Five foods your skin loves

It’s spring. I know this because I’ve seen people on Twitter saying it is. There isn’t much proof of it elsewhere because although the evenings are getting lighter and the sky is sometimes blue, it’s still seriously cold. Yeah ok, not as cold as it has been but it’s still cold.

And we all know what cold weather does. As well as turning our fingers numb, making our noses red and urging us to find warmth and stodgy comfort food, it seemingly removes every hint of moisture from our skin, lips, eyes and even our hair, leaving us not only feeling a bit flaky, but looking it too.

Rather than spend out on expensive creams, drops and serums which only deal with the top layer of your skin temporarily, perhaps it’s wise to use nutrition to help us deal with our cold weather skin.

Here are some of the best, readily available, skin friendly foods:

Artichoke
If you don’t fancy making artichoke tea (and who could blame you?) this fibrous vegetable is great roasted or in salads and is ranked as having the highest antioxidant levels in the vegetable world. It’s also packed with potassium, magnesium and most importantly for the skin, vitamin C.

Ever wondered why pirates suffering from Scurvy often developed skin troubles? Probably not, but it’s interesting to know that Vitamin C, also found in kiwi fruit and chilli peppers, is vital in the production of collagen. Hence why it helps to keep the skin supple and prevents damage and soreness.

Peppermint
Peppermint has long been used in topical creams and can be used to cool irritated and sore skin. Regularly ingesting pepperminty goodness however, by drinking it as tea (which is actually pretty delicious) is a sure fire way to help keep your skin hydrated. Refreshing peppermint plus loads of water? You’re on to a winner.

Nuts
Nuts are jam packed with zinc, sometimes referred to as ‘the skin’s miracle mineral’. Although research continues, zinc is commonly regarded as an essential nutrient for healthy skin in that it helps the body to repair damaged tissue and heal scars. Pecan pie anyone?

Broccoli
Broccoli is extremely high in levels of Vitamin A and contains a substance called glucoraphanin both of which are essential to cell production in the body. It’s also full of Vitamins C and E, which can help protect the skin cell membranes.


Avocados
Rumour has it that if you were to be stuck on a desert island and only had access to one food source, you should hope that it’s an endless supply of avocados. I’m often sceptical of the whole ‘superfood’ business but if there was to be one, in my eyes it would be this. Packed with vitamins and minerals, avocado oil has been used extensively in skin treatments, and the flesh of the fruit can be mashed to make face masks that gently soothe and hydrate the skin. Personally, I’d rather eat them by the truckload and let the goodness work from the inside out. YUM.



Gail is a Yorkshire girl who moved to Ireland six years ago. She lives in Co. Cavan with her boyfriend and spends her free time writing, baking cakes and buying dresses. She loves anything vintage and quirky. Gail's a huge fan of Irregular Choice shoes and Morrissey. She considers Minnie Mouse, Ariel and Wonder Woman her style icons.