You can buy all of the $80 face serums in the world, but if your diet is trash, it’ll definitely show on your face. We already know that increasing water intake and cutting out dairy and sugar will improve our skin. But there are also foods you can add to your diet to eat your way to a better complexion. If you’re sad about having to cut the milk out of your daily latte in the name of clear skin, try these five foods for better skin in addition to your skincare routine.
1. Strawberries
Strawberries are like a superfood for your face. They’re a major source of antioxidants, which can prevent sebum from oxidizing, aka preventing blocked pores and acne. Additionally, the fruit is packed with Vitamin C which is key to producing collagen which helps to provide a clear, smooth, wrinkle-free complexion. Tom Brady doesn’t know what he’s missing.
2. Salmon
Adding wild salmon to your diet helps keep your skin supple and moisturized since salmon is a major source of omega-3 fatty acids. What’s more, swapping out other meats for salmon means you’re increasing your vitamin D intake which helps to strengthen your skin, teeth, and bones.
3. Broccoli
Broccoli (the kind your mom tried to shove down your throat as a kid, not Lil Yachty’s kind) is actually one of the major foods for better skin. Not only is the veggie good for your health, but it contains a substance called glucoraphanin that gets converted into sulforaphane inside the body. Sulforaphane aids in skin repair and renewal, leaving you with a natural glow. The little trees are packed with Vitamins A and C which, like strawberries, contribute to collagen production to prevent wrinkles.
4. Walnuts
IMO, walnuts are like the unsung hero of nuts. They’re a source of “good” or nourishing fats that attract moisture from the air to soothe dry skin, reduce skin inflammation, and can help to protect your skin from harmful UV rays. You still need sunscreen though, just so we’re clear.
5. Kale
If you’re one of those people that pays like, $9 for a kale smoothie just to look like you’re doing the whole health thing right, then you’re already on to something (and you probably don’t have dark circles under your eyes, either). Kale is loaded with Vitamins A, C and K, plus iron and antioxidants. They help reduce the dark circles under your eyes, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, reduce swelling and detoxify your skin. Basically, eating a shit ton of kale targets just about any skin issue.
Images: Rakicevic Nenad / Unsplash; Giphy (5)
IDK about you, but maybe I was traumatized when I was a kid because when I think of vitamins, I think of those nasty-ass, chalk-tasting, vomit-inducing Flintstone vitamins my mom used to force me to take. I used to, like, cringe when I thought about the idea of taking vitamins. Have I grown into a mature adult since then? I mean, not exactly, but I obviously now know that vitamins are supposed to do good things for you and your body, and basically improve your quality of life. I’ve clearly overcome this (v rational) fear of mine and now that I feel ancient af, I started giving a shit about my overall well-being. Not that this will stop my weekly blackouts or anything. Vitamins have become my personal pill of choice, if you will, since they fix all of my life’s problems. From better skin to feeling happy AF, they do it all. I’m not a doctor so like, obvs ask yours first before popping anything on the regular. But when Xanax doesn’t cut it, here are the best vitamins you need to improve your overall health.
For Better Skin
The best vitamins for getting rid of annoying af pimples are A and E. Foods like pumpkin spice lattes, vegetables, and nuts help fulfill your daily dosage, but those who suffer from acne, eczema, or psoriasis may want to take an additional vitamin A supplement to reduce excess oil and strengthen skin cells. Too much of it can supposedly pose health risks if you’re not taking it properly so like, def ask your doctor first. However, this supplement contains a little bit of all vitamins to unclog pores and clear up skin quickly.
Murad Pure Skin Clarifying Dietary Supplement
For Longer Hair
I assume SugarBearHair is great and all, but I’m so bitter about seeing it on a daily basis that I’m not including it on this very unbiased list. This is an equally as fetch hair supplement because they don’t taste like shit and they’re gummies, so they’re basically candy. It holds the key to healthier, longer hair—in other words, it contains vitamin B and biotin.
For Stronger Nails
Our skin, hair, and nails all need some form of vitamin B to thrive, TBH. So, more often than not, whether it’s biotin or B12, you’re doing each of them a huge favor. Whether you’re a victim of stubby, brittle nails or you’re just addicted to acrylic manicures, you’ll want to cop some B12 to keep in your bag. Take it with your lunch salad on a daily basis for stronger nails that grow a million times faster.
For A Better Immune System
As long as your mimosa has, at the very least, a splash of OJ, your body is thanking you in the long run. (Not actual medical advice. Get your flu shot.) Everyone in the English-speaking world knows vitamin C is your best bet for skipping out on a nasty cold or a gross flu virus. I’ve started taking this with my lunch everyday and like, not only have I not been sick in what feels like forever, but my skin is looking pretty fab, too.
