Stock up on these picks to keep your skin supple all year long.
Washing your hands excessively? Doing the dishes more frequently? Dealing with breezy cold weather? All of these factors (and more) can leave you with dry, itchy skin. If you’ve tried various beauty regimens and still find it difficult to lock in moisture, it might be time to switch things up with your diet. (There’s a reason the trite-but-true saying goes, “You are what you eat.”) What you put into your body affects its appearance, including your skin. So when you eat certain hydrating, moisturizing foods, you can soothe and nourish dry skin.
Here’s what food for dry skin you should stock up on to heal, soothe, and smooth it. Your metabolism and waistline will thank you, too.
Coconut
We usually hear about the benefits of applying coconut topically via coconut oil, but eating the fruit can be beneficial as well. “Coconut’s healthy fats and antibacterial nutritional make-up keep acne flare-ups away and help keep your skin moisturized, which is key for looking healthier and younger.
Avocado
There’s a good reason we can’t stop singing the praises of avocado (even if you’re sick of seeing it on your Instagram feed). The blend of healthy fats, proteins, and vitamins make it a powerhouse for your body inside and out. “The protein helps support the structures of collagen and elastin in your skin, while the fat keeps your skin moisturized.
Oatmeal
Oatmeal is rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals but, most importantly, it’s also a fiber-rich food. “Fiber is essential in helping prevent dead skin and alleviating redness,” says Alpert. The indigestible part of a carbohydrate that adds bulk to food, fiber also works to keep you feeling fuller longer (it swells in the stomach), meaning you’re less likely to snack on the sweets and salty foods that are often associated with dry skin and breakouts.
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes help lock in moisture, give your skin a healthy glow, and protect it from damage thanks to their abundance of vitamin A. “Vitamin A can help with skin renewal and decrease dry, flaky skin. Sweet potatoes are a great option in the winter. Alpert also recommends sweet potatoes to her clients because, aside from their nutritional and aesthetic benefits, their high vitamin C content helps fight off winter colds. Check out these sweet potato recipes for some yummy ways to add more of the root veggie to your weekly diet.
Wild Salmon
“Salmon is an amazing food for dry skin as it’s full of omega-3 fats, which strengthen skin cells, can protect against cancer and help reduce inflammation,” says Alpert. “Certain fish like halibut and yellowfin tuna also contain selenium, which preserves elastin in the skin, helping your skin stay supple, smooth and tight.” If you’re not a fish eater, look for other foods that are rich in omega-3 (like chia seeds, walnuts, flaxseeds, egg yolks) to help preserve collagen, fight inflammation, and keep skin firm.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
The vitamin E and good fats of olive oil help moisturize skin, which is why it’s a popular skincare ingredient. Luckily, using the fat in your cooking will reap the same benefits.
Carrots
“Carrots are loaded with vitamin C, which is a precursor to collagen production,” explains Alpert. Collagen is essential for skin elasticity. “In addition, the vitamin A found in carrots attacks free radicals and can prevent wrinkles and uneven skin tone.” Vitamin A also stimulates fibroblasts, the cells responsible for developing the tissue that keeps skin firm and healthy.
Dark Leafy Greens
“While much of dry skin is affected by environmental factors (cold, dry, windy winter weather, long hot showers), there are foods that can help support your skin health. Foods high in vitamin C help boost immunity as well as collagen production. Look for foods like kale. Foods high in antioxidants, like leafy greens, help fight free radical damage in the skin.
Nuts & Seeds
Nuts and seeds are power foods that host omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins A, B, and E, monounsaturated fats, minerals, and antioxidants. “Foods full of vitamin E … such as nuts help retain moisture and strengthen the skin barrier. Alpert also recommends nuts and seeds because of their nutritional density, ability to hydrate the skin, promotes its elasticity, helps regenerate cells, and protects against pollutants and free radicals.
