In the first post of this series, I mentioned your body requires a lot more water intake during hot months for regular body functions plus even more for proper skin hydration. And this can be met by increasing your water intake along with consuming plenty of foods high in antioxidants like fruits, veggies, and healthy fats. These will help your skin to fight dryness, fine lines from forming, and keep your skin supple, healthy, and glowing during the hot weather.
Below is each of the four skin types:
- Dry
- Combination
- Oily
- Normal
Under each skin type is a list of foods you should be consuming more of when the temperature is about 80 degrees (26 Celsius).
Dry Skin
If you have dry, cracking, flaky patches, sensitive, easily irritated, or your skin feels "tight" you want to eat foods that have a lot of moisture so you can hydrate your skin from the inside out. Try increasing your consumption of these foods weekly during summer:
- Unsweetened coconut
- Unsweetened coconut water
- Avocado
- Raspberries, cranberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries
- Kiwi, Apples
- Orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit
- Bananas
- Sweet Potatoes
- Salmon, Halibut
- Chia seeds, Flaxseeds, Pumpkin seeds - Sprinkle them on oatmeal, smoothie bowls, any meal as they are mostly tasteless
- Oatmeal
- Unsalted walnuts, almonds, cashews
- Eggs
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Sesame Oil
- Carrots, Yellow bell peppers, Zuchini, Asparagus/
- Tomatoes
- Spinach and other dark leafy greens
- You can include very minimal soy milk but don't drink it in excess
- Drink half your body weight in ounces of water
- Drink green tea
Combination Skin
If you have combination skin, an oily T-zone area, recurring acne in specific places, combination of dry and oily characteristics you want to keep your skin in balance between dry areas and oily areas. Try increasing your consumption of these foods weekly during summer:
- Green and orange bell peppers
- Carrots
- Dark leafy greens
- Avocado
- Salmon
- Flaxseeds, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds
- Chicken, grass-fed beef
- Unsalted walnuts, peanuts, pistachios
- Salmon
- Fermented foods - krauts, etc
- Drink half your body weight in ounces of water
Normal Skin
If you have normal skin, not too oily or too dry, relatively clear, with possible occasional acne you can keep your current glowing skin by continuing to eat plenty of these during summer:
- Watermelon, grapes, applies, oranges, lemon, lime
- Eggs
- Broccoli, Spinach, Cabbage
- Carrots
- Salmon, Trout
- Quinoa, Brown rice
- Fermented foods
- Drink half your body weight in ounces of water
- Drink green tea
Oily Skin
If you have oily skin, acne prone, shiny face, and large pores your goal is to keep the oil at bay and don't let your sebum overproduce oil. Try these foods when the weather is hot:
- Almond milk, coconut milk
- Carrots, asparagus, broccoli, cucumber, onion
- Watermelon, grapes, applies, oranges, lemon, lime, grapefruit
- Blueberries, Blackberries, dark cherries
- Eggs
- Sweet potatoes, squash
- Quinoa
- Dark leafy greens - spinach
- Ginger, tumeric
- Drink half your body weight in ounces of water
- Drink green tea