7 Essential Fruits & Vegetables for Beautiful Skin

Ever wondered if you could eat your way to beautiful skin?

I’ve worked in skin care and cosmetics for enough years to see many products go through the market.  Today cosmetic and skin care research is fueled by plant science.  Scientists and researchers pull nutrients from plants, fruits and vegetables, infusing skin products with their essential oils, vitamins and nutrients to create creams and serums to aid people in their quest for beautiful skin.

However, a person will be hard pressed to have beautiful skin simply by schlepping a bunch of cream on.

A lot of people want products to give them beautiful skin but they don’t realize there are other components.  For example, our diet plays a big part in creating beautiful or not so beautiful skin.

What we eat has the potential to show up on our faces.  And beauty isn’t just about the products applied on the face.  Beauty is also about what is kept off.  High levels exposure to harmful UV rays from the sun and buildup of bacteria and dirt in the pores are two things you definitely want away from your skin.

And what you has the potential to heavily impact the condition of your skin.  According to the Journal of American Academy of Dermatology many vegetables and fruits contain specific vitamins that not only protect our skin. They can reverse age as well.

If having beautiful skin is on your priority list for healthy living, make sure to pick up the following produce next time you are at the grocery store or farmers market.

7 Essential Fruits and Vegetables for Beautiful Skin

1.  Asparagus

Asparagus has a high alkaline content that balances the pH levels of the skin. Maintaining a balanced pH level in your skin is critical to clean, clear skin.  If the pH level goes too low or high, conditions such as dryness and acne can occur.

2.  Strawberries

The high amount of vitamin C and antioxidants in strawberries makes them a key contributor to good health.  Additionally, in a 2007 study the Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports strawberries play a part in the synthesis of collagen (the substance in our skin that keeps it firm).

3.  Tomatoes

Tomatoes contain Vitamin C and they also have properties that protect the skin from harmful sun rays.  A study states that people who ate an equivalent of 5 Tablespoons of tomato paste every day had 33% more protection from the sun than people who didn’t.  Spaghetti anyone?

4.  Pink Grapefruit

In 2008, a study in European Journal of Pharmaceutics found that people who ate diets high in lycopene in pink grapefruit had smoother skin than people who did not.  Lycopene’s ability to prevent free radicals from ravaging the skin is the secret behind how lycopene keeps the skin smooth.  Additionally, lycopene is thought to prevent blocked pores and protect the harmful rays of light.  Tomatoes and papayas also have significant levels of lycopene.

5.  Avocado

Fans of avocados credit the green fruit with all sorts of health benefits including keeping the skin soft and supple.  Avocados have high levels of vitamin E and essential oils which help keep skin looking and feeling smooth and healthy.

6.  Corn & Leafy Greens

Both corn and leafy green vegetables have high levels of lutein.  Lutein acts as a barrier against the sun’s most harmful rays.  The CDC reports that skin cancer is the most common form of cancer.  More than 67,000 people in 2009 were diagnosed with skin cancer- a good reason to keep on the SPF and increase our consumption of vegetables that protect us against the UV rays.

7.  Edamame

If you needed a good reason to get sushi tonight, here you are:   Edamame contains two fabulous health benefits for skin.

First, it absorbs the harmful free radicals caused by exposure to the sun.   Second, edamame helps to maintain collagen levels, thus keeping our skin firmer and younger looking for longer.

Final Thought on Eating Our Way to Beauty

An interesting final note:  the fruits and vegetables listed here are a variety of colors and types.  Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables is the key to a diet that will help skin improve and stay beautiful.  Eat lots of them.   Cut back on processed foods that pull fluid and moisture from the skin.  Drink lots of water.

What we eat really does show up on our skin.