The bumps are back! No matter what you do, you can’t banish the acne that’s plagued you since you were a teenager.

It’s important to know that you’re not alone. The American Academy of Dermatology Association reports that facial acne is the most common skin problem in America and it affects about 50 million Americans every year!

One of the ways you can help clear up your complexion is by changing your diet. If you want to get rid of the acne spots for good, we have you covered! Keep reading to learn our top 8 foods for clear skin and some helpful anti-aging skin tips.

You Are What You Eat

The age-old adage seems to ring true to this day. If you eat healthy foods, your body feels healthy. But, if you eat crappy foods, you’re going to feel crappy!

Your diet affects more than your beauty too! Eating a healthy diet helps you prevent ailments like diabetes, cholesterol issues, and much more. If you’re unsure about how you should eat, ask your doctor for a complete nutrition plan.

If cutting some kinds of bad foods seems too difficult, try reducing the number of bad foods you eat little by little. Some bad foods, like sugar, can get addictive and that makes it difficult to kick the bad food habits. Another tip is to find a healthier kind of “junk food” like salted kale chips to swap for your regular junk food like potato chips.

Top 8 Foods for Clear Skin

Ready to get started cleaning up your diet so your skin will clear up too? Here are some of our favorite skin tightening foods and foods that help clear skin of blemishes and/or redness.

1. Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are a great source of beta carotene, which acts as a natural sunblock and protects your skin from the harmful rays of the sun.

Fun fact, higher amounts of beta carotene can also give you a natural warm tone to your skin, giving you a healthy, sun-kissed glow without the sun damage!

2. Broccoli

Broccoli has a vitamin called lutein that works like beta carotene and a compound called sulforaphane, which claims some impressive possible benefits. Some studies suggest that it may even have anti-cancer properties!

There is also evidence that suggests sulforaphane can help you maintain your skin’s natural collagen levels.

3. Green Tea

Drinking green tea can also help improve your skin texture and appearance. A 12-week study found that drinking green tea every day can help reduce skin redness by up to 25%! That study also showed that green tea helped improve the moisture, texture, thickness, and elasticity of the participants’ skin.

4. Fatty Fish

No, we don’t mean you should eat overweight fish. Species such as salmon, mackerel, and herring, are excellent foods for healthy skin because of their fat content. The fats in these fish help reduce inflammation, which can cause redness and acne as well as improving the moisture content of your skin.

Fats from fish also contain a good amount of vitamin E, which is one of the most important antioxidants for your skin! Vitamin E is great for protecting your skin against damage from free radicals and inflammation.

5. Dark Chocolate

Chocoholics anonymous unite! Studies show that after 6–12 weeks of eating high-quality cocoa powder every day, participants reported thicker and more hydrated skin with better texture. Other studies suggest that people who consume dark chocolate saw improvements in the appearance of their wrinkles.

To get the most benefits (and keep your sugar intake low) make sure to pick dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa content.

6. Red and Yellow Bell Peppers

Bell peppers (like sweet potatoes) are also an excellent source of beta carotene, which your body converts into vitamin A. They’re also one of the best sources of vitamin C other than oranges! A major study showed that eating plenty of vitamin C reduced the risk of wrinkles and dry skin.

7. Avocados

Avocados contain lots of healthy fats that benefit many functions in your body, such as the health of your skin. They’re also a good source of vitamin E and vitamin E becomes more effective when taken with vitamin C (another avocado vitamin)!

8. Tomatoes

Tomatoes are an awesome source of vitamin C and also contain lycopene, which can help prevent wrinkles. Since fat consumption increases your absorption of carotenoids, why not pair your tomatoes with some low-fat cheese!

Bonus Tips for Aging Skin

Aging skin needs a bit more love to look its best. But, you only get one body and you can’t replace your skin, so it’s worth the effort!

Using Spanish black radish extract is effective in slowing down the aging process of skin and keep it looking healthy through its abundance of vitamins.

Using the diet tips above will help your skin glow from the inside, but you’ll need to add some topical treatments into your repertoire as well.

Moisture is key! Use a good topical moisturizer on your face and neck area every day (twice a day, if you’re skin feels very dry). Also, drink plenty of water so your skin gets moisturized from the inside out as well as the outside in!

If you think you need more than diet to help rejuvenate your complexion, check out these aging skin solutions!

Glow From the Inside Out

You don’t have to change your entire diet to see benefits from the foods that make your skin glow. Making little changes by incorporating more of the best foods for clear skin while cutting out some of the bad foods yields visible results too!

These aren’t the only foods that help clear skin, so keep an eye out for other beauty foods at your local market. The more options you find, the easier it is to incorporate these healthy foods into your diet.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article and that you learned a few things about changing your diet to clear up your complexion. If you’re looking for more information about food, sports, lifestyles, travel, and much more, check out the rest of our blogs today!