A healthy diet benefits the entire body, including the skin. Even if a person has a good skin care routine, they may not find their skin looks healthy if they do not take care of themselves internally.
Avoid foods that are high in sugar, saturated fat, and salt. Instead, focus on:
- fresh fruits and vegetables
- whole grains
- lean proteins
- healthy fats, such as olive oil, avocados, and nuts
Certain nutrients are especially important for skin health. These include:
| Nutrient | Benefits | Food sources |
| Vitamin A | Growth and maintenance of healthy skin cells; may protect against skin cancer. | beef liver, sweet potato, spinach, carrots, cantaloupe |
| Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) | Maintain collagen levels in the skin. | beef liver, fortified breakfast cereals, dairy, mushrooms, almonds |
| Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) | Deficiency skin rashes, and cracks in the skin around the mouth. | chickpeas, beef liver, poultry, salmon, fortified breakfast cereals, potatoes, bananas |
| Vitamin C | An antioxidant that helps form the skin barrier and collagen, protects against sun damage, and reduces the risk of some skin diseases. | citrus fruits, bell peppers, kiwi, broccoli, strawberries |
| Vitamin D | Wound healing, protection against sun damage, and in reducing inflammation. | cod liver oil, seafood, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified dairy milk and plant milks, fortified breakfast cereals |
| Vitamin E | An antioxidant that helps against sun damage. | wheat germ oil, sunflower seeds, almonds, sunflower oil, peanut butter |
| Omega-3 fatty acids | Help some skin conditions and protect against sun damage. | flaxseed oil, chia seeds, walnuts, salmon, herring, mackerel, canola oil |
| Zinc | Help skin integrity and wound healing. | oysters, beef, crab, pork, baked beans, fortified breakfast cereals, pumpkin seeds, chickpeas |
