What Are The Best Foods For Clear Skin
Written by Lauren Arent (Lo Clark)
Owner of Bewitched Esthetics & Licensed Esthetician since 2013
July 12th, 2024
Hello my darlings,
If you have begun to look deeper at what it means to have healthy skin, I am sure you have often wondered what are the best foods for clear skin. You wouldn’t be alone in this. I often tell my clients healthy skin begins within. In this instance, meaning what you eat plays a big role in the health of your skin. Today I want to discuss with you what you should be eating to have glowing, radiant, clear and beautiful skin.
In ALL cases, what you eat isn’t as important as the SOURCE of what you eat. What I mean by this, is making sure you are eating #1. Fresh foods that are #2. Organic preferably and #3. Locally harvested if possible. This is not something as well known as I would like it to be, but trusting corporate labels isn’t actually as pure as you might think.
The FDA is not as reliable as we would all love to believe – please listen to this podcast episode The Truth About the FDA by the Model Health Show if you would like to learn more. While it isn’t always easy, trust me I do not always eat locally grown food, sourcing your food from smaller farms who don’t have to mass produce is the best route to use for the most nutrient rich and healthiest food.
I’d Like to Throw Out a Few Questions for You to Consider:
Did you know that USA organic certification standards are different from European standards? To go into detail on this would be an article on its own. Here is a resource for you I found helpful in seeing the differences in standards (click here).
Did you know that USDA organic does NOT mean there are no pesticides? The NOP (National Organic Program) oversees the certifications and they have a list of allowed substances for organic agriculture.
Did you know you can BUY organic certifications? There are labels, not USDA, but other organic certifications that can be bought for a price.
Did you know that there are tiers of Organic certifications by the USDA? You will find more on this in the same article as above (click here).
Did you know the quality of the soil affects how healthy your produce is? There are numerous examples of this, from toxins in the soil being consumed in the food as well as over farming on soil leeching the nutrients from the soil and therefore the food.
I say this not to make you panic, but as a reminder of how important it is to know the source of your food. If you have the ability to grow some of your own, that is the #1 way to do it. I think it is also important to note that our ancestors knew this information and we would do well to remember this, to learn and adapt to some of the old ways of the world (look into using volcanic soil, it’s going to be a game changer!).
Types of Foods for Clear Skin
Let’s talk basics before I get too into the details of what you should be eating. Everyone should be eating whole foods for clear skin. This means one ingredient foods like vegetables, fruits, grains, meats and dairy. Remember that sourcing is important.
While dairy isn’t always a wonderful choice, I would challenge that if you are getting your milk from a small dairy farm that uses no growth hormones and the cow hasn’t been on antibiotics and it is grass fed from a pasture untreated by chemicals, it would be an excellent source of food for clear skin.
Cows like this are almost like unicorns in this day and age. Am I the only one who dreams of having these cows as well as goats and chickens and pigs that I know how they are raised and trust these as sources of food for my family?
For Clear and Healthy Skin, Focus Your Foods to Whole Foods, Being Conscious of Sourcing:
Vegetables are amazing, nutrient rich without too many calories. Many can help you lose weight because they contain less calories than you burn to consume them. I am a big fan of kale, spinach, broccoli, microgreens, avocados, onions, and cucumbers.
Fruit & berries contains natural sugars and loads of vitamins which are incredibly beneficial for the health of your skin such as vitamin C from oranges and vitamin A from apples.
Meat is an excellent source of protein which we need to keep our skin thick and supple.
Quinoa is an amazing choice for grain as it is also high in protein!
Don’t forget nuts that are a good source of healthy fats which help keep the skin taut and glowing.
Magic Foods for Clear Skin
Herbs are an amazing food category and honestly, my favorite. You will find SO many herbal remedies for healthy skin. Seriously, type it into youtube or check out some of the recipes I have under the category Recipes for Healthy Skin. Herbs have many magical properties for healing. What we often forget and what I make an integral part of my practice is we don’t necessarily need to apply herbal concoctions to our skin to take advantage of their health properties. Incorporating herbs into your meals is an excellent way to use food for clear skin.
For example, did you know that cilantro can detox heavy metals from your body? These heavy metals can wreak havoc and will cause damage to your skin like premature aging and sensitivity reactions. Detoxing heavy metals is very beneficial for having clear skin.
A few herbs I love in a diet rich with food for clear skin:
Dill
Cilantro
Basil
Rosemary
Lemon Balm
Cinnamon
Paprika
Peppermint
Chamomile
Turmeric
Thyme
Sage
Ashwagandha
Some of these herbs play a crucial role in hormone balance. For more information on this please read this article.
This is where we get specific about the right choices for foods for clear skin. If you struggle with skin conditions such as psorisis, eczema, acne, rosacea, etc. you first need to cut out all inflammatory foods. This may include but is not limited to:
Gluten (especially processed gluten products)
Dairy
Soy
Sugar
Food dyes
Refined oils like canola oil / vegetable oil / sunflower oil
Soda
Most skin conditions are triggered by or exacerbated by inflammation, so if you are consuming foods that cause inflammation – you will be increasing the problems in your skin.
Foods That Help to Combat Inflammation & Clear Skin:
Meat stock, which is wonderful for gut health. Until recently I would have recommended bone broth but I learned that bone broth could potentially be hard on the gut and therefore not as wonderful for combating inflammation. Meat stock is nutrient rich and good for flushing out the body.
Mangosteen and soursop are two exotic fruits very high in antioxidants to help fight free radicals which are a big source of inflammation in the body.
Probiotic foods like sour kraut and kimchi will aid in promoting healthy flora in the gut and body which is wonderful for clear skin as it makes it difficult for bad bacteria to thrive within the body.
Salmon and tuna are two kinds of fish high in omega-3’s & vitamin D which are so wonderful for healthy skin and often we as a society are deficient in these. When the body becomes nutrient deficient, it begins showing signs of inflammation and deterioration like brittle nails, skin conditions, and a dull complexion.
Liver is nature’s multi-vitamin. If there is one thing you could eat that would be intensely beneficial for fighting inflammation and boosting the overall health of your skin, it might be this although it is quite an unpopular food.
Berries are high in vitamin content and many also contain loads of antioxidants. Blueberries are an excellent choice and my favorite go to health food sweet treat.
Water isn’t a food but it’s the biggest component in fighting inflammation and cleansing the body of toxins so it’s worth mentioning as a reminder to drink water.
Food Conscious Skin-Care
The most important thing about choosing the best foods for clear skin is to make conscious decisions. If you know dairy causes inflammation for you and triggers or exacerbates your skin conditions, make a conscious effort to avoid dairy. Make a conscious effort to choose whole foods and know why you are choosing them. When you eat berries, remember as you eat that you are consuming a food that will fight free radicals and the aging process. When you have a grass-fed organic steak, think of the protein that is strengthening the connections in your skin and fortifying against sagging skin.
If you should choose to indulge by picking up a cheeseburger from a fast food location, make it a rare occasion and work to combat the choice with other skin healthy foods throughout the rest of the day. Life is a balance, restriction creates impossible standards that no one is really capable of following. Don’t set yourself up for failure, give yourself grace. You are now armed with knowledge of foods for clear skin, so take charge and start small. Soon your choices will become second nature but it does take time and discipline. If there are any foods I missed please let me know in the comments and let me know your favorites by tagging me on social media @bewitchedskinandsoul!
Wishing you a life full of beauty and blessings!
