Foods to Help Prevent Dry Skin
February 18, 2009 by Anne Lyken Garner
Published in Skin
It’s not easy to keep our skin fully hydrated in the best of times. For those of us who have dry skin, winter brings on its own set of difficulties, proving that fully moisturised skin can often be difficult to achieve. Drinking a lot of water and slapping on tonnes of skin cream can only do so much. If we really want to maintain healthy, youthful skin we’ve got to concentrate on doing so from the inside out. Here are some vital skin-nourishing foods that we should definitely retain in our diet if we want to keep our skin properly hydrated.
Green Tea
We need a steady supply of collagen and elastin in our skin if we’re serious about keeping wrinkles at bay. Think of collagen as natural botox, and elastin as the elastic that keeps our underpants from falling down around our ankles. Drinking about two cups of Green Tea daily could simultaneously keep our collagen and elastin supplies well topped up, and help fight antioxidants in our bodies. Just don’t overdo it, because as you know, too much of theanine can have negative effects on your overall health.
Red meat, oysters and white kidney beans are also great for collagen formation because they are high in zinc, which is necessary for boosting our “natural botox” supply.
Avocados
Free radicals, which are present in our own bodies and in the environment can wreck havoc on our skin. However, with a steady supply of Vitamin E, our bodies can easily neutralise them. These particles are the stuff of horror movies where injury to our skin’s complexion is concerned. Avocados pack more Vitamin E than any other fruit, and also come with its own punch of glutathione (an antioxidant which is involved in barring cancer cells and keeping premature aging at bay). Vitamin E-rich foods help prevent our skin from drying out and becoming itchy, especially in cold or dry weather. Vitamin E is known for protecting our skin’s moisture from the inside out, and a good supply keeps it looking fresh and young. Remember that dryness can lead to premature wrinkling, so it’s vital that our skin is kept fully hydrated.
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February 18th, 2009 at 4:41 am
A very fine article. Obtained much information from it.
February 18th, 2009 at 7:10 am
Excellent! Good reminder of delicious foods that are good for us.
February 18th, 2009 at 7:44 am
Another great read! I have always had a problem with dry skin and I appreciate the help.
Well done.
February 18th, 2009 at 7:59 am
A very informative article, and doable for me since I love all the foods and drink in your list! Thanks Anne for a great article!
February 18th, 2009 at 9:18 am
Great info…and well written!
February 18th, 2009 at 10:57 am
My skin is sensitive as well as dry. It improved remarkably when I switched to unscented laundry soap and fabric softener. One Christmas when I stayed at my parent’s place, I woke up both nights covered in hives that dissapated in the morning. It was just from the fabric softener my mom had washed the sheets in that morning.
February 19th, 2009 at 4:24 am
Thanks for the information in this article, it’s surprising how much we can do to help ourselves just by making changes to our diet.
February 21st, 2009 at 5:54 am
Thank you for this helpful information. All the foods are some of my favorites. Green tea, olive oil, and tomatoes, I use quite often.
February 21st, 2009 at 9:29 pm
this is very helpful! great job anne!
March 7th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
Being I have had horrible problems withj my skin here lately this is such a great help for me at this time . I shall try this out and see how it can help me out and your work is so informative thankyou for this knowledge you have passed on .
March 14th, 2009 at 1:33 am
Very informtive and colorful article! The information you supplied will be put to good use. Thank you.
March 21st, 2009 at 8:14 pm
Those, are not blueberries. You could have at least gotten a real picture.
March 22nd, 2009 at 2:36 am
Thanks for your kind comments, everyone.
McG, the blueberry police, thanks for your input too. What an odd comment to make after reading an entire article, don’t you think? Have you got anything to say about the writing itself?
June 3rd, 2009 at 7:06 am
Thanks for the information – I shall try it out and hopefulle get rid of the dry skin.
July 15th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
A fine reminder of why we should all return to the basics of good nutrition.
May 4th, 2010 at 10:59 pm
This is really helpful. Thanks. So much better to point to the benefits of whole foods rather than promote this or that isolated nutrient.