These, it turns out, are actually easy to come by—many might already be in our diet. But if you feeling a bit on the dryer side of late, consider upping your intake. One study found that cucumber contains many bioactive compounds, including cucurbitacins, cucumegastigmanes cucumerin, vitexin, orientin, and apigenin that can help hydrate skin, reduce swelling, irritation and even alleviate pain from sunburn1. This is important because as we age, and with UV damage, we lose the skin’s ability to keep hydrated. That’s why mature skin is often associated with drier skin. So keeping skin cells young is an important part of keeping it hydrated. In fact, supplementing with hydrolyzed collagen peptides3 is the most effective way to promote the protein naturally in your skin: Research shows that collagen powders support your skin cell’s fibroblasts4, which are responsible for collagen and elastin production.* Essentially, when you consume collagen powder, it aids your body in creating more collagen.* “Hydrolyzed collagen is predigested so it does not go through that first-pass digestion in the GI tract,” says board-certified dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, M.D.* “The collagen fragments can be absorbed as-is and circulate throughout the body to exert their effects.”* And by keeping your collagen levels strong, you’re helping keep your skin barrier function working optimally. Your skin barrier is actually what helps us retain moisture in the body (by preventing transepidermal water loss), so to keep skin hydrated we need to ensure we’re doing all that we can to maintain the barrier’s function. This isn’t just theoretical, either: One double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial found that participants’ moisture levels in the skin were seven times higher5 than those who did not take the supplements.* It is ideal for those with oily, yet dehydrated skin. People often think that because their skin is oily, it also can’t be dry: Not true. In fact people with oily skin should focus on keeping their skin hydrated, too. “As with many superfoods, it’s what’s inside that counts, and avocados are a nutritional goldmine. What’s inside? In addition to ‘good’ monounsaturated fat, avocados pack plenty of health-boosting nutrients to help your body thrive,” says functional medicine doctor Frank Lipman, M.D. about avocados. “Underneath the tough green exterior lies over 14 minerals; protein, complete, with all 18 essential amino acids; soluble fiber, to trap excess cholesterol and send it out of the system; phytosterols; polyphenols; carotenoids; omega 3s; vitamins B-complex, C, E and K, to name a few.” As for skin, not only does that collection of antioxidants and fatty acids practically scream good things, avocado has been shown to help hydrate our skin. According to research, avocado oil is quite healing for dry skin, and it may have more youth-boosting properties than olive oil—and research supports the positioning. Bonus, it’s easy to add into lattes, soups, or we recommend adding it to your smoothies if you’re not a fan of the grassy taste. It contains malic acid, which is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA).9 We also found that apple cider vinegar can be helpful in blood sugar regulation, which ultimately benefits the skin, too. Butternut squash in particular contains potassium, an important electrolyte that may help reduce inflammatory responses. One particular study found that it has significant benefits for skin health, including:10 reducing inflammation, preventing cellular damage, preventing premature skin aging, and protecting against sunburn and skin cancer by inhibiting free radicals. Salmon in particular is also rich with antioxidants, particularly astaxanthin. “This is the exclusive carotenoid that gives salmon it’s orangey-pink color, and has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory11 effects. Preliminary research suggests that astaxanthin may have several health benefits in humans such as preventing oxidative stress and protecting skin cells from UV-light,” writes registered dietician Molly Knudsen, M.S., R.D.N. It has a lower glycemic index than other sweeteners, which helps regulate hormones and subsequently can be beneficial for the skin, and has anti-inflammatory properties13 as well. When it comes to their basic makeup, sweet potatoes14 are about 77 percent water, 20 percent carbohydrates, 1.6 percent protein, and 3 percent fiber. What’s more, they’re also good source of a range of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A, vitamin C, manganese, vitamin B6, magnesium, and potassium. Not only is that a high water content (again, it’s good to eat your water as well as drink it), but the antioxidants will help skin cells look more vibrant, youthful, and supple by protecting them from oxidative stress. At the most basic level, “normal” antioxidants directly stabilize free radicals by donating an electron, or break down the free radicals and render them harmless. “But that’s not quite how sulforaphane works,” explains Knudsen. Rather, sulforaphane activates the protein Nfr2, which in turn activates certain antioxidant genes in your body. In other words, SGS doesn’t just stabilize free radicals the same way consuming vitamin C might—it activates the body’s natural detoxification and antioxidant enzymes. Essentially, sulforaphane can support your skin in the same way it does your body’s detoxification processes, flushing all the harmful players out.* Sulforaphane has also been shown to reverse photoaging by protecting against UV-induced skin damage. According to a study on sulforaphane’s protective effects15, using broccoli sprout extract for three days in a row prior to UV exposure helped manage skin cell damage.* What’s more, sulforaphane can provide healthy aging benefits; according to that same study, sulforaphane also helped maintain inflammation, which may spur the healing process for inflammatory skin conditions (like acne, for one).* And if you’d like to go a step further, a collagen supplement is a great way to support healthy, hydrated skin.*
