10 Foods to Eat for Healthy Skin and Hair

Keeping your skin glowing and your hair shining can be quite the task, especially as we get older. Luckily, we know that we are what we eat, and so eating a diet rich in the proper nutrients can help your nourish your skin and hair from the inside out. These foods are all loaded with collagen-boosting compounds that smoothe the face and give you strong strands. Check out the list below.

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Tomatoes

Tomatoes are an excellent example of foods rich in an antioxidant called selenium. Having selenium in your diet can help prevent sun damage as well as age spots.

Blueberries

Blueberries have long been hailed as one of the best sources of important nutrients and antioxidants. The little berries are packed with Vitamin C which helps produce collagen, aiding the health and appearance of skin and hair.

Oily fish

Salmon is a classic example of a meal packed with Omega-3, which is a nutrient that can reduce inflammatory skin conditions, help look after your scalp and aid your skin in looking smoother and younger.

Nuts

Nuts provide a variety of hair and skin-friendly nutrients such as zinc, selenium and Vitamin E. Vitamin E can provide protection against sun damage as well as environmental pollution so is a necessity for healthy skin and hair.

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Fortified cereals

Fortified cereals are a great source of zinc as well as other minerals. A diet lacking in zinc can lead to hair loss as well as a dry, itchy scalp so it’s important to be getting plenty.

Water

Drinking six to eight glasses of water a day is essential for healthy skin and hair. Staying hydrated will keep your skin moisturized, improving the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are packed with Vitamin A, which is essential for the body’s production of sebum. Simply put, sebum is the oily substance produced by our hairs glands and is necessary for a healthy scalp.

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Eggs

Egg yolks contain a substance called biotin, a water-soluble B vitamin. A lack of biotin in the body may cause brittle hair and even hair loss so it’s an essential vitamin to have in your diet.

Kale

Kale has been classed as a ‘super-food’ largely due to its high iron content. Hair follicles are fed by your blood supply, therefore if your blood is lacking in iron it can affect hair growth and may even result in shedding.

Chicken

Some love it, some think it’s boring, but chicken is a great source of protein. Both your hair and skin is made up of protein so a lack of it in your diet could lead to brittle hair as well as dry skin.