Skincare secrets: Winter shopping list

As temperatures continue to fall and we battle the elements each day, taking care of our skin is so important. As the seasons change and we slowly become accustomed to new conditions, nourishing our bodies with nutrient-packed foods can play a big part in achieving glowing, hydrated skin. 

Our bodies slow down a little in the lead up to winter, then suddenly, we need to work a lot harder for the basic circulation, moisture and cell turnover our skin needs. To give you a helping hand, I’m rounding up some of the foods that you should introduce into your diet for winter (and beyond). 

Here are the foods we should eat during winter for nourished skin: 

Avocado 

While avocado beauty products felt like a bit of a fad when they burst onto the market a couple of years ago, eating avocado is a powerful beautifier. Avocado is one of the healthiest sources of fats in nature, and our skin needs fats to stay healthy. 

Avocados are rich in Vitamin E, which is excellent for keeping out skin cells healthy and hydrated, while Vitamin B is useful in assisting us in detoxing our skin and repairing our DNA. When it comes to avocado, try to avoid getting caught up in calorie counting and focus on the benefits! 

Banana 

Bananas are famed for their potassium content, which is great news when it comes to our skin. Bananas contain an amino acid that boosts healthy hair, nail growth while protecting our body from ageing free radicals. 

You should know that the riper the banana, the more antioxidants! 

Cacao

Cacao is often dubbed a superfood thanks to its high concertation of antioxidants. What you may not know is that cacao actually has higher concertation of antioxidants that any other food we know of! 

Thanks to its powerful phytochemical’s cacao can help to prevent the formation of wrinkles, active protective cell mechanisms and protect our skin from UV damage. 

When you’re shopping for cacao or chocolate, always choose something with at least 70% – cocoa should not be confused with cacao. 

Orange

Pass up sweet treats in favour of oranges, tangerines and clementines this festive season, and you’ll reap the benefits. Oranges are packed full of Vitamin C, a must-have antiaging vitamin that will ensure your skin is looking plump and radiant. 

Potato

While some forms of potatoes are let down by the beauty betrayers that are oil and cheese, it doesn’t mean we should avoid potatoes altogether. In fact, organic potatoes with their fibre packed skins on are excellent for delivering you a dose antiaging vitamin C, potassium and vitamin B, all of which is good news for our skin. 

Walnuts

Raw walnuts are full of the beautifying fat, protein and minerals that our skin needs. We need them because they protect our skin against the harsh, dry winter weather that we have to take on day in, day out. Just 30 grams of walnuts has more antioxidants than the average person will consume in a day. When you add in the fact they’re full of beauty minerals such as zinc and magnesium, you’ll want to add them to your shopping list. 

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