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Who doesn’t want glowing skin?
Not only is vibrant, clear and blemish-free skin attractive, it has long been seen as a sign of good health – which is likely why we find it so alluring, for both women and men.
We know the basics of creating a flawless complexion: eating healthy foods, drinking enough water, protecting our skin from the sun, and avoiding these foods.
And we also spend a lot of money on our skin. By 2018, the U.S. skincare market is expected to reach nearly $11 billion.
But wouldn’t you love to know how to achieve flawless skin without makeup or lots of pricey products?
The awesome news is that there are some natural remedies you can easily incorporate into your diet.
Check out these three key nutrients with skin superpowers.
How to Achieve Flawless Skin Naturally
1. The Skin Lover Vitamin C
When it comes to achieving flawless, glowing skin, Vitamin C is one of the main go-to ingredients for skin care products. And for good reason (1).
Many studies have shown that Vitamin C, when applied topically, combats signs of aging, repairs sun damage, and protects against oxidative stress.
It’s an essential component in the synthesis of collagen, which is crucial for maintaining the elasticity of the skin. Studies have shown that when applied topically, Vitamin C also boosts collagen production.
A deficiency in Vitamin C can cause destruction of collagen, leading to sagging and wrinkling of the skin as we age. In younger people, a lack of collagen can cause dull, tired, and uneven skin tone.
When it comes to blotchy or uneven skin, Vitamin C disrupts the process of melanogenesis, which is when skin becomes discolored due to an excess of melanin production.
Vitamin C is also anti-inflammatory, helping to stop substances on our skin from triggering acne and eczema flareups.
[Related: 19 Anti-Inflammatory Foods You Should Eat Each Week]
Last but not least, it provides protection from the sun and damage caused to the skin by UV rays and helps in repair and rejuvenation of the skin (2).
So, all those reasons make Vitamin C an awesome choice when you’re coming up with a regimen for how to create flawless skin naturally.
While most plants and many animals synthesize Vitamin C in their cells, humans don’t, which means we need to constantly replenish our stores.
Foods rich in Vitamin C:
- Citrus fruits: oranges, lemon, grapefruit and clementines.
- Yellow and red bell peppers, chili and cayenne peppers
- Green leafy vegetables, especially kale
- Berries (strawberry, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries)
- Fruits like kiwi fruit, guava, papaya, pineapple, mango, and honeydew melon
- Broccoli, peas, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, red cabbage and green cabbage
Give these recipes a try:
2. The Miracle Mineral Sulfur
The mineral sulfur, known for its distinct yellow coloring and unique odor, is crucial for the health of many important structures in the body.
It is a major component of the body’s most indispensable antioxidant, glutathione.
Not only that but it plays a vital role in metabolism and helps to detox the body by hunting down and eliminating toxins through the liver and preventing cellular damage. It also regulates the formation of joint cartilage and the keratin in hair and skin (3).
Added to the list of sulfur’s benefits are its anti-fungal and antibacterial qualities.
Sulfur has been used in medicine for decades. And when it comes to flawless skin, it’s currently used in the treatment of many skin diseases like acne, dermatitis, rosacea, psoriasis, dandruff, scabies, and warts (4).
Overall, sulfur helps with flawless skin by:
- exfoliating dead skin cells as well as bacterial and fungal cells.
- allowing the skin to breathe by opening pores.
- drying out acne sores without disturbing the moisture level of surrounding skin.
- removing excess oil and improving the tone and texture of skin.
Since the body constantly uses sulfur, it needs to be replenished through the diet.
Some sulfur-rich foods include:
- Eggs, meat, and wild fish.
- Dairy products from grass-fed cattle.
- The allium family of plants: onion, garlic, ginger, chives, leeks, and shallots.
- Cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, red and green cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and radishes.
- Greens like collards and kale.
Give these recipes a try:
3. Vitamin E’s Extraordinary Effects
Vitamin E is a potent antioxidant, making it one of the most recommended skin care vitamins.
It serves a number of functions, stimulating the growth and maintenance of collagen and other connective tissues in the body by scavenging free radicals (5).
Why is this important? Free radicals alter the synthesis of the collagen, making skin lose its sheen and elasticity, paving the way for wrinkles and sagging.
Vitamin E helps battle oxidative stress, allowing cells to regenerate and recuperate. As a result, it helps to delay aging, removing spots and blemishes and making the skin glow and shine with a natural health.
Boost your Vitamin E intake with these foods:
- Vegetable oils – palm oil and olive oil.
- Nuts – walnuts, almonds, pine nuts, hazelnuts, peanuts and pecans.
- Seeds – sesame, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds and Chia seeds.
- Green leafy vegetables – kale, spinach, mustard greens, Swiss chard, and turnip greens, and also broccoli.
- Fruits – kiwi, papaya, and avocados.
- Herbs – parsley, coriander, and basil.
Animal sources generally aren’t the best sources of Vitamin E, however, there is some in liver, egg yolks, ghee and butter (6).
Give these recipes a try:
How Do You Achieve Flawless Skin? It Starts Inside
Having a well-nourished and hydrated body is key to having a flawless complexion. Eating a varied, balanced diet containing foods filled with plenty of vitamins C, E and sulfur is a great start.
The awesome news is that eating foods that are good for your skin are excellent for all-around health.
Detox Your Way to Flawless Skin
As you can see, what you put inside your body plays a huge rule in how it looks on the outside. Feed your body a balanced diet with a variety of
If this interests you, you might enjoy my free 1-Day Detox Plan, which helps detoxify your body with delicious “cleansing” meals. Click the banner below to get it for FREE.
Yuri Elkaim is one of the world’s most trusted health and fitness experts. A former pro soccer player turned NYT bestselling author of The All-Day Energy Diet and The All-Day Fat Burning Diet, his clear, science-backed advice has transformed the lives of more than 500,000 men and women and he’s on a mission to help 100 million people by 2040. Read his inspiring story, “From Soccer to Bed to No Hair on My Head” that started it all.