There’s a lot of hype and buzz around skincare products these days. From hyaluronic acid to ferulic acid, retinol to bakuchiol, there are a whole host of formulas and ingredients being prescribed to help men and women get clear and glowing skin.

But is it enough to only apply serums and creams topically? Shouldn’t you be paying attention to what’s going on inside your body, to look and feel your best on the outside?

You are what you eat, and you need to follow a diet plan for glowing skin to keep your skin supple and healthy.  

Some of the most popular search terms when it comes to skincare on Google include “nutrition diet for skin glow” and “nutrition diet for skin” and “what diet for glowing skin.” But what is skin, essentially?

We tend to treat it as a separate entity, something we have to take care of, but on a topical level. When in fact, our skin is our largest organ!

Our skin does some heavy lifting, acting as a protective layer and keeping us safe - and it deserves (and needs!) the same kind of nourishment as our insides. 

You are what you eat, and diet plays a huge role in the health of your skin. The right diet plan for glowing skin will repair your skin, clear it of blemishes and acne, and keep it soft and supple.

And contrary to popular perception, clean eating for healthy skin doesn’t mean only raw or steamed fruits and veggies - plenty of flavour enhancers and spices will enable you to eat your way to better skin while enjoying your meals.

Here’s a deeper look at our skin, and examples of some of the best foods for skin repair. 

Skin Types

Enter the aisles of any department store and you’ll be greeted by retail assistants asking you what your skin type is, and recommend the right kind of product. In general, there are three skin types:

• Normal
• Oily
• Dry
• Combination (where the T-Zone tends to be oily and the rest of the face dry

While each type of skin may have a specific concern that needs addressing, for overall skin health, you need to eat a balanced diet - it will make your skin glow and take care of some of those niggling issues.

You may need to eat more of a certain type of food to address dryness or excess oil/sebum, but overall, what you need is a healthy diet plan for glowing skin. 

Diet Plan For Glowing Skin: Vegan Diet

More and more people are embracing veganism for ethical reasons after seeing the harmful effects of industrialised animal agriculture. But a vegan diet - one that is devoid of all animal products, including eggs, fish and dairy - is also good if you are looking to clear up your skin. 

Dairy has been linked to inflammation and breakouts, and many people who have transitioned to a vegan diet have seen positive results in a matter of weeks.

Being plant-based, you are also getting a good boost of vitamins and minerals from the fruits and vegetables you are consuming. However, dairy is a source of calcium, which is something your body needs.

"While there are plant-based sources of calcium available like sesame seeds, you should consult your nutritionist to work out a vegan diet plan for glowing skin that ticks all the boxes."

Diet Plan For Glowing Skin: Sugar-Free Plant-Based Diet

Giving up dairy and eggs can be difficult for some, so you can always opt to eat a vegetarian plant-based diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables - with a rider. No sugar!

Sugar tends to dry out the skin and break down collagen, leaving you with a slightly haggard appearance. Getting rid of refined white sugar will leave you feeling more energetic, brighten your complexion, fade blemishes and prevent acne.

Diet Plan For Glowing Skin: The Collagen-Rich Diet

Instead of applying a collagen enriched face pack or sheet mask, why not eat foods that help to put some of that goodness inside, where it really counts?

Collagen is a protein found in the body that makes up the connective tissues of several body parts, and it also improves your skin’s structure and elasticity. 

The collagen diet isn’t about taking collagen supplements - it’s about eating antioxidant-rich foods that help boost collagen production inside your body. Citrus fruits and berries should be eaten, like oranges, musambi, strawberries, blueberries, etc, as well as papaya and guava.

From the vegetable world, eat plenty of carrots, tomatoes, spinach, kale, capsicum/bell pepper, and pumpkin. All these foods are known to boost collagen production. 

Diet Plan For Glowing Skin: The Good Fat Diet

Fried food is not going to do your skin any favours - but there are certain fats you can consume to keep your skin supple and fresh. Our skin is made up of fats and requires fat to keep it healthy.

Trans fats are a no-no - swap them out for polyunsaturated fatty acids found in vegetable oils and oily fish like salmon and mackerel, along with monounsaturated fatty acids found in olive oil, walnuts, avocados and sunflower oil.

