Skin-Perfecting Super Foods

Get a confidence boost with glowing skin thanks to these special super foods

There's a reason why the beauty industry is one of the most profitable in the world - because we all want our skin to look and feel amazing. We're willing to do whatever it takes to make our complexion glow with health, but sometimes slathering on the best cleanser after a day out or topping up your hydration levels with a great moisturiser simply isn't enough. (Though we'll admit having the best moisturiser for dry skin on hand is still an essential in our book.)

Whether it's spots or wrinkles, you can help the state of your skin by eating the right food. Supplementing a well-balanced diet with a few super foods will aid your skin in its daily process of hydrating and renewing itself, to give you a clear, glowing complexion.

And the fun part is, a lot of them are based on colours, so it's easy to recognise exactly what you need and why you need it. For example, orange vegetables, like carrots, sweet potato and squash, are rich in Beta Carotene - which converts to vitamin A in our bodies to help cell renewal and strengthen our skin's barrier.

Similarly, greens contain minerals like calcium, magnesium and alkaloids, which help to alkalise the body, preventing it from becoming too acidic, making foods like broccoli, spinach and spirulina essential for our systems.

then, there are superfood families to consider, like berries, which are a good source of the anti-oxidant, vitamin C, known to protect our cells from free-radical damage like pollution. So if you want the bets skin of your life, you need to work from the inside out and add these foods to your grocery list the next time you go shopping...

Oats

Oats

Avocado

Packed with antioxidants, not to mention potassium, vitamins and good fats, avocados are your best foodie weapon in the fight against wrinkles.

Dandelion

We're not suggesting you start digging up the yellow flowers from your garden, but dandelion leaves (usually drunk as a tea) are excellent for cleansing toxins from the body, or you can add young ones to a green salad.

Melon

Whether you prefer watermelons or cantaloupe, melons are an excellent way of kick-starting a sluggish constitution. Eat on its own or at the start of your meal to help detox your body from the inside out.

Millet

A health-food-shop favourite, millet is rich in silicon, which is vital for healthy skin, hair, teeth, eyes and nails.

Oily fish

We all know oily fish are excellent in our diets, but which fish actually qualify as 'oily'? Add to your shopping list: herring, mackerel, pilchards, sardines, sprats, trout, whitebait, anchovies and carp. Now where's that tartare sauce?

Pumpkin seeds

Tossing a handful of pumpkin seeds into your morning muesli is one of the easiest ways to improve your skin and although it's the seeds which really work the magic, the pulp of both pumpkins and squashes are also good for all manner of other ailments. Bring on the pumpkin pie!

Strawberries

High in iron and brilliant for cleansing your whole system, strawberries are an all-round, must-eat superfood. Plus, they taste great, too. To really gain full benefits, eat them on their own (that means no sugar or cream, sorry).

Watercress

A brilliant salad accessory, watercress is full of vitamins A and C, and works like a natural antibiotic, helping zap unwanted blemishes and heal the skin.

Sprouted seeds

The most live, pure, nutritious food imaginable', sprouted seeds are cheap and easy to grow yourself or, these days, can also be bought from most supermarkets. Add them to sandwiches, salads and stir-frys.