To Feel Happy AF
If you’ve recently been told that you need to take a chill pill STAT, well, then you probs need more vitamin D in your life—and I don’t mean that in the way fuckboys say it. The lack of sun and heat is making me feel bitter 24/7 and only making my chronic RBF worse. To make sitting in a cubicle all day less depressing, consider taking vitamin D3, which is supposedly the same as basking in the sun on a hot summer day. I can honestly say these will hold me over until March 20th.
Hum Nutrition Here Comes The Sun Softgels
Image: Maira Gallardo / Unsplash
IDK about you, but sometimes it feels like I could be my most obnoxious, vegan, fitstagram-loving self and still feel dead inside have shitty skin. Like, this week I drank a whole vomit green smoothie and ran to the train once. Doesn’t that count for anything? I wash my face (almost) every night, attempt to eliminate 3am pizza on the weekends, and will even drink the occasional glass of water. Most people telI me to just be patient with my skin, but I hardly understand what “being patient” means. Thankfully, I’ve finally found the solution to all of my problems: skin-perfecting supplements. No, this is not an #ad and I’m not #sponsored. This is the real deal. Please note that I am not a doctor and you should probs discuss any vitamin/supplement regimen with your doctor aka don’t sue me. Here are the best life-changing skin supplements that will get you model-looking skin faster than you can say “link in bio”.
1. HUM Nutrition Daily Cleanse Clear Skin And Acne Supplement
This is not only a supplement that rids toxins from your skin, but it also gets rid of toxins inside your body that are contributing to breakouts. Full of detoxifying and botanical nutrients, it helps detox the skin and other internal organs for clearer and much healthier skin. Take up to two a day without food and you’ll start seeing visible results after just a few weeks.
2. OmegaGenics Evening Primrose Oil
Dermatologists love this shit, tbh. Evening primrose helps target really fucking painful acne (such as cystic acne) and helps speed up the healing process and reduce redness. Omega-6, which is seriously an essential for glowing skin, smoothes the skin’s texture and prevents unnecessary swelling. Take one three to six times a day for #spon celeb results.
3. Heliocare Dietary Supplement
Heliocare is full of a fuck ton of antioxidants (which is v important for like, being healthy) and consists of natural ingredients such as wild fern extract. The plant prevents wrinkles and awk facial lines that hide your inner 80-year-old self. For hotter months, it also prevents cell damage and dangerous sun exposure effects. If you can barely swallow an Advil, you only have to take this once a day for optimal results. Bless.
4. Caudalie Vinexpert Dietary Supplements
This supplement is full of anti-aging and moisturizing magic that helps keep your skin from sagging and looking dry af. It’s also full of natural antioxidants such as Resveratrol (also found in red wine) that helps get rid of dark spots and protects from cancer-causing UV rays. So, I mean, keep chugging red wine like it’s your job at dinner and/or just take two of these a day and you’ll see fab results in just a few weeks.
5. Dr. Barbara Sturm Skin Food
“Skin food” might sound kind of nasty, but it is actually a healthy alternative for the path to the “fountain of youth,” according to Dr. Barb here. It’s a formula reduces evidence of slowly becoming ancient aging, prevents swelling, and produces fresher, clearer skin immediately. It keeps your skin firm without looking like you went under the needle and evens out texture and skin tone. Pop two a day with water and you’ll wonder why you didn’t stumble across my really good advice them sooner.
It’s Monday and I’ve spent the past 48 hours finding new and fun ways to trigger myself in the future. First, by the entire Halloween holiday and then by ingesting some sort of vodka party punch that went down like gasoline and was definitely crafted somewhere in the pits of hell. To to top it off, I’m feeling personally victimized by my local bodega owner who said he “ran out of avocados” yesterday and it’s like, well then, how the fuck am I supposed to revive myself from creature status if I don’t even have avocados to add to my bacon, egg and cheese? DO YOU KNOW WHAT I’VE BEEN THROUGH, HECTOR? Do you?! *takes deep, calming breaths* But what’s worse than actively fucking up your life and blaming it on innocent bystanders (sorry, Hector)? Finding out all your terrible life choices are totally destroying your skin and face, that’s what. I’ve done a lot of Google searches scientific research and learned that there are a ton of secret ways in which your skin is secretly being ruined. And because I’m a life ruiner caring individual who likes to help others and values her journalistic integrity, I’ve decided to list those for you right now. So here are four ways that you’re secretly fucking up your skin every damn day. Brace yourselves.
