Healthy skin comes from a healthy body. In addition to getting quality rest and plenty of water, your diet and supplement routine can boost your skin tone and give you a glow. Here are a few nutrients you’ll want to consume in order to keep your skin healthy.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is crucial to fighting the damage of oxidative stress. Our world constantly exposes us to toxins that can leave your skin looking tired, dull and damaged. To keep that healthy glow, make sure that your diet is loaded with a rainbow of fruits and vegetables. Not only can this keep your skin looking healthier but Vitamin C has been shown to protect against skin cancers. In addition to citrus fruits and berries, chili peppers, kale, and broccoli are excellent sources of Vitamin C as well as other nutrients. Kohlrabi and bok choy are also a great addition to any diet and are loaded with this crucial vitamin.

Collagen

While collagen gets a lot of attention as a wrinkle fighter, it's actually crucial to maintaining healthy connective tissues throughout your body. Experts in functional medicine remind us that collagen can be taken both in supplement form and by improving our diets. To keep wrinkles at bay and maintain strong joints, consider adding cabbage and red vegetables to your diet. Carrots and citrus fruits are also a great source of collagen. Your body will thank you from the inside out! According to MBI Nutraceuticals, in addition to healthy skin, collagen is also important for increasing muscle mass, decreasing arthritis pain, protecting organs, easing joint pain, improving digestive health, strengthening nails, hair, and teeth, and improving liver health.

Carotenoids

Your skin is constantly exposed to oxidative stress. Free radicals in the body damage tissues unless your diet is full of antioxidants, which capture and carry off these damaging toxins. According to the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, to keep your intake of antioxidant carotenoids high, you should focus on colorful foods. Dark green leafy vegetables, bright orange yams, bold red tomatoes, and golden squash are gorgeous on your plate, delicious on the tongue and a boost to your tissues inside and out. No matter what your taste buds prefer, you can find fruits and vegetables that can keep your skin healthy.

One of the big challenges to maintaining your physical health in the modern world is that unhealthy choices are so easy. From hopping in the car for short trips to hitting the fast food lane, it's hard to eat what you know is best for your body. Simple steps such as preparing your own lunches, fixing meals ahead and always carrying a water bottle can go a long way to building a great set of healthy habits.