We buy hundreds of different makeup kits to make our skin healthy and beautiful, and we can’t even imagine how much money we spend on them.

In 2005, American dermatologists found out that it’s possible to get rid of wrinkles, acne, hyperpigmentation, and even dry skin without expensive cosmetics.

The only thing you need to do is include a few kinds of food in your diet.

Bright Side shares recommendations for a balanced diet from Cosmetic Dermatology: Principles and Practice.

You will not be needing your concealer again!

Pigment spots

Reasons:

Hyperpigmentation may be an indicator of vitamin deficiency, especially B12. Food of animal origin is rich in this vitamin. But it’s possible to get rid of pigment spots even without meat — you just need to have a proper diet.

What you should do:


  • Vitamins C and E and antioxidants such as ellagic acid and grape seed extract can help you get rid of pigment spots. You can find these useful elements in large amounts in citrus, strawberries, kiwis, tomatoes, and pomegranates.

  • Pigmentation becomes more visible if you spend a lot of time in the Sun. In order to protect your skin from ultraviolet rays, eat food rich in antioxidants: berries, grapefruits, pineapples, plums, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, chili peppers, spinach, and buckwheat.
Oily skin

Reasons:

It is well documented that food with a high glycemic index increases the productivity of the sebaceous glands. As a result, they produce more skin oil, which is necessary for moisturizing. That’s why skin can have that oily shine.

What you should do:


  • Cosmetics only temporarily save you from an oily shine, whereas a diet rich in vitamin A may decrease production levels of oil significantly. Besides, such food is really tasty and simple — just add some mango, carrots, egg yolk, dried apricots, spinach, and sweet potatoes.

  • You should decrease your intake of food with a high glycemic index. Eat less white bread, potatoes, and macaroni made of soft wheat. You will soon forget any skin problems you had.
Acne

Reasons:

Food with a high glycemic index is to blame again. That’s why people who have oily skin have acne problems more often.

The sebaceous glands become more active, leading to blocked pores where bacteria reproduce faster and cause inflammation.

What you should do:


  • A special diet can help you with your acne problem. The most important thing you need to do is eat more food with polyunsaturated fatty acids that soothe inflammation. Simply put, eat fruit, vegetables, nuts, walnuts, flax seeds, linseed oil, seaweed, and seafood.
Dry skin

Reasons:

Skin dryness indicates both a lack of cholesterol and an excess of vitamin E in your body. The former reason is mostly true for vegetarians as the biggest sources of cholesterol are fish and meat.

What you should do:


  • Increase the concentration of monounsaturated fatty acids in your diet. They are best digested not when you eat oils and nutritional supplements but when you have full products, such as beans, seaweed, eggs, soy, avocado, peanuts, and other kinds of nuts.

  • If you are not a vegetarian, try to eat meat and fish regularly. The best options are albacore, salmon, mackerel, and lake trout.
Wrinkles

Reasons:

Alcohol causes dehydration, which leads to the appearance of wrinkles. Sugar can be another reason for premature skin aging. The glucose that sugar contains makes your skin less supple.

What you should do:


  • More than 10 years ago, American researchers found that antioxidants can make skin younger. For example, if you eat food containing soy every day, signs of skin aging will be almost invisible. It can also get rid of wrinkles around the eyes.

  • Research has shown that wrinkles are less noticeable among people from Sweden, which is a consequence of good diet. The Swedes eat a lot of leafy vegetables, spinach, asparagus, celery, eggplants, garlic, and onions. But they eat almost no red meat, sugar, butter, margarine, milk, and other dairy products.
Dark circles under the eyes

Reasons:

It’s a mistake to believe that dark circles around the eyes are only an indicator of a lack of sleep. They can be a symptom of a serious illness: an allergy or some food intolerance that leads to inflammation and darkening of the area around the eyes.

What you should do:


  • Get tested for food intolerance. While waiting for the test results, exclude all potentially dangerous products from your diet — for example, foods containing lactose. These include dairy products, bread, chips, instant coffee, instant soups, and artificial sweeteners.

  • If you are not allergic to anything, the dark circles may be a sign of dehydration. Drink enough water, and don’t drink too much coffee.

  • You should also include food that contains heme iron. Such food increases hemoglobin levels. So eat more red meat, tuna, egg yolks, and buckwheat.
Credit: Brightside