin, which is exposed to negative environmental effects, begins to lose its vitality and flexibility over time. Useful vitamins and minerals can help you repair damaged skin and bring back its former health. The vitamins and minerals that healthy skin needs are^[3]:

Vitamins Beneficial for the Skin

Vitamin A: Vitamin A is one of the most needed vitamins, especially for oily skin. Vitamin A plays a very effective role in cleaning enlarged pores and combating acne, blackheads and acne formation. In addition to all this, it also helps balance the skin’s sebum level.

Vitamin C: Vitamin C is the biggest helper for those who have blemish problems and discoloration on their skin. Vitamin C prevents melanin production and protects the skin against blemishes. Vitamin C will save your skin, even if it appears pale and exhausted. It is also an effective vitamin in reducing the signs of aging.

Vitamin D: The most important source of vitamin D is sunlight. In the treatment of many skin conditions, including psoriasis, vitamin D is a crucial adjunct. It is also among the vitamins that are beneficial in color tone changes and acne treatment.

Vitamin E: Vitamin E has a moisturizing structure. It is perfect for dry skin thanks to this feature. In addition, consuming foods containing vitamin E and using creams are effective methods for treating wounds and burns.

Minerals Beneficial for the Skin

Copper: Copper, which is among the essential minerals of the body, also provides important benefits for the skin. It helps maintain and renew the flexible structure of the skin^[4].

Zinc: Among the most vital protectors against the damaging effects of environmental factors on skin is zinc. It contributes to collagen production and cell renewal, delays the effects of aging, and plays a protective role against skin diseases.

Magnesium: Water is one of the most important needs of healthy skin. Water is essential for preserving the proper moisture balance of the skin. Magnesium is among the important minerals that support the skin’s ability to retain water. In this way, it contributes to the skin looking moist and healthy.

Manganese: Manganese is a mineral that contributes to collagen production. In this way, it reduces the formation of wrinkles and prevents the formation of new ones. It also helps increase the oxygen level in the blood, giving the skin a bright and bright appearance.

Selenium: Selenium can be used to solve enlarged and clogged pores. Selenium, which is a very important antioxidant for the skin, is one of the best friends of oily skin thanks to this feature. It also has a reducing effect on the risk of skin cancer.

Silica: Silicone, or silica, is a mineral that plays a significant role in lessening the appearance of skin aging. It gives the skin a young and bright appearance. It reduces the effects of aging.

Sulfur: It is one of the minerals that is very useful not only for the skin, but also for nails and hair. It offers noticeable advantages in the management of skin imperfections like acne and blackheads.  

12 Foods That Are Good for the Skin

Fish

Fish, rich in Omega 3, helps maintain the skin’s moisture balance. Consuming fish twice a week is very beneficial for health^[5].

Blackberry

Among the essential meals for preserving the youthful appearance of the skin are purple fruits like mulberries and blackberries. Purple fruits, which protect the health of the skin by preventing capillary cracks, are also effective in reducing wrinkles.

Walnut

It helps to prevent damage to the cell membrane and promotes the creation of collagen since it includes omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin E. Thanks to this feature, it contributes to the formation of a more flexible and firm skin and is among the nutrients that renew the skin.

Carrot

Orange colored foods such as carrots are rich in vitamin A. It is an effective food in the treatment of acne skin. It is also one of the meals that fights aging.

Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds, which have an anti-aging effect, support cell regeneration. It delays aging by contributing to collagen production.

Red Meat

One of the important nutrients for both body and skin health is red meat. It helps protect skin health thanks to the zinc and iron it contains.

Soy

Soy is another food that helps the body produce collagen. The decreasing amount of collagen due to aging causes wrinkles to increase. Because of the ingredients it contains, soy helps the body produce more collagen, which lessens the signs of aging.

Water

An crucial component of the body is water. However, due to environmental factors and aging, the body’s water content decreases. Drinking two liters of water a day is crucial for the body’s overall health as well as the health of the skin.

Yogurt

Yogurt, rich in minerals, provides moisture to the skin. It improves the tired and pale appearance of the skin thanks to the lactic acid it contains.

Green Tea

Although herbal teas attract more attention with their benefits to the digestive system, green tea prevents free radicals from entering the skin thanks to its components. It shields skin from the damaging rays of the sun.

Egg

Rich in B12 and biotin, eggs are an important nutrient for tightening the skin and shrinking pores.

Olive oil

Olive oil, whose benefits are countless, is also an important nutrient for the skin. It has a very rich content in terms of Omega 9. In this sense, it makes the skin shiny and helps to keep wrinkles from developing.

Tips for a Healthy Skin

For a healthy skin, eating healthy is extremely important. But of course it is not enough. We can list the components you should incorporate into your everyday routine in addition to your nutrition as follows^[6]:

Skin Cleansing

Having clean skin not only makes you look more attractive, but it also keeps your skin healthy. Your skin cleansing routine can be done by cleansing the skin with a gel suitable for your skin type, then applying tonic and moisturizing. You will cleanse your skin from dirt and oil and contribute to its renewal during sleep thanks to this daily routine. A skin that is clean can breathe as well. In order for your skin to breathe, you should take care of regular skin cleansing.

Moistening

Every skin type definitely needs moisturizing. The common belief is that dry skin needs to be moisturized. However, this belief is not true. Oily skin should also be moisturized regularly with moisturizers suitable for their skin type. The most important key to healthy skin is moisture. You should make sure that your skin is moisturized after your daily cleansing routine, before applying make-up, after bathing and before going out.

Mask

Adding a mask application to your weekly skin care routine allows you to deeply care for your skin. You can cleanse your skin by peeling it once a week or relax it by applying a moisture mask. Peeling will also help remove dead cells from the skin surface. Over time, skin that has not been cleared of dead skin becomes unable to breathe.

Preparation for the Sun

Although the sun only comes to mind in summer, you should actually pay attention to the harmful effects of the sun on the skin in every season. Your skin is exposed to a lot of heat in hot weather. One aspect of cold weather is that it dries up your skin. Because of this, you should always remember to use a sunscreen that is appropriate for your skin type before leaving the house. In this way, you can protect your skin from cracks, dryness and color differences.

Regular Sleep

Your skin’s health also greatly depends on you giving your body enough rest. During sleep, your skin has time to regenerate. You need to sleep at least 7 hours every day for healthy skin. Sleeping style is as important as sleep duration. The healthiest way to sleep for your face is to sleep on your back.

Bath time

Did you know that you even need to pay attention to your bathroom for a healthy skin? Bath water has more effects on your skin than you think. If the water you use while bathing is too hot, this will have a negative effect on your skin. Hot water destroys the oil layer of your skin. The skin, whose oil layer is damaged, begins to dry. If you take a bath with hot water, you must moisturize your skin afterwards. Otherwise, your skin will dry out. It is inevitable that your skin may develop cracks and blemishes if you keep up this habit.

Now you know very well what healthy, bright, vibrant and smooth skin needs. You can supply your skin with the vitamins and minerals it requires by adopting a healthy eating habit. Moreover, you can take an important step not only for your skin but also for your body health.