Skin care starts with nutrition

Tracie Abram<abram@msu.edu>, Michigan State University Extension -

Basic nutrition is the foundation of skin care.

There are 10 human body systems that work simultaneously to maintain our health. The integumentary system is the only system that is located outside of our bodies. This system is our skin. Skin care is a multi-business dollar industry. There are products that claim they will clean, smooth, tighten, lighten, moisturize and reduce acne, aging, swelling, itchy and chapped skin. These products all have a vital purpose and uses, but nutrition is the basic foundation to skin care. There are foods that help the strength of the integumentary system.

Eating foods from all five food groups is a start, but knowing which foods from these five groups will assist in keeping you looking your best, while helping to make you feel good, without (possibly) having to spend extra money per month on special creams and lotions. To keep it simple, by eating more fruits and vegetables and drinking more water will help your skins condition.

Vegetables and fruits naturally have more water in them and have a chemical called polyphenols that is naturally found in plants. This chemical is known to be an anti-inflammatory that improves heart health, slows down aging and helps prevents cancers. Another benefit of vegetables and fruits is that they (naturally) do not have any fat and offer good calories. Some other foods that can have a positive effect on your skin per proper consumption include:

  • Avocadoes: Good source of biotin, which prevents dry skin
  • Green tea: Good source of polyphenols
  • Tomatoes: Slows down cellular damage
  • Salmon: Improves skin elasticity
  • Eggs: A complete source of protein and contains biotin
  • Walnuts: Contains omego-3 fatty acids which create smoother skin and shiny hair
  • Beans: Repairs and regenerates skin cells

Spring is approaching which means skin will be uncovered from the winter layering. Why not do an experiment for a few months to see if increasing your water, vegetable and fruit consumption will benefit the look and feel of your skin? Michigan State University Extension reminds you that when outdoors in the sun, be sure to apply sunscreen.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

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