Many of us spend a lot of time on hair and beauty products. From balms and oils to masks and cleansers, we go to great lengths to ensure our skin and hair look their best. However, it’s important not to overlook how diet can affect these things, too. Certain foods and lifestyle changes may help promote beauty from the inside out, creating radiant skin and luscious locks.
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Many of us spend a lot of time on hair and beauty products. From balms and oils to masks and cleansers, we go to great lengths to ensure our skin and hair look their best. However, it’s important not to overlook how diet can affect these things, too. Certain foods and lifestyle changes may help promote beauty from the inside out, creating radiant skin and luscious locks.
The Relationship Between Diet and the Health of Your Skin and Hair
What you eat daily has the ability to affect the health and appearance of your skin and hair—for better or worse. It’s a two-way street. There are foods and practices you can embrace that will improve hair strength and shine while also benefiting your complexion. However, there are also things you can eat that may have the opposite effect, such as making your skin more susceptible to breakouts.
We’re not saying you have to forgo certain foods entirely, but it’s important to understand the relationship between what you put in your body and how your skin and hair react. In general, nutrient-rich foods are best, while a diet that leads to nutrient deficiencies can damage the look and health of your hair and skin.
Best Foods for Healthy Skin and Hair
Before we dive into the best foods, here are a few foods to limit. Things like refined sugars and carbohydrates, processed foods, and too much alcohol, salt, and dairy can have a negative effect on your body. These foods, in excess, may accelerate aging, promote inflammation, and cause hormonal fluctuations that can wreak havoc on your skin and locks. So, here are a few alternative foods you may want to consider adding to your diet!
Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds are rich in vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats, such as omega-3 fatty acids. They also contain antioxidants that help fight free radicals, which can damage skin cells and lead to signs of aging, like fine lines. Many of these nutrients are vital to maintaining healthy hair and skin. They can nourish the scalp, making hair follicles stronger and reducing breakage. Additionally, the antioxidants can help promote a more youthful and radiant complexion.
Leafy Greens
You probably have already heard of the benefits of leafy greens like kale, spinach, and Swiss chard. These powerhouse plants are packed with minerals and Vitamins like vitamin A, C, and iron. All of these are great for keeping hair and skin at its best. Vitamin A helps to produce sebum, the oil naturally produced by your scalp to keep it moisturized and support hair health. Vitamin C is necessary for collagen production, the building block of healthy hair follicles and plump, younger-looking skin. Even the iron found in leafy greens has a role to play. It helps carry oxygen to your hair and skin cells, aiding growth. Plus, because leafy greens are antioxidant-rich, they’re great free-radical fighters that help ward off skin and hair damage.
Fatty Fish
Fatty fish include salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring, trout, and tuna. These fish are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, especially specific ones known as EPA (eicosatetraenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), which are great for hair and skin health and overall well-being. These healthy fats provide nourishment to the skin and scalp, maintaining the moisture barrier and warding off dryness. Fatty fish may also aid in reducing inflammation, which, when left unchecked, can negatively affect hair growth and skin cell turnover.
Antioxidant-Rich Fruits and Veggies
Free radicals are unstable molecules that can damage the cells in your body, including those in your skin and hair follicles. Free radicals are formed due to oxidative stress, often from things like pollution or smoking. Cells damaged by free radicals lead to a less radiant appearance and things like premature gaining, hair loss, and dullness. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals, promoting skin and hair health. They can increase cell strength, reduce inflammation, and enhance elasticity and shine. Fortunately, they’re found in many delicious fruits and vegetables, such as berries, citrus fruits, leafy greens, cruciferous veggies (like broccoli), and tomatoes.
Support Your Skin and Hair From the Inside Out
Your diet should be just one part of a holistic health and beauty routine. While you can still treat yourself to a hair mask or nourish your skin with creams, don’t overlook the potential benefits of a healthy diet!