 Polyunsaturated fats keep the skin naturally hydrated and dewy.  Plus, foods like oily fish and walnuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which fight inflammation in the body caused by sun and stress.

Diet Plan For Glowing Skin: The Seafood Diet

Similar to the good fat diet, a seafood diet draws on eating well-prepared oily fish. Fish is a lean protein that contains plenty of good fats that play a role in cell repair and help lower inflammation levels in the body.

This works to perk up your skin. Fish and shellfish also contain selenium and zinc, which protect the skin from sun damage and help repair the skin as well.

These minerals also regulate the oil-producing glands in the skin. Speak to your doctor or nutritionist to determine how many portions of fish/seafood you should consume per week.

Diet Plan For Glowing Skin: Have Tomatoes!

Being a tropical country, we in India are blessed with a year-round supply of tomatoes unlike the West where they make an appearance over the summer. Tomatoes are quite a powerhouse when it comes to skin health.

They contain the phytochemical lycopene, which gives the vegetable its red colour, and lycopene helps boost collagen strength. It also fights off the oxidising effect of free radicals.

However, it’s better to have your tomatoes in cooked form - this increases their lycopene levels. So you can tuck into a delicious pasta with marinara sauce or arrabbiata sauce and know it’s helping your skin!

If you prefer something desi, make a batch of tomato rice, tomato rasam or tomato kasundi. 

Diet Plan For Glowing Skin: Have Oats

Oatmeal isn’t just a great breakfast food that keeps you feeling full, it’s also  a great skin food. Oats are high in fibre, and that works to help your skin. Fibre-rich foods feed gut bacteria that help reduce inflammation, which in turn minimises any spikes in blood sugar.

Fluctuating blood sugar levels can lead to skin problems. Oats are also rich in the mineral silicon, which helps retain the elasticity of skin and slows down the ageing process. 

Diet Plan For Glowing Skin: Have Turmeric

Turmeric is a staple in Indian kitchens and we have been using it liberally in our cooking long before the Western world woke up to turmeric lattes and golden milk. Turmeric contains an active antioxidant called curcumin which has anti-inflammatory properties and has the ability to fight skin-damaging free radicals. 

Our humble haldi powder can also be used topically to lighten dark pigmentation, blotches or scars caused by ageing, hormone imbalance, or sun damage.

Turmeric works to inhibit the enzymes in our system that produce dark pigments. Just combine haldi with honey to create a healing facial mask.

Diet Plan For Glowing Skin: Have Cinnamon

Another great spice that is used often in Indian cooking and also repairs skin is cinnamon. Cinnamon or dalchini stimulates blood flow, which brings more oxygen and nutrients to the surface of the skin.

It can also help balance blood sugar levels, because too much sugar can stimulate excess oil production. 

There are several ways to incorporate cinnamon into your diet - add it to your morning coffee or smoothie, or sprinkle some over porridge or dalia. 

Diet Plan For Glowing Skin: Have Green Tea

That morning cup of coffee may beckon you with its heady aroma - but if you are looking to clear up and nourish your skin, you may want to switch to green tea in the AM.

Green tea is filled with catechins, an antioxidant that has proven anti-inflammatory properties, as well as anti-cancer properties. You can drink a few cups a day - but consult your nutritionist, since too much caffeine is not food on the system. 

Diet Plan For Glowing Skin: Remember To Hydrate!

Come summer or monsoon, it’s water, water everywhere (at the beach or in the rain), but you have to make sure you’re drinking enough water as well! The more water you drink, the more toxins you flush out from your body. 

There are millions of YouTube videos detailing the skincare regimens and daily eating habits of celebrities, influencers and stars - and most of them will admit to drinking tons of H20 through the day.

If you want skin that doesn’t feel itchy and dehydrated, you need to chug water.  Plus, when you are hydrated, you won’t feel lethargic, and your immune system functions better, keeping infections at bay!

Diet Plan For Glowing Skin: All Your Concerns Addressed By Lovneet Batra

If you are looking to clear up your skin, address issues related to acne, dry skin, patchy skin or pigmentation, then you can always drop in for a consultation with us at Nutrition By Lovneet. We will teach you how to diet for glowing skin, with the right combination of the best foods for skin repair. 

