5 Ways to Fight Winter Skin With Food

Winter skin is upon us. Was that a collective sigh I just heard? When the temperature drops, we all love rocking cozy sweaters, colorful scarves, and fuzzy earmuffs. But the flaky skin, scaly patches, and hard-to-reach itches are the not-so-beloved aspect of this season. Rather than succumbing to winter’s wrath, try combatting winter skin from the inside out. Eating certain healthy foods and applying others topically can give your skin a smooth, rosy glow no matter how cold it gets. 5 Ways to Fight Winter Skin With Food 1. Tea Baby, it’s cold outside! So why not curl up with a warm cup of tea? While you might not be as thirsty in winter as you were during the summer heat, staying hydrated in the cold is equally essential. Drinking 8–10 glasses of water or tea per day can help flush out toxins, prevent the skin from drying, increase cell turnover, and keep your skin young and fresh. Just be sure to combine drinking plenty of water and/or tea with applying plenty of moisturizer. Moisturizers help hold water in the skin’s top layer, so they work hand in hand with water. This translates into great, glowing skin despite the harsh winter weather. 2. Orange and Green Food No, we don’t mean M&Ms! Orange veggies, such as carrots, squash, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes, are full of carotenoids. Carotenoids increase our defense against the sun’s damaging UV rays (remember, it’s important to always use sunscreen for protection, even in winter). They also help prevent acne breakouts and flare-ups that can make your skin blemished and blotchy. Try a pumpkin yogurt mask for a little winter skin pampering. Green foods, such as kale and spinach, are full of vitamin C, which can act as a food equivalent of the fountain of youth. Vitamin C helps repair skin by building collagen that wards off those pesky wrinkles. Eat at least one orange and one green food every day and your skin will thank you! 3. Healthy Fats We love fat. We aren’t talking about the kind you find in pie and french fries, but rather the healthy fats found in salmon, avocados, and chia seeds. These foods contain omega-3 fatty acids, which aid in heart health and weight loss. But did you know they also give you healthy skin? They help reduce inflammation and prevent collagen breakdown (translation: less wrinkles). Looking for some healthy snacks? Simply mix 2 tablespoons of chia into your yogurt for an added 5 grams of omega-3s, or sprinkle some flax into a midday cup of oatmeal. One food that’s as good in your belly as it is on your face is avocado. Avocados contain monounsaturated fat and are rich in vitamins A and E. Vitamin E enhances your skin’s collagen production (leading to smoother skin) while sealing in vital moisture. Try this avocado face mask and let this double-duty powerhouse work its magic on your dry winter skin! 4. Colorful Fruit Fruits such as blueberries, blackberries, and cranberries are rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants not only fight damaging free radicals in your body, but they also can fight those winter skin blues! Antioxidants help protect your skin against damage caused by the sun and harsh cold weather conditions. Blueberries have the added benefit of containing compounds that slow wrinkles and the effects of aging. Think of antioxidants as your youth elixir, keeping you beautiful, ageless, and energized no matter what the weather has in store. 5. Salmon Not only is it a delicious source of protein, but salmon is also full of skin-enhancing omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s allow the skin’s ceramides to hold onto water more effectively. Ceramides act as the glue that keeps cells locked together, forming a barrier that keeps hydration in. When ceramides deplete, skin grows dry and irritated.  The healthy fats in salmon moisturize the skin from the inside out, reducing the inflammation that leads to dry skin and psoriasis. Salmon is also packed with vitamin E and zinc—both vital nutrients for maintaining supple skin (and strong hair and nails!).  Consuming salmon just twice weekly helps your skin hold onto its natural moisture, plumps your fine lines, speeds up the healing of breakouts and rashes, and prevents dehydration and roughness during harsh winter weather.  (Image: Shutterstock)

Edible Sunscreen You Need to Know About

I have one of those love hate relationships with the sun: love being outdoors for play and exercise and adore a tanned hue but hate those damn fine (and sometimes not so fine) lines and knowing what much bigger damage I may be doing by soaking up my vitamin D. If you’ve been looking forward to some time in the sun like me, you’re going to need more than a double digit SPF to protect your glow. You need food. Yes, your favorite sport, eating, can come in handy to protect and repair your skin, and yes, it is basically edible sunscreen. Phytonutrients and micronutrients, found in some of your favorite, delicious, colorful, satisfying foods, support the work of your Coppertone by protecting your skin cells from UV damage and repairing fragile cells with nutrients. Research reveals that certain plant chemicals serve and protect your skin from damage and cancer similar to how omega-3’s protect your heart from disease. But it’s all about quality here, friends. Sorry, cheese fries don’t offer the nutrition your body needs — you can toss ‘em out with those old school sun reflectors that get the thumbs down too. The complicated words I’m about to tell you about are nutrients that chemically protect delicate skin cells from torching UV rays by strengthening them and making them harder to damage. You can think of these nutrients as a little army defending the destruction of the temple of your healthy skin cells. They also act like the Red Cross and speed recovery to damaged cells when you were expecting rain and the day was bright and sunny. One of the best things about living a truly Nutritious Life is all the cumulative benefits. Huh? Stick with me here.  When you eat healthy, exercise, manage stress etc. consistently (notice I didn’t say perfectly or always!) you reap all sorts of benefits. When eating healthy is your norm, that conscious indulgence of a S’more at the fire pit won’t set you back.  Your strength doesn’t disappear because you miss you a few kettle bell workouts.  And, guess what all those antioxidants that you’ve been eating, protect you from… You guessed it… the sun! 4 of the best edible sunscreens to protect your skin: Chow down on these edible sunscreen eats under your umbrella, slathered in SPF, and you’ll be finer than any fine line. The ingredients for these recipes for fabulous skin and sun protection may already be in your home. Pack them up alongside that trashy novel you’re bringing to the beach. Your skin will be grateful. 1. Foods with carotenoids Carrot Kale Salad Carotenoids are pigments found in orange and dark green foods like kale and carrots. They protect the skin from sun damage by decreasing sensitivity to UV light and are best absorbed with fat, so don’t even consider ditching the olive oil in this recipe. 2. Foods with sulforaphane Sauteed Shiitake, Ginger and Watercress A compound found in cruciferous vegetables and watercress, sulforaphane contains anticancer properties which protect skin from sun damage by upping the production of protective enzymes.  These enzymes help the body fight against skin damage from sun exposure. 3. Food with Omega-3 fatty acids Broiled Salmon with Spinach Omega-3 fatty acids, like the kind found in salmon, are skin superheroes. They help strengthen your skin’s natural barrier, lock in moisture, and calm inflammation caused by sun exposure. These healthy fats also protect against collagen breakdown, which means fewer fine lines and a more radiant glow. So yes—your salmon dinner is basically skincare on a plate! 4. Foods with alkaloids Iced Almond Matcha Latte This recipe is full of alkaloids, which are found in caffeine and have been shown to eliminate UV-damaged skin cells and reduce skin roughness. Studies show that the caffeine in your daily coffee or tea helps prevents the formation of skin cancer. Green tea also contains polyphenols, antioxidants shown to prevent cancer cell growth due to UV light damage. Bottom Line Here’s the deal: sun protection isn’t just about slathering on SPF (though yes, still do that!). It’s also about what you’re putting on your plate. When you fill up on nutrient-rich, skin-loving foods, you’re giving your body the tools it needs to defend and repair from the inside out. So, pack that healthy picnic, grab your favorite sunhat, and enjoy the sunshine with a side of science-backed glow. Your skin—and your taste buds—will thank you!