The healthy eater: how to get great winter skin

Picture: David Slijper for Harper's Bazaar

Q: Winter always plays havoc with my skin - how can I change my diet to give me better, calmer and less dry skin at this time of year?

A: Looking after your skin in winter is far more difficult than in summer. The combination of cold and wind, central heating, stuffed-up, frequently blown noses and stodgy warming food can really make your skin sore, sensitive and even prematurely aged.

The best skin foods contain protective anti-inflammatory nutrients like vitamin C, E, A and beta-carotene, healthy fats and vitamin D. Vitamin C is vital for collagen production, the 'fabric' of our skin that gives it a peachy plumpness and that diminishes with age and environmental stresses. Most fruit and vegetables contain vitamin C, especially clementines (eating the peel, which contains limonene, is also a great UV protector for skin, but make sure it’s organic), red and green peppers, dark-green salad leaves, curly kale and kiwi fruit. Vitamin E is a major skin antioxidant found in avocado, nuts and seeds and wheat germ. Vitamin A is found in oily fish, egg yolks and butter, and can also be converted from beta-carotene in red, yellow and orange fruit and vegetables – such as butternut squash, sweet potato, carrots, tomatoes, peppers or papaya.

Eat your vegetables raw or lightly steamed as over-cooking reduces some vitamins. A British Journal of Nutrition study also shows that women who eat 250 grams of yellow and green vegetables a day have fewer crow’s feet.

To keep skin protected from the inside, eat your fats, which keep your skin smooth and clear. Omega-3, found in salmon, mackerel, greens, walnuts and flaxseeds, is an anti-inflammatory; two teaspoons of uncooked extra-virgin olive oil a day is brilliant for preventing wrinkles; and avocado and raw coconut oil provide skin protection.

Try and replace coffee with green tea; a 2011 study showed that doing this once a day for 12 weeks improved skin’s elasticity and reduced wrinkles.

Sugar is your skin’s most deadly enemy. Carry healthy snacks with you to avoid any temptations and make sure not to skip meals. Remember that the more sugar you eat, the more you will want. Feed your craving with a pot of berries and walnuts, almonds, sunflower or pumpkin seeds, a cup of green tea, Rude Health Multigrain Thins with Whole Earth peanut butter, or a small portion of dark high-cocoa chocolate (no more than 150 calories’ worth) – this may not seem quite as tasty, but your skin will thank you for it.

The supplements I take for winter skin protection are Ideal Omega-3; Vitamin D 1000 IU for my immune system; NHS Labs HyaluronicAcid from victoriahealth.com, which helps skin retain moisture; a plant antioxidant supplement like the Organic Pharmacy’s Phytonutrients and MSM; and I am never without my Quantum Super Lysine lip salve, which really does stop chapped lips and cold sores.