Written by Menswear Style in Beauty on the 1st September 2018

To celebrate World Beard Day, the team at the men’s vitamins brand Vitabiotics’ Wellman, have put together a guide to keeping your skin healthy by eating right. No matter how much moisturiser or revitaliser you slather onto your face and beard, if you’re not eating right, lotions and potions will have little to no effect. If you want to improve the health of your skin it’s time to stop treating your skin as a separate entity to your body. Read on to find out more about which foods and vitamins are great for your body, beard, skin and overall health.

Vitamin A – Keeping your skin wrinkle free 

With each year that goes by your skin is affected by oxidative stress where the healthy skin cells are broken down, causing a loss of elasticity and leaving behind wrinkles. You can slow down this process naturally by introducing vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene into your diet. If you’re not getting enough vitamin A, your skin can become scaly and rough as too much keratin is produced. You probably won’t have to change your diet too much to get enough vitamin A as it’s present in food sources such as meat and dairy products, dark leafy greens, carrots and sweet potatoes. It should be easy to ensure your Vitamin A intake for most people, as just 28 grams provides seven times more vitamin A than you need on a daily basis.

Vitamin C – A natural anti-inflammatory 

Getting the right amount of Vitamin C into your diet helps keep your skin firm, acts as an anti-aging agent and can even reverse any skin damage caused by exposure to the sun. From bell peppers to broccoli and spinach, vegetables are great sources of vitamin C and all come from the polyphenolic plant molecules which act as antioxidants and anti-inflammatories. Vitamin C also plays a critical role in the production of collagen and can be found in many fruits especially citrus fruits, strawberries, blackcurrants, and kiwis. 

Vitamin E – Mother Earth’s moisturiser 

A natural moisturiser that reduces inflammation, redness, and breakouts, vitamin E is nature’s protector of your skin. You can get your vitamin E from spinach, olives, asparagus, whole grains and most seeds and nuts. If you have sunburn, make sure to get plenty of vitamin E as it can reduce the damage while also protecting your skin.

Caffeine – Soothe your skin and reduce puffy eyes 

You may be surprised to see caffeine on the list as coffee can dry out your skin. However, if you apply it to areas such as puffy eyes it can help to soothe the skin as it tightens up the blood cells and removes excess water from under the surface of your skin. It’s worth noting that this is only a temporary solution. You can get the brightening benefits from caffeine-infused creams such as Wellman’s under eye serum which helps to cool and rehydrate your skin whilst reducing under-eye puffiness and dark circles from tiredness. 

Good Fats – For when you want your skin to look its best 

Essential fatty acids are needed to help keep the cellular membrane of your skin cells in the best possible condition. Having healthy cellular membranes allows each cell to maintain water so your skin will always look its best. The good fats help to make sure that your skin doesn’t lose its tone and gives a helping hand in maintaining a strong head of hair. Food sources high in omega 3s and omega 6s are the best natural essential fatty acids and can be found in almonds, sunflower seeds, and salmon.

Protein – Helping the robustness of your skin 

Protein is the key to a strong head of hair and a healthy beard. Battling against dryness and brittleness, protein keeps your hair healthy, thick and shiny and also encourages the regeneration of your skin. If you want to keep your beard looking at its best, you can get your protein naturally from a number of food sources including fish, poultry, red meats especially lamb and Greek yoghurt. 

Selenium – Get rid of your acne and dandruff 

Healthy grains have high concentrations of selenium which have been found to reduce acne in adults when combined with vitamin E. For those suffering from dandruff as well, selenium reduces dry scalps and can stimulate hair growth. The most notable source of selenium can be found in brown rice but if rice doesn’t take your fancy you can also find it in tuna, garlic, eggs, red meat and turkey meat.

Water – Flush out those unwanted toxins 

Drinking enough water is the easiest starting point for helping your skin remain at its healthiest. By flushing out the toxins, hydrating your skin and increasing your skin’s thickness and blood flow, water is the perfect companion to a healthy diet for your skin. Aside from the obvious necessity of getting water, many fruits and vegetables are made up of approximately 90% water. According to the NHS, you should aim to get at least 1.2 litres of water per day (6-8 glasses) however, if you are exercising, playing sports or if the weather’s hot, then you will want to drink more to stay hydrated. 

4 ways to keep your beard looking healthy 

As it’s World Beard Day, we thought we’d add this particular section to help you keep your beloved beard and the skin underneath it healthy. There are 4 key steps to keeping your beard in its best shape and form: 

1. Use a moisturising hair shampoo to wash your beard on a regular basis. This will prevent it from becoming brittle and the skin underneath drying out. A natural way to keep your beard soft is by adding olive oil or natural oils to it. 

2. It’s easy to forget about your skin when it’s hidden below your glorious beard however, you need to moisturise on a regular basis. If your skin dries out your body will produce extra oils which can lead to breakouts of acne. 

3. Adding the natural vitamins and minerals mentioned above to your healthy diet will help to keep your beard looking great and nourished as well as protect the skin below it. 

4. Invest in the right tools or visit your local barber to shape your beard to put the finishing touches on how you want it to look and feel.

Even if you’ve been blessed with a full beard or pimple-free skin, there’s still plenty you can do to keep your skin, hair, and beard looking at its best. By eating healthily and introducing the right types of food into your diet you can help fight the effects of ageing and maintain a healthy complexion, not to mention that all-important beard looking tip-top. If you’ve got your own natural ways of making your beard and skin look great we’d love to hear about them.

We discuss Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Caffeine, Good Fats, Protein, Selenium, Water and Healthy Beards in this guide on Why Great Skin Starts From Within.