Adopting a diet rich in the following 11 vitamins and nutrients is not only the best way to stay in the peak of good health — it also leads to smooth, glowing skin and fuller, healthier hair.
Because nourishing your body on the inside inevitably leads to a healthy glow on the outside.
And while you can take these vitamins and nutrients in supplement form, adding them to your diet is the first place to start.
So we’ve listed the best food sources for each of them too.
The basics of a healthy diet for glowing skin and shiny hair
To keep your skin looking clear and healthy and your hair strong and shiny you need to prioritize nutritious foods full of the vitamins, minerals, Omega-3 fatty acids, protein and antioxidants your skin and hair needs.
The benefits for you skin and hair
These nutrients all work to support glowing skin, and healthy hair from the inside out.
And they’re great for reducing the effects of aging on a man's face (and body) too.
Helping to alleviate the dryness and irritation caused by shaving, encouraging collagen production, as well as reducing the redness and excess oil associated with men’s skin.
Most importantly, including these healthy elements in your diet increases the amount of antioxidants which help to defend against the environmental damage caused by pollution, UV light and free radicals and which cause your skin to age.
In particular you’ll notice:
- Your skin will become smoother and firmer
- With an inner ‘glow’
- And an anti aging effect
- Fewer breakouts
- Reduced inflammation and less redness
Just like with your skin, the condition of your hair (and beard) is an outward reflection of your diet too. So including the following nutrients:
- makes hair stronger, and more resistant to breakage
- thicker and shinier in appearance
The 5 principles to stick to:
- Always use fresh produce
- Change things up a lot - so you get a good variety of nutrients
- In general, include lots of different colours of fruit and vegetables
-
Combine foods as much as possible. The nutrients often work together, boosting each other's power.
and - Try to REDUCE foods that contribute to aging, like sugar and grains which increase inflammation. (By a process called glycation sugar accelerates premature skin aging, resulting in reduced skin elasticity, wrinkles and skin sagging).
The 11 BEST nutrients for smooth, glowing skin and full, healthy hair
The following 11 vitamins and nutrients make up the building blocks of healthy, younger looking skin and stronger, shinier hair.
HEALTHY FATS
Healthy types of fat (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats) promote smooth, supple skin and strong, shiny hair.
How healthy fats improve your skin:
Healthy fats are what gives your skin its "glow."
They help your skin stay hydrated (particularly important if shaving is drying out your skin).
These same healthy fats also help you to absorb the other vitamins and nutrients that your skin needs.
How healthy fats improve your hair:
These fats are essential to your hair’s health – nourishing your hair follicles and keeping your strands strong and shiny.
Whilst too little fat in your diet can actually make your skin wrinkled and dry, and your hair brittle.
Best food sources of healthy fats:
- Fatty Fish – Salmon, Mackerel, Sardines
- Avocado
- Nuts
- Chia Seeds
- Flax Seeds
- Eggs
Foods packed with the healthy fats that help your skin (and your hair) stay hydrated
OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS
Omega-3’s strengthen your skin, hair, and nails, reduce inflammation and dryness and increase circulation to encourage a healthy, glowing complexion and hair that is shiny and full.
How Omega-3 fatty Acids improve your skin:
These essential fats are anti-inflammatory and hydrating leaving your skin looking healthy, hydrated and smooth, while also helping to maintain elasticity.
They strengthen skin cell membranes, preserve your skins natural barrier and protect against sun damage.
Omega-3’s help to keep moisture in. And at the same time, they improve blood circulation, carrying nutrients to your skin.
They can also reduce skin inflammations, such as eczema and psoriasis.
How Omega-3 fatty acids improve your hair:
Omega-3s are found in the cells that line the scalp and also provide the oils that keep your scalp and hair hydrated.
Like healthy fats, they nourish hair follicles to give your hair a lustrous shine.
And they're anti-inflammatory and stimulate the cells of the hair follicles, to encourage hair growth.
Best food sources of Omega-3 Fatty Acids:
- Fatty Fish – Salmon, Mackerel, Sardines
- Chia Seeds
- Ghee (Clarified butter)
- Olive Oil
- Flax seeds
COLLAGEN
Collagen in your diet is crucial for smooth, firm skin and hair that is strong and healthy.
Unfortunately, the production of your natural collagen begins to decline as you age.
Adding a collagen-rich dietary source to your diet is a sure way to stimulate more collagen production.
