What types of foods can I eat that will help prevent damage to the skin? 

This is a tough question. In the internet (and at the hair salon) you will hear everybody giving advice about what to eat and what not. Gluten? Milk? Chocolate?

And yet, there isn’t a lot of clear information.

It is much easier to tell you what is bad for your skin. Alcohol will lead to temporary or high blood pressure that will burst capillaries in your skin, it will also affect the capacity of your liver to deal with toxins. Cigarette smoking will increase enormously the amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS*) that will damage and age you skin and your lips (but try our lip repair and our antioxidant cream and serum). Exposure to the sun will age your skin fast and almost forever (but you can try Skin Actives UV Repair Cream).  Using benzoyl peroxide to fix your acne temporarily will cost your skin forever, you don’t expose your skin to intense bombardment by ROS*  without paying a hefty price.

As for good stuff: the antioxidants and vitamins you eat in your food will help your body in general, but it is unlikely that they will reach your skin, you will have to apply those topically. There is a connection between what you eat and your skin, but it is very complex and has to do with inflammation, which is always bad. Keeping diabetes under control is imperative: increased sugar in your blood will increase glycation of proteins throughout your body, including your skin, changing the structure, spacial conformation and activity.

I will keep adding material to this post but don’t expect easy answers.

DISCLAIMER: These claims have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent any disease.