These Are the Very Best Foods to Eat for Glowing Skin
Welcome to Ask A Beauty Shaman, a three-part series in which we’re sharing a Los Angeles-based holistic beauty expert’s guide to cleaning up your skincare routine and more.
We'll do anything in the name of beauty, like cleaning up our makeup cabinet and taking shots of ginger. On that note, we definitely don't mind chowing down for the sake of skincare, which is why we plan on adding these glow-giving ingredients to our grocery list.
We sat down with Los Angeles-based holistic beauty expert Megan Schaeffer, who revealed the best foods that contribute to glowing skin. Read the final story in our three-part series with the super-cool shaman read all about her favorite beautifying ingredients below.
Aloe Vera
That squishy-armed plant is more than cute indoor greenery. Schaeffer recommends eating or drinking aloe vera as an "over-all beauty tonic" that can aid indigestion and detoxify your system. Got a razor burn, sunburn, stretch marks, or acne? Smother aloe vera gel on burns for "rapid healing," or use it on fine lines and other imperfections to moisturize the skin. No wonder the Egyptians called it the plant of immortality.
Coconuts and Coconut Oil
"Coconuts can literally save your life," Schaeffer explains. "Coconut palms are prehistoric plants known as kaplan vriksha, meaning 'the tree that supplies all that is needed to live' in Sanskrit. Coconut is a natural water filter and is one of the highest sources of electrolytes found in nature, is identical to human blood plasma (mixed with green juice is an instant blood transfusion), [and] provides energy," she says. This ingredient also aids in digestion, "normalizes blood sugar levels, and has anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and anti-viral properties, just to name a few."
Need more convincing? Check out our video below on seven ways to use coconut oil in your beauty routine.
Dark Leafy Greens and Cruciferous Vegetables
Kale, spinach, broccoli, collard greens, broccoli, and cabbage are just a few greens that'll do your beautiful body good. Dark leafy greens and cruciferous veggies are "the best source of vitamin A," says Schaeffer, "which protects the nucleus of a cell from radiation. Thus, it protects skin from sun damage and environmental factors and stresses."
For a yummy and healthy recipe using this vitamin A-packed ingredient, watch the Mixed Makeup Wellness episode below to learn how to make collard green chicken wraps.
Burdock Root
Nature's Way Burdock Root Capsules, $14.30
Available in tea and capsule form, this root "alleviates skin infections, acne, eczema, psoriasis, and other troublesome skin conditions," Schaeffer says. "It works with the body to remove accumulated waste, thus cleansing the skin, and purifying the liver and the blood. It's also a great teeth beautifier for whiter, brighter teeth." We'll smile to that!
Cucumbers
From soothing your eyes to upgrading your aqua, what's not to love about cucumbers? These green veggies are also great kidney cleansers and "act as a diuretic to drain your lymphatic system and prevent water retention and bloating," Schaeffer tells us. "They have a large presence of silicon, so if you eat the skins there are many beautifying benefits and lots of chlorophyll. They are cooling and refreshing internally and externally, alkaline, and high in energy."
What are your favorite food ingredients to eat for glowing skin? Tell us in the comments below!
