Nutrition and Skin Health

In the warmer months, our skin is exposed to the sun more often and for longer periods. Though this is great for vitamin D levels, it also puts your skin at risk if you don’t take measures to protect it and keep it healthy year-round.

Diet quality—as well as sun protection, sleep, stress management, and physical activity—plays a key role in skin health. A well-balanced diet rich in antioxidants and nutrients helps maintain skin elasticity, hydration, and offers internal protection from environmental stressors like pollution and UV rays. In other words, your diet can play a crucial role in how your skin feels, looks, and ages.

Antioxidants: Vitamin A (Beta-Carotene), Vitamin E, and Vitamin C

These powerful vitamins can help protect your skin against free radicals – the unstable molecules in the body that contribute to oxidative stress, leading to damaged skin cells and contributing to aging.

Beta-carotene (vitamin A) is found mostly in dark leafy greens as well as yellow, orange and red fruits and vegetables (such as mangos, carrots, sweet potatoes, tomatoes). Vitamin A—derived from beta-carotene—is an essential component in the process of skin turnover.

Vitamin E—plentiful in nuts, seeds, and avocados—is naturally present in sebum (the oil in our skin). Greater vitamin E intake in the diet helps support a healthy skin barrier to keep your skin moisturized.

Vitamin C—found in citrus fruits, kiwi, strawberries, bell peppers, and lots more fruits and vegetables—supports production of collagen, a type of protein essential for firmer, smoother skin. Guava, a fruit that has become increasingly popular in the US, contains more than double the amount of vitamin C than oranges per serving.

Collagen and Protein

The skin structure is largely made up of collagen, a protein that gives it firmness and elasticity. While collagen is naturally produced in your body, this process declines as we age. Consuming protein-rich foods like legumes, eggs, poultry and fish can help provide the building blocks for collagen synthesis, along with other important nutrients for this process, like vitamin C and zinc. Collagen supplements are also available, but scientific evidence is still lacking in demonstrating direct benefits to skin compared to a healthy balanced diet including protein-rich foods.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3s—especially from fatty fish like mackerel, salmon, and sardines—help strengthen the skin’s barrier and reduce inflammation, contributing to a smoother, more hydrated complexion. Omega-3 fatty acids are also found in plant-based sources such as flax seeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, seaweed, and walnuts.

Water and Hydrating Foods

Hydration isn’t only achieved by drinking water (though that’s vital!). Including foods with high water content in your diet—such as any crunchy and/or juicy fruits and vegetables—can also help keep your body hydrated and your skin moisturized. Additionally, fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals – a great nutritional bonus!

Additional Skin Protection Tips

In addition to these nutrition recommendations, protect your skin by following these tips:

• Limit strong sun ray exposure, especially between 10am and 4pm when the sun is most intense. Do not use tanning beds.
• Apply water-resistant, broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF (Sun Protection Factor) above 30 daily, and reapply throughout the day to maintain effectiveness. If you have sensitive skin, use products that contain zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, as these may be less likely to cause irritation.
• Wear wide-brimmed hats, UV-blocking sunglasses, and clothing with UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor) to provide a physical barrier against UV rays.

For a printable, summarized version of this information, click here.

References:

1. Aliza Rosen. (2024, March 28). 9 Things to Know About Sun Safety and Skin Cancer. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2024/9-things-to-know-about-sun-safety-and-skin-cancer
2. Balić, A., & Mokos, M. (2019). Do We Utilize Our Knowledge of the Skin Protective Effects of Carotenoids Enough? Antioxidants, 8(8), 259. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox8080259
3. Joshi, M., Hiremath, P., John, J., Ranadive, N., Nandakumar, K., & Mudgal, J. (2023). Modulatory role of vitamins A, B3, C, D, and E on skin health, immunity, microbiome, and diseases. Pharmacological Reports, 75(5), 1096–1114. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43440-023-00520-1
4. Saginala, K., Barsouk, A., Aluru, J. S., Rawla, P., & Barsouk, A. (2021). Epidemiology of Melanoma. Medical Sciences, 9(4), 63. https://doi.org/10.3390/medsci9040063
5. Skin Cancer Foundation. (2019, June). Sun-Protective Clothing. https://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-prevention/sun-protection/sun-protective-clothing/
6. Skin Cancer Foundation. (2023, May 23). Ask the Expert: Does a High SPF Protect My Skin Better? Sun & Skin News. https://www.skincancer.org/blog/ask-the-expert-does-a-high-spf-protect-my-skin-better/#:~:text=What%20Does%20the%20SPF%20Number,you%20weren’t%20wearing%20sunscreen.
7. World Health Organization. (n.d.). Ultraviolet Radiation. https://www.who.int/health-topics/ultraviolet-radiation#tab=tab_2