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The Best Vegan Foods for Healthy Skin

Written by Steph, Nutritionist

Published March 30, 2022

5 Plant-Based Foods for Healthy Skin

8 minute read

Lots of us spend our hard-earned cash on cosmetic products or makeup to improve our appearance, but helping to nurture your beauty from within can give you the natural glow and blemish-free skin you’ve been searching for – as well as helping you to feel as good as you look!

Your Skin is Amazing 🔬

Skin is the body’s largest organ and is constantly responding to its environment and adapting. Skin health can be influenced by things outside of our control (genetics, allergies, autoimmune conditions etc.) but it is also heavily impacted on by the skin’s environment.

The things we eat, how hydrated we are, exposure to toxins and even the cosmetic products we rely on to make skin look better, can all influence how good or bad skin looks – and how healthy it actually is beneath the surface.

How Can I Improve My Skin Health with Food? 🤔

If you’re proactive with your skin health – investing in skin care products, cosmetics and treating yourself to the occasional face mask or pamper session – but still find that your skin doesn’t look its best then you may need to dig a little deeper.

Poor skin health regardless of the time, effort and hard-earned cash you’ve devoted to your skin care regime could indicate there’s a different root cause of your skin flare-ups or breakouts. Tackling the root cause of bad skin is the best way to improve skin health and address the problem, rather than trying to cover it up on the surface.

Beauty really does come from within - so if your lotions and potions have let your skin down, now's the time to look at your diet and lifestyle.

5 Best Vegan Foods for Skin Health 🌱

Choosing food which is rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytonutrients and healthy fats can give your skin the nutrients it needs to repair damage, create new skin cells and improve the overall health and appearance of your skin.

Sounds like a lot of work, but there are many amazing nutrient-dense foods which tick most of these boxes in every delicious serving. Including them in your diet is a proactive way to tackle the root cause of poor skin health and promote a natural glow that you’ll embrace rather than want to cover up!

For healthy skin - think of the rainbow. Whole foods rich in colour like bell peppers, sweet potatoes, blueberries, leafy greens, tomatoes, carrots - these plant foods all contain powerful antioxidants like vitamin a, lycopene, selenium and beta-carotene, which are brilliant for healthy, glowing skin.

Here’s our pick of the top 5 beautifying food to promote skin health.

1. Berries for Skin Health 🍓

Berries are an incredibly potent source of antioxidants including anthocyanins, ellagic acid and resveratrol. These work from within to protect against environmental harm such as air pollution, water pollution and UV damage – rebuffing the surface of the skin and nurturing a brighter complexion.

Berries are rich in Vitamin C - and without Vitamin C, the body can’t form collagen, making this powerful antioxidant an essential cofactor in collagen synthesis. Research shows the presence of Vitamin C directly triggers DNA to regulate and maintain the intercellular amount of collagen, therefore having a direct anti-ageing effect. Additionally, Vitamin C’s antioxidant properties fight free radicals and aid in the skin’s regeneration process.

Berries also have anti-inflammatory properties, which can help to solve common skin complaints such as redness, blotchiness, irritation and skin breakouts. Berries are an amazing superfood and are easily added to your daily diet for a boost of nutrients to keep you looking and feeling your best.

We created our Berry Beauty blend to provide you with a potent and concentrated source of the nutrients found in berries in a convenient and potent superfood powder. Berry Beauty provides a blend of nature’s best beauty foods, with Organic Açai Berry, Acerola, Blueberry, Cranberry, Maqui Berry and Strawberry with Chia Seeds + Maca Root. Add a scoop to smoothies, morning oats, juices or even good old water to help boost your beauty daily.

2. Green Tea for Skin Health 🍵

Green tea contains a unique antioxidant called Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG to you and me!) which is known for its anti-ageing properties. EGCG has been found to accelerate the regeneration of skin cells, repairing damage before it becomes visible for smooth and glowing skin.

You’ll also find Vitamins B and E in green tea. Vitamin E helps to promote overall skin health, whilst B Vitamins accelerate collagen synthesis - this can help to plump out wrinkles and smooth fine lines 🙌

We use ceremonial grade Japanese Matcha in our Magic Matcha blend. One daily serving of Magic Matcha can help you to reap the benefits of green tea in one easy scoop. Simply add to hot water and add a dash of plant-based milk (if desired) to empower your daily skincare regime.

3. Dark Chocolate for Skin Health 🍫

We love nothing more than hearing just how good chocolate is for us! Not the usual confectionary packed with sugar of course, but dark chocolate which is as close to its raw cacao roots as can be.

The darker the chocolate, the higher it is in antioxidants, which protect skin cells from damaging oxidative stress.

Flavanols found in dark chocolate have been shown to have many benefits for skin including protection against sun damage, increased blood flow and improved hydration - to help you maintain your youthful appearance for as long as possible.

We use raw cacao in our Coco Dream blend for a deliciously smooth chocolate flavour that supports healthy skin from within. Known as the chill blend, Coco Dream is enhanced with Reishi mushroom to help you relax and drift off into a sound sleep, helping to maximise that all important beauty sleep too.

4. Avocado for Skin Health 🥑

Avocados are a great source of healthy fats, and their natural oils also provide a spectrum of benefits for skin health. They're a rich source of Vitamin E, an antioxidant vitamin which helps to protect against environmental and external toxins which can damage skin. Vitamin E also has anti-inflammatory properties, helping to reduce skin redness and irritation.

You can even reap the benefits of avocado oil by applying it directly to your skin. Avo oil is incredibly absorbable and able to penetrate beneath the surface of skin. It’s high oleic acid content (a kind of healthy fat) makes it a great moisturiser. You can even add avo oil to your hair mask or massage it into your nails for the same beautifying impact.

Of course, eating avocados is also great for your skin health. The oleic acid found in avocados has also been shown to help promote collagen synthesis, reducing the appearance of wrinkles and minimising the visible signs of ageing.

The omega-3 fatty acids they contain have been shown to work on the skin's phospholipid bilayer, helping it hold onto water, leading to moister, softer skin and plumper skin cells. They also have anti inflammatory properties - so good levels of Omega 3 are really important for skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema.

5. Water for Skin Health 💦

Last but certainly not least is water – whose benefits are mainly attributed to its hydrating effect on the skin. Dehydration wreaks havoc on skin – contributing to dryness, itchiness, wrinkles, blemishes and poor complexion. Drinking enough water will help to keep you hydrated and prevent some of these skin problems.

Getting enough fluids also supports your body's natural detoxification mechanisms. Detox is super important to skin health as it is often toxins which damage skin and cause it to appear unhealthy. Water carries essential beautifying nutrients and delivers them to the skin, helping to tackle the root cause of many skin issues.

If you don’t enjoy water as it comes, why not add a scoop of our Berry Beauty or Clean Greens for a boost of extra flavour and nutrients? You can also add fresh citrus fruit and berries to your water bottle and leave it in the fridge overnight, allowing your water to infuse with extra flavour.

Unlock Your Natural Beauty from Within 🌱

We’re passionate about the power of nutrients and superfoods to support skin health, which is why we created our Beauty Bundle of three handpicked blends: Magic Matcha, Berry Beauty & Coco Dream.

Each of these is a great addition to your daily skincare regime, to give your body all it needs to keep you looking and feeling your best. Add to shakes, smoothies, oats, yoghurt and healthy recipes - as well as simply mixing with water for a beautifying boost.

👉 Shop the Beauty Bundle

Rheal superfoods beauty bundle