THE TOP THREE FOODS FOR HEALTHY SKIN

It’s no secret that how you look is influenced by what you eat. Nourishing your skin from the outside is equally as important as the vitamins you feed it from the inside. Processed foods, high in sugar and fat can take their toll on your skin in the form of dullness, collagen destruction and loss of elasticity, along with other skin concerns such as breakouts and dark under-eye circles. 

The best way to promote healthy skin is to combine naturally powerful skincare products with a healthy and nutritious diet. So we’ve collaborated with Wholesome World to showcase the top three foods for the skin, helping you achieve a healthier, glowing complexion. Each can be sourced from one 100% natural ingredient, Kalahari Melon oil. Harvested from an organic-certified farm in the Kalahari Desert, the facial oil is naturally powerful and nutrient-dense, targeting skin cell recovery and moisture balance for a natural skin glow.

The three nutritional ingredients can also be sourced each morning from one delicious, vegan and gluten free recipe. Wholesome World founder, Freyja, has handpicked her all time favourite, homemade crunchy granola recipe for its incredible skin benefits. Filled with nutty goodness and delicious rolled oats, it’s best made in bulk. This means that during busy mornings you can spend less time baking in the kitchen and invest more time into your skin care routine.

THE TOP 3 NUTRIENTS FOR SKIN HEALTH

OMEGA FATTY ACIDS

The omega family has remarkable health benefits for your skin, especially omega-6 linoleic acid and omega-3 alpha linolenic acid. Healthy fats that smooth and repair your skin’s surface, locking in moisture and improving elasticity. These polyunsaturated fatty acids are essential for skin, but cannot be produced by the human body. That’s why it’s important to supplement them through your diet and topical skincare  (1).

The crunchy granola is an incredible source of omega fatty acids, owing to the walnuts and sunflower seeds, which have a combined total of 53g of omega 6 (2). This recipe is also rich in omega 3 fatty acids, owing to the sprinkling of chia seeds (4.9g per serving) and flax seeds (2.3g per serving) (2). Studies show Nêô Sephiri’s facial oil contains 70% omega 6 linoleic acid. Once applied, the essential fatty acids function as structural building blocks for your skin cells, repairing skin damage and building resilience from external stressors. If you have acne-prone skin it’s likely that you’re linoleic acid-deficient. Omega-6 rich foods and skincare replenish natural stores and rebalance oil levels, for a blemish-free complexion (3).

VITAMIN E

This vitamin has been used to combat dry skin for centuries. Vitamin E moisturizes your skin by functioning as an emollient, smoothing your outermost skin layers to keep it soft and supple (4). Additionally, its powerful antioxidant properties reduce the visibility of fine lines and wrinkles. You can get your daily dose with Pure Kalahari Melon Facial Oil, which has more vitamin E than any other plant oil. 

Vitamin E rich foods include hazelnuts, almonds and sunflower seeds. Wholesome World’s nutty granola is a delicious source of vitamin E for skin, alongside other minerals, including folate, potassium and magnesium (5). This makes it the perfect, easy breakfast to accompany your morning skincare routine, ensuring that you start your day with strong, healthy and glowing skin. 

ANTIOXIDANTS

These protect skin against daily environmental stressors such as pollution and sun exposure, by scavenging free radicals. This helps to slow down the visible skin aging effects, such as emerging fine lines and wrinkles caused by sun damage. Pure Kalahari Melon Facial Oil is a naturally rich source of antioxidants in the form of phytosterols, which helps protect against the aging process and reduce inflammation, to soothe and calm sensitive skin.

You can improve skin with antioxidants from your homemade granola, by sprinkling it with chopped coconut and ladening it with dark seasonal berries, such as blueberries, blackberries and strawberries - rich in ascorbic acid (vitamin C) (6). These naturally sweeten your breakfast, negating the need for maple syrup or chocolate chips. Always choose seasonal toppings over dried fruit, as they are grown sustainably and are harvested during their natural growth cycles. They also don't travel too far before ending up in your breakfast bowl, resulting in a smaller carbon footprint.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT 

Think consciously about your skincare too. The Kalahari Melon is a wild watermelon, cultivated without irrigation and harvested on a single certified organic farm in the Kalahari Desert. Here, 95% of the melon is reused as natural fertiliser for the next harvest and any leftover cold pressed melon seed is fed to the farm animals. By taking climate action we are positively impacting remote communities within the Kalahari that have been directly affected by climate change. 

This Earth Day we challenge you to live more sustainably, less excessively and be conscious of your impact on the planet. Whether you use seasonal ingredients for the first time when making breakfast or choose to use sustainable beauty products that your skin needs and loves.

Discover the crunchy granola recipe here.
Wholesome World provides digital access to healthy lifestyle information and medical research.