When talking about skincare, people tend to emphasize the importance of hydration and cosmetic treatments, but very few are talking about the importance of nutrition. External and internal care are both equally important for your skin’s health, strength, and elasticity. A good diet will ensure your body gets enough vitamins and minerals which will prevent many skin issues. If you’re struggling with acne, dry skin (xerosis), dermatitis, seborrhea, or psoriasis, read on to discover what vitamins and minerals can help make your skin healthier.

Vitamin A

Being one of the most important antioxidants in your body, vitamin A is a skin growth modulator; it promotes epidermal separation and it slows down collagen degradation caused by aging. It’s being transported through the body together with zinc so the two actually work together. Vitamin A is a forerunner of beta-carotene which we easily find in carrots, collards, asparagus, and sweet potatoes. For people who have serious vitamin A deficiency, we suggest liver, as it’s the food that has high concentrations of the said vitamin.

Zinc

Zinc is a useful element because it helps our body absorb other vitamins and nutrients, and it also prevents UV light from damaging our skin when we’re outside. When choosing a sunscreen for your family, it’s recommended you use the one that’s zinc-based because these are usually light and very effective. It’s a less known fact that zinc also helps with faster healing of skin wounds and does wonders in repairing damaged skin tissue. Most people lack zinc because it’s difficult to get enough through diet alone. It’s naturally found in grass-fed beef, lamb, oysters and other shellfish, and vegetables such as pumpkin seeds, chickpeas, as well as whole grains and nuts.

Vitamin E

Among all vitamins necessary for the proper functioning of your body, there is no other that will be able to make your skin as soft and beautiful as vitamin E. In addition to keeping your skin beautiful, vitamin E is protecting it from the free radicals too. Fortunately, it’s easy to find it in foods that are naturally rich in oils, such as fruits and vegetables. For people who suffer from acne, we suggest using home-made avocado butter rich in good omega 3 oils. It’s also good to apply this after you’ve cleansed and exfoliated your skin because vitamin E will help keep natural oils of your skin ‘locked’ inside, keep it healthy, and give it that healthy glow.

Coenzyme Q

Your early twenties might not be the time to think about collagen loss, but it’s when you slowly start to lose it, so you might want to prevent this from happening or make the effects less prominent. If you want your skin to stay elastic and firm, you need to use products with CoQ10 or coenzyme Q. It’s a strong antioxidant that will keep your skin healthy, soft, and flexible. When you lose collagen, your skin will become saggy and you’ll notice that your wrinkles are more prominent, which is why anti-aging products that contain CoQ10 are very sought-after.

Silicone

You might think that silicone is for implants only, but you’d be wrong. It happens to be the primary component of your fingernails and it makes not only your nails strong and beautiful, but your skin and hair too. We mentioned the importance of collagen already, and you’ll be glad to hear that silicone is an element that plays a huge role in the synthesis of collagen. Silicone will do wonders for the strength and elasticity of your skin, and your deep wrinkles will be less prominent. Tofu, bananas, and rice are some of the best sources of silicone, and you could also include more raisins into your diet.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is essential for your overall health because it boosts your immune system and gives you energy. If you want to make sure you’re getting enough vitamin C, you should eat more fresh fruit: citrus and strawberries in particular. There are people who don’t have time to peel the fruit and prepare it so they drink orange juice and lemonade instead. This is great because it’s not only healthy, but delicious as well. If you’re watching your diet, don’t add any sugar to your juice, but rather add organic honey instead.

They say that true beauty comes from within, and they are right – when you take time to include plenty of vitamins and minerals into your diet, it will show on your skin, hair, and nails. Not many are willing to admit that beauty greatly depends on health, but it’s true, and if you change your diet for the better, you’ll soon see the results. As we get older, optimal nutrition becomes very important, and it’s important to change your habits on time so that you can keep not only your health, but the youthful glow of your skin for a long time.

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