Good skin starts from the inside, and no amount of topical treatment will help if you aren’t fueling your body with the right kinds of food. With our skincare rejuvenation program, we craft for you a diet plan for glowing skin that will restore elasticity and repair your skin, from within. 

From Indian superfoods to detox juices, a good diet helps your skin repair and rejuvenate. The program also helps you identify and eliminate foods that are not good for your skin. 

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At NBL, we help balance your issues holistically. We assess the underlying conditions according to your blood reports and prescriptions and design a skin and hair rejuvenation program accordingly.

Our customized weekly meal plans include tips on how to continue having your favourite dishes, while eliminating all the foods that can aggravate inflammation in your body.

Healthy hair and skin demand a diet that’s rich in the right vitamins and minerals, along with foods that promote good gut health. An ideal skin rejuvenation diet will include high fibre foods, fermented foods, vitamin A,C,E and biotin - these are some of the best foods for skin glow.

We believe in no-deprivation diets which will help you heal with food that is in tune with your culture, lifestyle, daily routine and budget. We know that citrus fruits are great for your skin - but we also know that you’re much better off eating local amla, musambi or pomelo rather than imported kiwis and grapefruit. 

Our recipes are accessible and doable and we make sure you can execute the plan without too much fuss. We know you are leading a busy life, and we craft the diet plan for glowing skin based on your schedule! And, we make sure it’s light on your body.

So, how long does it take for diet to affect skin? We offer both one month and three month programs, but we suggest sticking with the three month diet for glowing skin program to see proper results.

For more information, Visit Skincare Rejuvenation Program

FAQS

What is the best diet for glowing skin?

A balanced diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables, good fats, low sugar and plenty of water will bring you results. You can choose from a vegan diet, a vegetarian diet that cuts out refined sugar, a seafood-leaning diet, or the good fats diet which is rich in oil fish, healthy fats and nuts.

Are tomatoes good for a diet for glowing skin?

Tomatoes contain a certain phytochemical called lycopene, which gives the vegetable its red colour, and lycopene helps boost collagen strength. It also fights off the oxidising effect of free radicals.

However, it’s better to have your tomatoes in cooked form - this boosts their lycopene levels.

Can you drink coffee if you want clear skin?

Milky and sugary coffee is best avoided, as sugar can cause breakouts and too much dairy causes inflammation. Instead, opt for green tea. It contains caffeine, which will give you a boost in the morning, but also has catechins, an antioxidant that has proven anti-inflammatory properties, as well as anti-cancer properties.

You can drink a few cups a day - but consult your nutritionist, since too much caffeine is not food on the system. 

Why is collagen important for our skin?

Collagen is a protein found in the body that makes up the connective tissues of several body parts, and it also improves your skin’s structure and elasticity. 

Instead of taking collagen supplements, indulge in antioxidant-rich foods that help boost collagen production inside your body. Citrus fruits and berries should be eaten, like oranges, musambi, strawberries, blueberries, etc, as well as papaya and guava.

From the vegetable world, eat plenty of carrots, tomatoes, spinach, kale, capsicum/bell pepper, and pumpkin. All these foods are known to boost collagen production. 

Is going vegan a good way to get better skin?

A vegan diet contains no animal products, so that means no eggs, fish or dairy since they are all derived from animals. 

Dairy has been linked to inflammation and breakouts, and many people who have transitioned to a vegan diet have seen positive results in a matter of weeks. Being plant-based, you are also getting a good boost of vitamins and minerals from the fruits and vegetables you are consuming.

However, dairy is a source of calcium, which is something your body needs. While there are plant-based sources of calcium available like sesame seeds, you should consult your nutritionist to work out a vegan diet plan for glowing skin that ticks all the boxes.

Is turmeric good for healthy skin?

Turmeric should be part of your diet plan for glowing skin. You can make as simple mask with honey to treat pigmentation and spots on your face.

Turmeric also contains an active antioxidant called curcumin which has anti-inflammatory properties and has the ability to fight skin-damaging free radicals.

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