How Collagen improves your skin:
Collagen is the fibrous protein that keeps your skin looking firm, youthful and wrinkle-free.
And when collagen is ingested, it’s more easily assimilated into the bloodstream leading to renewed elasticity of the skin.
How Collagen improves your hair:
Collagen gives hair it’s strength and shine - and If you’re not consuming enough, your hair is likely to become dry, brittle and weak.
Best food sources of Collagen:
- Bone Broth
- Nuts (especially walnuts)
- Egg Whites
- Berries
- Leafy Green Vegetables – Spinach, Kale, Broccoli
Sweet Potatoes - rich in Vitamin A to give your skin a healthy glow, and make your hair shine
VITAMIN A
This fat-soluble vitamin is commonly found in the form of beta-carotene in foods.
How Vitamin A improves your skin:
A powerful antioxidant, Vitamin A boosts collagen production, restores skin elasticity, promotes cell turnover and contributes to healthy, youthful skin.
It also has anti-inflammatory properties.
And while it can’t replace using sun protection, vitamin A and folate help prevent skin damage caused by UV rays.
It also gives your skin a healthy glow.
How Vitamin A improves your hair:
Beta carotene promotes a healthy scalp and effectively promotes hair growth too.
It helps your body to make sebum. This provides a natural conditioner for a healthy scalp and protects against dry, dull hair.
Best food sources of Vitamin A:
- Blueberries
- Sweet Potatoes
- Leafy Green Vegetables – Spinach, Kale, Broccoli
- Tomatoes
- Eggs
- Red Pepper
Nuts - an excellent source of the B-complex Vitamins vital for glowing skin and healthy hair
B-COMPLEX VITAMINS
Several of the B-complex vitamins improve your skin and hair, producing healthy new skin cells and stimulating keratin production in hair.
How the B-complex Vitamins improves your skin:
Vitamin B3 (niacinamide) and Folic Acid both help reduce signs of skin aging and improving the tone and texture of your skin.
While Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) relieves signs of acne and skin inflammation.
How the B-complex Vitamins improves your hair:
Biotin and Niacin (two of the B vitamins) stimulate hair growth and help keep hair healthy and nourished
With Biotin playing a key role in the production of keratin, which is the major protein found in hair.
While Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) has been shown to help against hair thinning and hair loss.
Best food sources of B vitamins:
- Avocado
- Salmon
- Eggs
- Legumes (Lentils and Chickpeas)
- Brown Rice
- Nuts and Seeds
- Bananas
- Wholegrains
Blueberries - a rich source of the Vitamin C which encourages collagen production to keep your skin firm and improve hair growth
VITAMIN C
Vitamin C helps build collagen and, in turn, makes your skin look firmer and plumper, and is key for hair growth.
How Vitamin C improves your skin:
Vitamin C is not only an important antioxidant that protects your skin from the effects of free radicals, but it also stimulates collagen production, keeping your skin looking firm and smooth.
Your body needs vitamin C to encourage collagen production, the main protein in skin that gives it strength and elasticity.
How Vitamin C improves your hair:
Because Vitamin C helps in the production of collagen it strengthens the capillaries that supply the hair shaft, making it especially helpful for hair growth.
Best food sources of Vitamin C:
- Citrus fruits – Oranges, lemons, kiwi fruit, Grapefruit
- Beets
- Blueberries
- Pomegranates
- Leafy Green Vegetables – Spinach, Kale, Broccoli
- Tomatoes
VITAMIN D
Vitamin D improves the skin barrier function, which protects your skin from germs and harmful chemicals.
How Vitamin D improves your skin:
Vitamin D protects your skin cells from damage due to UV exposure, prevents skin infections, and has an anti-aging effect.
How Vitamin D improves your hair:
Vitamin D stimulates cell growth, helping to create new hair follicles.
In fact, hair loss can occur when your body lacks the recommended amount of vitamin D.
Best food sources of Vitamin D:
- Fortified Orange Juice
- Fortified Dairy and Plant milk
- Egg Yolk
- Salmon
- Tuna Fish
- Fortified Breakfast Cereals
As well as these food sources, Vitamin D can be synthesized by your body when your skin is exposed to direct sunshine for just a few minutes each day.
VITAMIN E
This fat-soluble vitamin has excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
How Vitamin E improves your skin:
Vitamin E helps repair skin tissue, retains moisture, and protects skin from environmental damage.
