Glowing from within

Does the secret to radiant skin lie on your plate? A nutrient-rich diet may naturally enhance hydration, stimulate collagen production and shield your skin from damaging free radicals. We investigate strategic food choices to nourish your natural beauty.

- Carrol Baker

As young teens, my friend Ann and I would scoop up fistfuls of mud, slather it on our faces and grin at each other as we sat in the sunshine. With our mud masks cracking, we'd nibble carrot sticks and stolen mulberries from the tree that hung over the back fence. While our organic mud masks might have beauticians cringing in horror, it turns out our healthy snacks were right on the money for natural beauty, and by eating the right kinds of foods, you can achieve more radiant skin.

Barefaced beauty

What began with a trickle of environmental consciousness is now a growing global movement that celebrates natural beauty and a fresh and dewy look. It's all about ditching make-up and embracing the beautiful skin that you are in. While more people are experimenting with fresh ingredients for natural beauty products and discovering joy in making their own, along with this, eating right can boost your natural beauty.

Chew on this

Tracey Cook, nutritionist and naturopath from Botanica Medica, says our diet plays an integral part in skin health — no matter what our age or skin type. “Good skin really does come from within,” she says.

One nutritional powerhouse for good skin is vitamin A, says Cook. Beta carotene is found in orange vegetables such as carrots, pumpkin, sweet potato, red capsicum, peaches and apricots. The body converts beta carotene into vitamin A.

“After increasing your intake of these foods for four weeks, you'll notice that your skin really starts to look more radiant, it will also be beneficial for your immune system.”

Here comes the sun