Water-Rich, Low-Sugar Fruits
Fruits are a great way to hydrate and protect your skin because they’re full of water. In fact, eating your water is just as effective — or more so — than drinking water, given the extra nutrient boost you get with fruit. “Most fruits contain high levels of vitamins A and C, and powerful antioxidants that replenish nutrients in the skin, promote collagen production and help keep your skin supple and firm,” says Alpert. While all fruits are a positive addition to most people’s diets, opt for low-sugar fruit like berries (raspberries, cranberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries) and kiwis versus high-sugar ones such as figs, cherries, mangos, and grapes.
Eggs
Eggs are high in protein, promote cell regeneration and supply sulfur and lutein, which hydrates skin and elasticity. They’re also low in fat. Studies have found that omitting the healthy fats found in foods like nuts and avocados, high-fat diets increase the chances of developing wrinkles.
Tea
Not only is green tea loaded with skin-nourishing antioxidants, it has anti-inflammatory properties that can heal damaged skin and prevent blemishes. “It may help increase blood flow to the skin since it’s rich in epicatechin, an antioxidant found in red wine. Oolong tea is also beneficial. “It has been shown to help eczema sufferers. “It’s also a slight metabolic booster.”
Tomatoes
Tomatoes contain high levels of lycopene, an antioxidant that keeps skin fresh and has anti-aging properties. The nutrients levels are higher in canned and cooked tomatoes. “Lycopene in tomatoes gets absorbed more easily when tomatoes are cooked (as in the canned version), and when eaten with a little oil, meaning that winter is a good time to have pizza or pasta with marinara sauce.
Soy
Soy may be controversial, but as far as soothing dry skin, it’s a winner. “It might be a good time to try some soy milk in your latte or go for a tofu scramble,” says Taub-Dix. “Soy is rich in isoflavones that may protect against sun exposure and preserve skin-firming collagen to curtail wrinkles and prevent skin dryness.”
Citrus Fruits
“Citrus fruits help provide vitamin C, which promotes collagen formation and slows the effects of free radicals, helping to maintain firm and youthful skin,” says Taub-Dix. “Pink grapefruits also provide lycopene, an antioxidant that helps skin stay resilient and smooth. “
Collagen Powder
“Collagen peptides contain the same amino acids as gelatin, which are identical to the protein found in skin, nails, hair, bones, cartilage, and joints,” says Slayton. “You can mix it into smoothies but also coffee, scrambled eggs, and more.” It’s versatile, tasteless and effective, according to Slayton, who recommends collagen powder from Vital Proteins.
Sea Buckthorn
Slayton singles out sea buckthorn as her favorite moisturizing food for dry skin. “If you want luminous skin, think of this pretty orange berry that tastes like a Sour Patch Kid.” You can get shots of it at many juice purveyors like Juice Generation, or you can buy unsweetened Sibu puree. “It’s rich in omega-7 oil, beta-carotene and vitamin C, all of which help the skin conditions associated with dry skin.
Pumpkin Seeds and Shellfish
Vitamin A is considered one of the best anti-agers and skin moisturizers. It’s also been proven to help smooth roughness. Zinc helps vitamin A do its job, which is why Slayton recommends eating shellfish and pumpkin seeds as foods to alleviate dry skin symptoms.
Water
Don’t underestimate the power of water. Water hydrates the skin and helps prevent wrinkling to keep your skin from cracking and flaking. Hate the flavor of H20? Try making some of these refreshing detox water recipes!
Sardines, Herring, And Mackerel
“Eating foods high in omega-3 fatty acids is one of the best choices to combat dry skin and to keep skin well-hydrated. Cold-water fish that are wild-sourced are an excellent source of Omega 3s. Best choices include salmon; eat the skin which is packed full of nutrients; [as well as] sardines, herring, and mackerel. Farm-raised fish are generally fed grain instead of the small fish that normally eat plankton, hence the reason that farm-raised fish are generally not packed with the same nutrients as wild fish.
Flax Oil
“Flax oil has nutrients that can combat dry skin,” Nutritionists tell us, referencing the oil’s high omega-3 content. “Take the pills or get the oil and sprinkle on salads, or mix in yogurt or smoothies.”