A type of Vitamin E called alpha-tocopherol protects your skin from free-radical damage and photoaging, and keeps it looking youthful
It prevents long term damage such as wrinkles and keeps skin moisturised, reducing dryness and irritation
How Vitamin E improves your hair:
Vitamin E helps to nourish both the hair and scalp, ensuring your hair always looks thick and shiny.
Best food sources of Vitamin E:
- Almonds and Almond Milk
- Ghee (Clarified Butter)
- Wheatgerm Oil
- Avocado
- Sunflower Seeds
- Peanuts and Peanut Butter
- Sunflower, Safflower and Soybean Oil
- Leafy Green Vegetables – Spinach, Kale, Broccoli
- Eggs
ZINC
Zinc is an important trace mineral which helps in the growth of cells and the healing of damaged tissue.
How Zinc improves your skin:
As well as encouraging with the process of cell growth, zinc helps promote clear skin by regulating your hormonal balance.
How Zinc improves your hair:
Zinc helps prevent hair loss, keeping your hair healthy and strong so that it can grow.
On the other hand, a lack of zinc leads to a dry, flaky scalp showing up as dandruff in your hair and your beard.
Best food sources of Zinc:
- Shellfish – Crab, Oysters, Lobster
- Beef
- Chicken
- Pork
- Legumes (Lentils and Chickpeas)
- Nuts
- Flax Seeds
- Wholegrains
- Eggs
SELENIUM
Selenium is the mineral that helps antioxidants protect your skin from UV rays.
How Selenium improves your skin:
Selenium ensures your skin remains firm and protected. It stops free radical damage before premature wrinkles have a chance to form. And helps to protect cell membranes against UV damage, inflammation and pigmentation.
How Selenium improves your hair:
Like Zinc, Selenium is an important trace mineral that helps prevent hair loss, strengthening the cells in your hair follicles.
Best food sources of Selenium:
- Brazil nuts
- Beef
- Turkey
- Chicken
- Wholewheat bread
- Beans
- Lentils
- Spinach
- Eggs
- Flax Seeds
PROBIOTICS
Probiotics are the bacteria needed in your digestive tract to properly break down food and to allow the absorption of nutrients.
A healthy gut translates into glowing skin and healthy hair!
How Probiotics improve your skin:
Probiotics work with prebiotics to slow down aging and keep your skin glowing.
Introducing foods with more probiotics, like yogurt, into your diet can also help reduce any redness in your skin or irritation caused by shaving.
Studies have shown that probiotics reduce inflammation and oxidative stress. Whilst problems like acne, psoriasis, dermatitis, and rosacea may all improve.
The beneficial effects of probiotics on the skin include lessening photoaging and improving skin barrier function.
How Probiotics improve your hair:
Having a healthy gut impacts nearly every hormone in your body, including the hormones that control the phases of hair growth.
Consuming probiotics helps to combat skin inflammation on your scalp to help strengthen the hair follicles and enhancing hair quality.
Best food sources of Probiotics:
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Sauerkraut
- Kimchi
- Greek Yoghurt
Avocado - a superfood packed with healthy Fats, B-complex Vitamins and Vitamin E for glowing skin and healthy hair
THE SUPERFOODS
As you can see, some foods pack more than one nutrient to improve your skin and hair.
So try to prioritize these superfoods for maximum skin and hair benefits:
- Avocados: healthy fats, B-complex vitamins, Vitamin E
- Fatty Fish (salmon, sardines, tuna) – healthy fats, omega-3 fatty acids - plus B-complex vitamins and Vitamin D in salmon
- Leafy Green Vegetables – Spinach, Kale, Broccoli: Collagen, vitamins A, C, and E -- plus selenium in spinach
- Eggs: healthy fats, collagen, vitamins A and E, B-complex vitamins, selenium, zinc
- Flaxseeds: healthy fats, omega-3s, selenium
- Extra virgin olive oil: healthy fats, vitamin E
The Takeaway
Following a diet rich in the following 11 vitamins and nutrients is not only the best way to stay in the peak of good health — it’s also going to give you smooth, glowing skin and fuller, healthier hair.
- Healthy Fats
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids
- Collagen
- Vitamin A
- B-complex Vitamins
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin E
- Zinc
- Selenium
- Probiotics
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