Written by Paddy Maddison in Beauty on the 20th September 2017

With all the thousands of products out there claiming to give you great skin, it can be easy to get sucked in and forget that sometimes the best solution is the simplest. You’ve probably heard the saying ‘you are what you eat’ and it’s entirely true. What you choose to put into your body has a huge impact on your skin. It can be the difference between looking greasy and unwell, or healthy and glowing. Assuming you’re aiming for healthy and glowing, these are the foods and drinks that can help to put you on the right track.

Green Tea to Reduce Redness 

It’s no secret that drinking green tea can be beneficial to your health, but it can also do wonders to reduce inflammation and redness in the skin. If you’re prone to blotchy skin, drink a cup a day and you should start to notice the results almost immediately. You can also apply wet teabags directly onto any problem areas for a quick fix.

Soy to Even Out Skin Tone  

To get a clearer complexion, try switching the milk in your coffee from full fat to soya. If that doesn’t sound like something you could handle, then you could try eating edamame beans instead. The soy contains minerals and proteins that will reduce hyperpigmentation, resulting in a better complexion and more even skin tone. 

Kidney Beans to Get Rid of Spots 

Kidney beans are absolutely packed full of zinc. Studies have shown a very high correlation between spots and low levels of zinc. Up your intake of kidney beans to boost your levels and banish those awful acne breakouts once and for all.

Walnuts to tighten up  

Worried about ageing skin? A handful of walnuts a day may just be the answer. These little beauties are packed with omega 3, which will increase the elasticity of your skin. They’re also rich in copper, which boots the production of collagen – that’s the stuff that stops your face from going all saggy and horrible. The more of that the better if you ask us. 

Sunflower seeds to hydrate  

Eating a handful of sunflower seeds every day might not be the most pleasant thing to take up, but it can work miracles for your skin. Sunflower seeds are full of vitamin E and will help to make your face look healthy and glowing. They can even rehydrate dry skin too.

Dark Chocolate for luminosity 

Chocolate probably isn’t the first thing that springs to mind when thinking of healthy foods but small amounts of it can really brighten your skin up. Go for stuff that contains at least 70% cacao, as it contains higher amounts of antioxidants and will be more effective. A couple of squares a day is a safe bet – eating a whole bar definitely won’t do you any favours.

We provide skincare tips such as Green Tea to Reduce Redness and Soy to Even Out Skin Tone in this guide on How to Eat and Drink Your Way to Better Skin.