As beauty products get more high-tech, the top complexion cures still come from the most natural quarters: the aisles of your supermarket.
Here are 10 cream-of-the-crop ways to nourish your skin from the inside and out.
Cocoa hydrates your skin, making it firmer and more supple. Dark chocolate contains high levels of flavonols, a potent type of antioxidant. For maximum flavonol content, eat chocolate that's at least 70 percent cacao. A couple of squares a day should be enough to improve luminosity.
Another great tip: When applied topically, the caffeine in chocolate may temporarily reduce skin puffin
Prevent Wrinkles with Yogurt
The protein you get from eating dairy helps skin become firmer, so it's more resistant to lines. Greek yogurt is especially beneficial because the protein content is often double that of regular yogurt. Eat a single serving daily to make your complexion smoother.
Protect with Pomegranates
Pomegranates are packed with polyphenol antioxidants. Polyphenols fight free radicals and regulate skin's blood flow, giving it rosiness. One pomegranate or a few glasses of juice daily should do the trick. When applied to skin, the fruits' antioxidants help smooth lines and moisturize.
Soften Skin with Walnuts
Walnuts contain omega-3 essential fatty acids, which can improve skin's elasticity. The nuts are also loaded with copper, a mineral that boosts collagen production. Snack on a handful of walnuts each day to improve your complexion's texture, and slough tough calluses.
Fight Crow's Feet with Peppers
Women who eat green and yellow vegetables regularly tend to have fewer wrinkles, especially around the eyes. Also, studies found that carotenoids — the antioxidants in yellow and orange veggies — can decrease skin's sensitivity to the sun. Aim for about two cups of peppers daily.
Brighten Up with Sunflower Seeds
Loaded with vitamin E, sunflower seeds keep your skin supple by protecting its top layers from the sun. Eat a handful daily. A high essential-fatty-acid content makes sunflower seed oil a treat for parched body parts, such as lips and heels, when topically applied.
Zap Zits with Kidney Beans
Kidney beans are high in zinc, and studies indicate a correlation between blemishes and low zinc levels due to zinc's healing properties. Have a four-ounce serving of kidney beans to help you stay in the clear. In addition, studies show topical zinc to be as effective against acne as antibiotics are.
Even Out Your Skin Tone with Soy
Drink a latte with soy milk or eat edamame and you may get a clearer complexion. Soy contains minerals and proteins that have been shown to reduce hyperpigmentation. One cup a day should yield results.
Look Younger with Oatmeal
Steel-cut oatmeal is less processed than other varieties, so it retains more vitamins. Plus, it takes longer to break down in your body, which helps keep your blood sugar stable. This is important because studies found that spiked blood sugar elevates your body's level of androgens, hormones that can contribute to wrinkles. Oats are also exceptionally skin healing.
Calm Redness with Green Tea
Green tea is very high in antioxidants, particularly one named EGCG, which is proved to reduce redness. Studies have also demonstrated that green tea helps fight inflammation. Sip at least one cup of green tea a day, and fight redness.
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