Clear Skin Diet

Learn what to pile onto your plate and what to take off for an all-year glow with our 3-day Clear Skin Diet.

The change in seasons calls for a revamp in your usual skincare habits, and while upgrading your daily moisturiser is often the first consideration when weather patterns shift, your everyday diet is one aspect of your regular routine that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Each season comes with its own set of challenges – whether that means safeguarding from the sun’s powerful rays during spring and summer or offsetting the harsh effects of a frosty spell or blustery windy days in autumn and winter. Season-proofing your skin by watching what you eat is an absolute must for a long-term bright, clear complexion.

How to get a clear complexion

If you’re lusting after more clear-skin days to help boost inner confidence and ensure you look your best, you’ll need to think about cleansing your body from within.

You might already take pride in the products that you slather onto your skin – and this is important. However, what you eat is just as crucial, because we absorb nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and antioxidants from the foods we eat, which can help to clear skin naturally.

Clear skin diet must-haves

Try these top five foods for a gorgeously clear complexion:

1. 1. 1. Greek yoghurt  If clear skin is on your radar, looking after your gut health should be your number one priority. This is because digestive issues often show up through skin problems like acne, rosacea and eczema.
         Greek yoghurt is rich in gut-soothing probiotics that help to support the beneficial bacteria that live in the digestive system. Just be sure to choose unflavoured versions to avoid a blood-sugar rollercoaster.
      2.  Avocado  Applying richer moisturisers topically helps to stave off dry skin, which is a common complaint during both summer and winter, but avocado is nature’s ultimate natural skin soother.
         Avocado is packed with healthy fats that help to keep skin cells lovely and plump, which results in brighter and youthful clear skin. You can also mash up avocado flesh and use it as a face or hair mask.
      3.  Cucumber  Locking in hydration will help to keep skin looking smooth and clear, and cucumber is the ultimate shortcut to hydrated skin as the salad staple has a naturally high water content.
         Impressively, it’s also loaded with vitamin A, which helps to keep skin fresh and glowing, and it’s a super-versatile beauty aid too. Simply pop cucumber slices over your eyes to instantly calm down puffy peepers.
      4.  Spinach  Stacking more dark green leafy vegetables into your diet is a one-way ticket to clear skin. The anti-inflammatory compounds in green veg such as spinach help to speed up detoxification pathways, efficiently flushing out toxins from the inside.
         Spinach is also a great source of vitamin K, which plays a role in strengthening all those tiny blood capillaries found under the skin that help to deliver oxygen and other nutrients where they’re needed.  For a delicious, greens-rich meal, why not try this tasty recipe from @erth.and.me:

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   A post shared by Danielle Clifton | Registered Nutritional Therapist (@erth.and.me)

   5. Blueberries Low-sugar berries such as blueberries are your skin’s best friend because they are packed with antioxidants. These help to protect the skin from the harmful free-radical damage that can lead to premature ageing and inflammation.
   Blueberries are also rich in vitamin C, which helps to improve skin elasticity so that skin appears plump, glowing and blemish-free.

Why you should take a skin supplement

While there’s no substitute for a well-balanced clear skin diet, adding a high-quality supplement into your daily routine can help to give skin a healthy kickstart by topping up levels of good-for-you ingredients.

HRI Clear Complexion contains a potent blend of herbs, which help to treat skin problems from within. The main active ingredients include traditional herbs like burdock root and blue flag rhizome.

These herbs can provide relief of minor skin conditions including spots, blemishes and mild acne and eczema, and if you’re really struggling to get rid of skin problems, try this all-natural guide to get rid of spots.

What to avoid for clear skin

There’s no escaping the fact that some foods are downright bad for skin health. Eating ultra processed foods will lead to less clear-skin days and more bad-skin bouts. so avoid ready meals and takeaways along with pre-packaged foods that contain a long list of ingredients, as they are likely to include additives and preservatives.

Alcohol dehydrates skin so try to keep consumption to a minimum and opt for zero-alcohol drinks instead.

It’s also a good idea to try to limit the amount of sugar that you eat because sweet foods can disrupt the gut microbiome and lead to outbreaks of spots, acne and other skin conditions.

Swap desserts for a couple of squares of dark chocolate or stewed fruit with Greek yoghurt and follow our 3-day clear-skin diet below for a speedy clear-skin kickstart.

3-Day Clear Skin Diet

Try these meal ideas to achieve healthy skin

DAY 1
Breakfast
Plain Greek yoghurt with chopped almonds and blueberries.
Lunch
Bean soup with a wholemeal roll and large green salad.
Dinner
Tofu and vegetable stir-fry with brown rice.

DAY 2
Breakfast
Porridge with mixed berries and flaxseed.
Lunch
Feta cheese and baby spinach salad with a slice of sourdough toast.
Dinner
Salmon fillet with a medley of roasted peppers, courgette and aubergine, served with quinoa.

DAY 3
Breakfast
Clear-skin smoothie made with milk, avocado, banana, berries and protein powder.
Lunch
Yellow lentil Dahl with wilted spinach served with a wholemeal tortilla wrap.
Dinner
Turmeric-spiced chicken breast served with mashed sweet potato and a baby spinach salad.

SNACK IDEAS
Toast with almond butter and banana slices
Handful of berries with Brazil nuts
Chunk of Cheddar cheese with grapes
Protein bar
Oatcakes with mashed avocado