8 Beauty-Boosting Foods for Gorgeous Hair & Skin

While a great haircare and skincare routine is a must, an important (and often overlooked) part of any daily beauty regimen is to incorporate healthy foods into your diet.

From antioxidant-rich fruits and veggies that help reverse the visible signs of aging to natural herbs and spices that can stimulate digestion, eliminate toxins, and clear up skin today’s diet & nutrition guide features 8 beauty-boosting foods for gorgeous hair and skin.

Beauty-Boosting Foods for Clear & Radiant Skin

Lemon: Before eating breakfast, start your morning by squeezing lemon juice into a glass of water. The alkaline-based lemon juice not only helps to balance the pH levels in your body, but it also aids digestion, helping to flush out unhealthy toxins from your system. Since the skin is the largest organ in the body, it often reflects your internal health (or lack thereof). When you’ve been eating sugar, dairy, or junk food, the skin often gets congested, leading to acne flare-ups and breakouts. That’s why it’s imperative to regularly eliminate toxins if you want clear, radiant skin.

Pumpkin: High in Vitamin A, pumpkins are another beauty-boosting food that helps promote healthy, clear skin. By consuming pumpkin-based foods (excluding sugary pumpkin pies, of course), you can help to boost your skin’s natural ability to produce collagen, which is essential for youthful, healthy skin. As reported by the International Dermal Institute, “Zinc in pumpkin seeds is brilliant for acne sufferers. Zinc will help control the hormone level and oil production, as well as assist with healing of the skin.”

Green Tea: High in antioxidants (which combat free radicals), green tea can help clear up the skin. As reported by Allure, “Green tea, in particular, is packed with antioxidants that help brighten skin and protect it from free radicals. ‘Green tea is an amazing anti-inflammatory agent, so it helps treat rosacea and even acne,’ dermatologist Judith Hellman has told Allure.

Beauty-Boosting Foods for Younger-Looking Skin

Salmon: As one of the main staples in the daily diet of renowned Dermatologist Dr. Nicholas Perricone, Salmon is one of the best beauty-boosting foods for anti-aging. Surprisingly, he actually consumes Salmon a couple times each day! He told Elle, “Wild salmon and other cold water fish (sardines, herring, trout, etc…) are great sources of protein, necessary to maintain and repair the body, including the skin, on a cellular level. They are rich in anti-inflammatory omega-3 essential fatty acids, which keeps skin radiant, supple and wrinkle-free. Wild salmon’s pink or red color, owes its pigment to astaxanthin, a super carotenoid anti-oxidant with potent anti-inflammatory properties. What does that mean for your skin? Astaxanthin improves the elasticity and reduces the appearance of fine lines.”

Blueberries: Dr. Perricone also recommends eating these bite-sized berries to improve the appearance of your skin, especially if you want a more youthful complexion. He was quoted in Elle saying, “blueberries are an outstanding source of many phytochemicals including the anthocyanins that act as antioxidants (in addition to many other benefits). They work around the clock to protect skin from premature aging and damage and protect the cell from DNA damage. Blueberries also have great anti-inflammatory properties—remember inflammation is not just linked to disease—it is a major cause of wrinkling and sagging in the skin.”

Avocado: As shared in Prevention magazine, “Overall, fats can help nourish your skin and prevent dryness. “Lucky for our skin, avocados are packed with monounsaturated and some polyunsaturated fats—the ‘good fats,’” explains nutritionist Jackie Newgent, RDN, CDN. “In fact, avocados are nutrient-packed in general!” So you can feel good eating that delicious avocado toast now that you know it’s also a major beauty-boosting food.

Beauty-Boosting Foods for Shiny & Strong Hair

Eggs: Packed with biotin and protein, eggs are a great beauty-boosting food for shiny, strong hair. As reported in Healthline, “eating adequate protein is important for hair growth because hair follicles are made of mostly protein. A lack of protein in the diet has been shown to promote hair loss (1). Biotin is essential for the production of a hair protein called keratin, which is why biotin supplements are often marketed for hair growth. Research has also shown that consuming more biotin can help improve hair growth in people with a biotin deficiency.”

Spinach: Since iron deficiencies can lead to hair loss, consuming spinach can help reverse this problem. As shared by Healthline, “spinach is a healthy green vegetable that’s loaded with beneficial nutrients like folate, iron, and vitamins A and C, all of which may promote hair growth (11). Vitamin A helps the skin glands produce sebum. This oily substance helps moisturize the scalp to keep hair healthy (12, 13). A cup (30 grams) of spinach provides up to 54% of your daily vitamin A needs (11).”

By consuming healthy foods, you give your body the vital nutrients it needs to function properly. As a result, you can expect to see an improvement in the texture and appearance of your skin and hair. Not to mention – you’ll most likely feel a natural increase in energy and vitality by consuming healthy foods that are good for you.

For more healthy lifestyle tips, check out the Diet & Nutrition section on Inspirations & Celebrations.