1. Using Dirty Makeup Brushes
This I saw coming, because I haven’t changed my makeup brushes in literal years. Seriously. I think the last time I washed one of those was when Lamar and Khloé were still married. Call it a fun quirk of mine or just that I love to play Russian roulette with my skin, either way I would rather ask my ex if he’s happy with his new girlfriend than actually practice self-care. Lol I’m so random sometimes. And apparently leaving your makeup brushes dirty AF can actually do a lot of fucking damage to your skin, like clog your pores or cause bacterial infections. Huh. Who would have thought. Every three or so weeks, make sure to lather your brushes with a shampoo like Neutrogena Anti-Residue Shampoo, rinse that shit, and then let air dry overnight. It’ll keep your brushes clean and your face even cleaner. I know it’s annoying AF to do, but it’s either take care of your makeup brushes or break out right before a Bumble date. In other words, it’s a real Sophie’s Choice.
2. Using Your Cell Phone
Honestly, this does not surprise me. I mean, my cell phone is actually an extension of my soul, in which case it’s gone through years of life choices that go something like: alcohol, pizza, sleep in your makeup, repeat. So, yeah, that shit’s dirty AF. It’s no wonder they say that your phone is actually dirtier than a bathroom floor. That makes a lot of sense, because that’s usually where I end up by the end of the night. Huh. Anyway, your phone has all sorts of bacteria on it that can make you break out if you use it too much to drunk dial your ex. Or something. Even if you’re phone isn’t dirty, just leaning your face on it causes friction, occlusion, and heat, all of which will give you shitty skin and cause breakouts. I’d advise you to get tf off your phone and actually live your life, but I know that some of you would rather walk into oncoming traffic, so I’ll just settle for telling you to embrace your bad skin. In the wise words of Kevin G, don’t let the haters stop you from doing thang, even if your “thang” is ruining your skin one drunk dial at a time. Or just like, take a Clorox wipe to that shit every so often.
3. Literally Just Being Out In The Air
And, no, that’s not a fucking joke. This is the world we live in, people, where things like AIR are even out to get us. Honestly, I’m feeling so attacked rn. And if you currently live in a big city, then you’re extra fucked, because the air around there is filled with gross shit called “nanoparticles” that are made from remnants of soot and smoke. The nanoparticles are also 20 times smaller than your pores so they can easily invade your skin and cause inflammation and dehydration. Grool. Aside from literally never leaving your house (again, so down for that), the best thing to do here is work on your cleansing game. Cleansing the fuck out of your skin is the only way to successfully combat those nasty nanoparticles. Try doubling up on cleansing each night by using two different formulas, one that is oil-based, like Simple Hydrating Cleansing Oil, and another that’s water-based, like CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser.
4. Drinking Alcohol
Tbh it would be easier to just give up fresh air. The fact that I’m writing this severely hungover but also feeling a strong need to chug hard alcohol with each new Google search should tell you something about me and my lifestyle. I mean, I always felt like alcohol was aging me emotionally—there are only so many ways you can recover from making out with someone who wears a smaller size in skinny jeans than you do—but now that I know it’s physically aging me, I may have to reconsider my entire way of life.
As anyone who has ever woken up drunk in the middle of the night thirstier than SpongeBob on land probably knows, alcohol makes it virtually impossible for you to stay hydrated. That’s because alcohol fucks with the production of vasopressin, aka the hormone that helps you re-absorb water and keeps your skin from looking dehydrated AF. Dehydrated skin looks like shit and can cause premature wrinkles, because no one wants us to have nice things. Aside from dehydrating your face, alcohol also acts as a vasodilator, meaning it opens up the blood vessels—which is why you look flushed in your Snap story before you add in a decent filter. If your vessels over-dilate, they can burst, leading to permanent spider veins on your face. Permanent. Spider. Veins. Fucking kill me now. The dilation is also what leads to a puffy complexion. Great. My future is looking v. bright. *Looks for gun emoji* And since I would never, ever, give out advice that would encourage a healthy lifestyle in any way, shape, or form, I’m not suggesting you stop drinking. I’m no monster. No, choose vodka over dark liquor and red wine over everything else. It’s also suggested that you drink moderately all the time, as it’s easier for your liver to metabolize small amounts of alcohol. Brb. Now I have to Google what “moderate drinking” looks like.
So now that we know all the secret ways we’re being personally victimized by the world around us, I’m sure we’ll all start taking better care of our skin and lives, right?? Lol, yeah, that’s what I thought. Godspeed to ya, betches.
We may as well prepare for the ravages of time incoming colder weather and all the problems it causes—specifically, dry skin, zits, and general dullness. Winter is coming, and nothing can save you from its shittiness. However, you can (kind of) do battle with the shittiest of skin seasons if you’re putting the right stuff in and around your mouth. It sorta sucks, cause winter is totes my season to shout “YOLO” while I inhale mac and cheese, all the carbs, and different forms of alcohol so as to build a fine layer of fat to protect myself from January ice storms and the onslaught of feelings, but life isn’t fair and beauty is pain. But there is a silver lining, which is that you can eat certain foods to get better skin. YES, REALLY. Here’s what you need to stock up on during your next grocery store run.
