9 Smoothies for Healthy, Glowing Skin
You give yourself at-home facials and cleanse with oils, and yet your skin just doesn't have that glow (you know the one we're talking about). What gives?
Instead of always resorting to your tried-and-true acne remedies, it may be time to shake up your beauty routine—literally. Because as it turns out, the food you put in your body is just as vital as the toners and moisturizers that line your bathroom shelf. Or so says 99.9 percent of the nutrition and skin experts we've ever interviewed.
So while you're probably already packing your smoothie with good-for-you ingredients, adding glow-getting ingredients like cucumber, pitaya, or chia seeds could save you a trip to the derm.
Keep reading for 9 smoothie recipes that will keep your skin clear and gorgeous. Bonus: You probably have some of the key ingredients in your fridge already.
1. Green on Green Smoothie
Hydration, hydration, hydration. The cucumber in this as-healthy-as-it-looks smoothie is packed with enzyme-rich water and antioxidants, which keeps your skin smooth and helps stave off wrinkles. Combine that with kale's vitamins (it's a major source of vitamins A, C, and E) for new cell growth, and you're sipping some major beauty benefits.
2. Happy Belly Smoothie
This smoothie with kombucha may be full of probiotics for a healthy gut, but a happy belly is also what gives your skin a healthy boost. Kombucha = delivery system for complexion-saving nutrients. The pineapple enzymes in this blend help stimulate your collagen production—aka the protein that keeps your dermis plump but thins out with age—while its anti-inflammatory properties help keep unwanted breakouts at bay. We call that a win-win.
3. Green Apple Pie Smoothie
Spend a lot of time in the sun? Just another reason to throw some spinach into your blender. The leafy green is full of healthy skin vitamins—including vitamin C, which is needed to make oh-so-important collagen and keep your skin looking smooth and radiant. Another ingredient with skin super powers? Tofu! "The tofu makes smoothies extra creamy and thick, and adds loads of protein," writes Oh My Veggies blogger, Kiersten Frase. That protein is what promotes elasticity and blocks damaging enzymes—in other words, she says, it's your skin's best friend.
4. Purple Smoothie
Because it looks like blueberries, you probably won't notice that you're sipping on (gasp) cabbage—trust us, we tried this recipe and it's delicious. The leafy purple vegetable is packed with vitamin C (again with the collagen production) and antioxidants that fight skin-damaging free radicals. In fact, it has similar properties to blueberries, which give this smoothie its delicious flavor. Both are also high in fiber needed for digestive health—as in, they'll aid the systems that are removing waste and unwanted toxins that affect the skin. So yes, we are telling you to drink your cabbage!
5. Kale and Sunflower Smoothie
Okay, so we've established that kale delivers big time for our skin (same for our sleep quality), thanks to all of its vitamins and minerals. This smoothie doesn't stop there, though. Blending in papaya allows the body to produce dermis-repairing vitamin A and fuels brightness with the enzyme papain. (It's the ingredient in facial masks, BTW.) Adding a scoop of sunflower seed butter injects more than just flavor—the seed is packed with copper, which helps protect it from sun and environmental damage. The recipe's basically your go-to face mask, only it works from the inside out.
6. Beet Smoothie with Strawberries and Kale
Even though you can't taste the beet in this smoothie, it still provides a highly concentrated source of folate—the B vitamin known to stimulate cell repair, which keeps you looking healthy and young. This glass is also full of the anti-aging super green kale and fiber-rich strawberries. Why's that important? Fiber helps to keep unwanted constipation—often a cause of breakouts—at bay. (Sorry for the TMI, but it's key to know the connection!) The hemp hearts are optional according to the recipe, but we highly recommend them—the superfood is a trusty sidekick when it comes to calming flaky, red skin.
7. Detox Probiotic Smoothie
The star of this smoothie? Probiotic super-drink, kefir. "Not only will you reap the benefits of the helpful strains of bacteria and yeast," writes Lindsey Johnson of Hello Glow, "but kefir also has plenty of calcium, protein, and vitamin D." CliffNotes version? Probiotics do wonders for your skin—and all-around health. Paired with lemon and cucumber, this smoothie is a serious radiance-boosting tonic. Vitamin C-rich lemons provide a kick of antioxidants and keep collagen production pumping, while hydrating cucumbers have majorly soothing anti-inflammatory properties. Plus, who doesn't love the smoothie version of spa water?
8. Lemon-Thyme Blueberry Smoothie
You don't need to tell us twice to eat more blueberries. The nutrient-packed berry is a super concentrated source of vitamins A and C, as well as antioxidants that help fight off wrinkle-producing free radicals. The addition of chia seeds adds mega-nourishing hydration, fiber, and omegas (and when it comes to your skin, these are definitely good fats). The lemon mellows out the smoothie's sweetness, and its vitamins and enzymes give it an extra squeeze of glow-boosting, alkaline nutrients.
9. Tropical Green Energy Smoothie
This smoothie will have you sipping on major skin-friendly ingredients: kale, papaya, pineapple, and chia seeds. Which means you'll be sipping on just about every beauty-boosting vitamin and mineral there is. On top of all of that collagen-happy, skin-brightening goodness, this smoothie also has a natural energy secret: nutritional yeast. "It’s packed with protein and B vitamins that help give me that extra little pep without the crazy crash," explains The Adventure Bite blogger Dani Meyer. It's a brave new nooch (AKA nutritional yeast)—and a surprisingly tasty smoothie.
Ready for some next-level skin help? Blend up Gwyneth Paltrow's go-to smoothie (don't listen to the rumors, it really doesn't cost $200). Don't have time to whip up your own beauty-boosting drink? It might be time to try rose water—or add these 9 foods for amazing skin into your lunch and dinner plans.
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