Five Foods for Youthful Skin
Posted on November 15 2020
Hello Cosme Hunters! I hope you’ve really been enjoying 2020 in your own way as we head towards the colder seasons. I know for me this time of year is all about anticipation. There’s loads of holidays and leaf-peeping traditions, but also a huge change outside! The days get shorter, the weather gets colder and often, the air gets drier.
Dry air is a big deal if you want to keep your skin in tip-top shape. Alongside moisturizers, there are foods that can help you fight against damage and wear on your skin! Today I am coming to you with my short list of great foods for youthful skin.
I researched the very best nutrients and vitamins to have in order to keep your skin looking vibrant, healthy, and lush no matter the season. I’ve done this enough to know that two huge players in the skin health game are antioxidants and healthy fats. I pulled up some of the best and most fun foods that are rich in these, using Vitamin E as our antioxidant source of the day. It’s a direct component in the antioxidant process of keeping free-radicals from harming our cells.
1. Cashews
Up first on our list is cashews! These little moon-shaped nuts have always been around in my house, and I feel like they’re a super popular nut choice for lots of people. This works out great because apparently they’re loaded with nutrients, and not much else!
Low sugar is a great appeal point when you consider how tasty cashews can be. They’ve got high fiber and protein counts too, which are two key ingredients to get into your day. Magnesium and Manganese help build up your bones over time, so don’t be shy about dipping into the cashew jar going forward! If you get them honey roasted, the low sugar balances out the honey.
All those perks aside, let’s look at what cashews can do directly for your skin. Their secret that places them in this list is their high levels of natural unsaturated fats! You may know already that they are great sources of these, but it’s important to remember the role that fat plays in how our skin keeps itself happy. Moistness, firmness and flexibility all benefit from having natural unsaturated fats in our diets!
If you’re wondering how to get more cashews in your life like I am, take a look at this Pumpkin Cashew Cake recipe from One Green Planet! It makes great use of cashews’ natural flavors in harmony with other tastes like pumpkin, and if you have any fall spirit in you, it may sound absolutely divine. I was really shocked to learn how popular cashews are for spreads, butters, and creams! I guess it all makes sense when I think about how good this cake would taste with the smooth sweetness of cashews.
2. Pistachio
Here comes a slightly less common, but comparatively popular nut: pistachio! Now, as a nut, I do not see this guy eaten quite as much as cashews. That may just be where I’m at, but far more often I see it used as a slightly off-the-beaten-path flavor. So where do pistachios unquestionably dominate?
The answer is antioxidants! Here we step away from Vitamin E, but there exists a range of other ways that pistachio growers promise their nut delivers us the antioxidants through. As mentioned earlier, do not mess around with antioxidant deficiency if you are serious about your skincare! Natural free-radicals from the sun are always bombarding us and causing damage to our skin. Antioxidants are our only defense against that!
As far as eating pistachios goes, there’s a whole lot of recipes to be found online, but finding natural pistachio ice cream is my way! It’s a really popular flavor that is always hiding somewhere on the flavor board when I go out, so take advantage of this natural supply. Healthy ice cream!
3 and 4. Almonds and Peanuts
These nuts are not the most exciting, I will admit. Pretty much everyone knows that almonds are a godsend for numerous health benefits, and peanuts are basically the Mickey Mouse of nuts. But that said, I had not considered their benefits for skincare!
Almonds are great examples of naturally occurring unsaturated fat sources. They’re a great addition to basically everything, from smoothies to salads to trail mix, so be sure to try and get a few extra ones if other natural unsaturated fat sources aren’t doing it for you. Personally, I do not love eating the things, but they are so totally rich in natural fat that it’s going to be to your skin’s benefit to know!
Peanuts were the surprise for me this week! Medical News today noted that they are super high in Vitamin E— I did not see that coming! This makes everyone’s neighborhood protein source also our best defender against free-radicals and a serious source of antioxidants. The more you know!
5. Sunflowers Seeds
If this list has a theme, it is nuts. I cannot pretend that they are anything but the kings and queens of getting natural fat and vitamin E. That said, let’s end the list with a field trip to the flower garden! Last up is sunflower seeds!
This may be shocking if you have never heard of people eating these before, but it is really common in many places included where I’m from. I don’t really see it as too different from eating pumpkin seeds! That said, this is definitely the first flower food source I have written about, and that makes it extra fun.
The secret here is Vitamin E! As cited in the same article as the peanuts, these little seeds are really rich in vitamin E, which I am certain nobody has told me about. So almost in a poetic way, if you are worried about the sun damaging the quality of your skin, fight back against its radiation with some antioxidant rich sunflower seeds! It’s like the sun’s apology.
J-Beauty Products Packed with Skin Foods
Skinvill Hot Facial Cleansing Gel Available at Cosme Hunt
This hot cleansing gel from Skinvill does the work of exfoliating and cleansing your face. It can also take off your makeup! This product is packed with beautifying ingredients, including aloe vera, green tea, and Vitamin E! Why not give this all-in-one cleanser a try?
Kitao Line Available at Cosme Hunt
One of our more popular brands we carry at Cosme Hunt, Kitao products are known for their use of matcha. Each of the products shown include a refreshing blend of matcha, chia seed, quinoa, and acai for a loaded lineup of healthy skinfood!
Food for Skincare
This ends our tour of natural fats and antioxidant sources! These are great nutrients to load up on if you want to keep your skin healthy and youthful, it’s a shock how many people don’t realize how much their diet can impact! I hope these very small foods can find a way into your diet, and you grocery shop with an open mind after seeing the power of nuts and seeds!
To find out more, visit our website!
Arya Arsenault
Studies Japanese language and culture at the University of Massachusetts. Loves Japan’s pop culture and learning about its trends!
