8 Foods You Should Be Eating For a Youthful Glow

POPSUGAR Photography | Maria del Rio
POPSUGAR Photography | Maria del Rio

It's easy for skin to become dry, flaky, and sallow — even in the Summer. Before you go out and spend your paycheck on fancy lotions and creams, try nourishing your skin from the inside out — what we put in our bodies is just as essential to a healthy glow as what we put on them. Here are eight foods that will leave you glowing all year long!

01
Get That Youthful Glow
POPSUGAR Photography | Grace Hitchcock

Get That Youthful Glow

If you're not getting enough vitamin A in your diet, then your skin is majorly suffering. Not enough of this nutrient makes skin dry and flaky. The vitamin is also touted for its antiaging benefits.

Go ahead and get Popeye on us — dark, leafy greens like spinach and kale are excellent sources of vitamin A. Start by cooking up one of these healthy kale recipes.

02
Repair and Rejuvenate
POPSUGAR Photography | Jae Payne

Repair and Rejuvenate

Foods like oysters, crab, and lean meats are rich in zinc, which makes them great skin soothers. Zinc helps reduce oil production and acne and also helps heal wounds.

03
What Wrinkles?
POPSUGAR Photography | Grace Hitchcock

What Wrinkles?

By now we all know that citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruit are chock-full of vitamin C. But this essential nutrient might also help turn back the clock by preventing wrinkles.

04
Protect and Heal
POPSUGAR Photography | Jenny Sugar

Protect and Heal

Green tea has been found to have properties that help protect the skin from melanoma and that also act as an anti-inflammatory against acne.

05
Improve the Tone
POPSUGAR Photography | Jae Payne

Improve the Tone

Two antioxidants found in eggs, lutein and zeaxanthin, have been found to improve skin tone and protect against UV damage. And if this isn't enough of a reason to enjoy eggs, check out all the other nutritional benefits that make them a mainstay in our diets.

06
Nature's Sunblock
POPSUGAR Photography | Nicole Perry

Nature's Sunblock

Bring on the red sauce! Eating tomatoes can help protect the skin from damaging UV rays. This is a good thing since sun damage can cause premature aging and skin cancer.

07
Build a Force Field
POPSUGAR Photography | Nicole Perry

Build a Force Field

As if we need an excuse to eat more berries! They're great on their own or as a topping for salads, cereal, and yogurt. Full of antioxidants, blueberries can protect the body, including the skin, from damaging free radicals, which disrupt healthy cell production, causing you to look older faster. They are also high in vitamin C and considered anti-inflammatory — two good things for your skin.

08
Soft and Supple
POPSUGAR Photography | Nicole Perry

Soft and Supple

Fish like salmon, tuna, and trout are high in omega-3s. Those good-for-you fats help soften dry skin by holding in moisture, which helps decrease the look of wrinkles and plumps up skin.