1. Romaine Lettuce
The basic bitch of salad (still better than iceberg lol amirite) deserves more than to be doused in Caesar dressing and left at the bottom of your bowl. Thanks to a lot of vitamin A, Romaine leaves increase cell turnover and give your skin a boost of oxygen, which we all know is pretty important.
2. Strawberries
Any veggie or fruit that has a ton of Vitamin C is going to do wonders for your shitty dry skin. Why? Because it helps build collagen while fighting wrinkles. So load up on strawberries in your morning smoothie if you don’t want to look like the Crypt Keeper later this season.
3. Tomatoes
If you went grocery shopping this summer and were overwhelmed with the selection of heirloom tomato varieties, good news, bitch. You no longer have to choose which tomato is right—they all are, if you want amazing skin. According to Prevention magazine, people who ate more tomato paste (who the fuck EATS tomato paste? like did they squirt it in their mouths? lol ew) had LESS of a chance of getting sunburned and had more collagen in their skin, thus preventing wrinkles.
4. Almonds
Almonds, walnuts, Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds—fuck, just grind them all into a powder and snort daily. Don’t actually do that, but believe us when we see that almonds are full of vitamin E, as are the others we mentioned. That helps to protect your skin from free radicals AND keep your skin hydrated.
5. Hot Cocoa With Dark Chocolate
According to Fitness magazine, cocoa helps hydrate your skin, making it firmer and softer. One study found that women who drank ½ cup of dark chocolate hot cocoa had increased circulation in their skin, resulting in a v healthy glow. So, in a nutshell, you can drink hot cocoa and actually enjoy a benefit other than adding three pounds to your frame. Praise da lort.
6. Green Tea
Thanks to high levels of antioxidants we can’t pronounce, green tea can cut down the redness showing on your skin. So sippin’ on this shit all day can give you a caffeine jolt and help you actually look less tired.
7. Water
I shouldn’t even have to explain why water is good for your skin. Most of your skin membranes are like, made up of water, so the more you drink and the more you’re hydrated, the better you’ll look. This could be the answer to why you look literally dead when you’re hungover. It’s science.
8. Avocado
Literally what CAN’T avocado do? It helps our hangovers, brings world peace, and can apparently help our shitty winter skin issues. Thanks to high levels of vitamin E, avocados regrow and turnover your skin cells faster, resulting in less dullness.
Covering your face with makeup when you’re dealing with a breakout is bittersweet. Like yes, I want to be healthy and let my skin breathe, but I would also really prefer to not scare everyone with the unicorn horn growing out of my forehead. I want to be au naturale and not give a fuck, as the French do, but French women also seem to not have to deal with zits redder than the devil’s dick. Because the internet is the cause of and solution to all of our problems, we did some investigatory journalism and looked for the best foundations for acne prone skin. The good news is that you can cover up your monster red spots without aggravating them more if you use the right shit. Thank us later.
1. bareMinerals Matte Foundation
If you’ve bought into bareMinerals for years, it shouldn’t surprise you that this shit makes our list. Basically, this foundation is a powder, but when it goes on, some black magic makes it feel like cream or liquid foundation. It goes on smoother than my dance moves after six shots (in other words, amazing), and since there’s no extra shit added, it isn’t bad to dot on over a breakout.
2. Clinique Acne Solutions Liquid and Powder Makeup
Clinique has like, only good shit in it, so it makes sense that their foundation—which contains salicylic acid—makes the list. It comes in like, 16 shades too, so you can look hella flawless even with a zit or six and even if you’re rocking like ultra pale pasty skin (ew).
3. Maybelline Fit Me! Matte + Poreless Foundation
This medium coverage foundation won’t sink into your pores so it’s super unlikely to make you break out. Plus, it won’t make you oily but won’t dry you out. So, like, win.
4. E.l.f. Acne Fighting Foundation
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: If you haven’t jumped on the e.l.f. bandwagon, get fucking to it. This shit has salicylic acid, tea tree oil, and witch hazel in it, all of which are awesome for clearing up breakouts and totally hippie-approved. You’re so like, in touch with nature.
5. Neutrogena SkinClearing Makeup
Oil-free, containing salicylic acid, and actually good for your skin, obviously Neutrogena makes the list. Their foundation comes in liquid form and as a pressed powder, so depending how oily you get, you can pick which works for your skin.
6. NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tint
Do you fucking hate wearing foundation and now feel forced to because of a weird breakout? Grab this shit. Yeah, it’s $45, but the coverage is light, sheer-ish, and super hydrating so you won’t feel like a crusty cake face.
