The secret of beautiful skin involves protecting it from the outside and nourishing it from the inside.

Women spend hundreds of millions of dollars on expensive miracle skincare products, but great looking skin does not have to be expensive!

The secret of beautiful skin is simply concentrating on both the inside and outside and this does not have to be expensive.

Protection from the outside

Harmful UV rays are far and away the biggest cause of skin damage and the advice when choosing a day cream is to make sure that is SPF 15.

In the evening use any cream you feel suits your skin type were all different, but don't spend a lot of money, all you need to do is keep the skin hydrated.

There is no point in moisturizing your skin and then let the suns rays destroy it.

Everyday prevention is definitely better than cure. On the subject of cure, all the creams that claim to repair damage are simply pedalling to vanity – They don't.

The myth of beautiful skin

A moisturizer can keep the skin hydrated and with SPF protect it and that's all.

Its common sense, however many women fall for the hundreds of millions of year advertising campaigns that claim to give them a quick miracle and end up disappointed.

The real secret of beautiful skin is protection from the outside and nourishment from within – Combine the two and you will have beautiful skin.

Here are some great foods to include in your diet for radiant skin.

Drink lots of water

Two liters of water a day should be drunk this helps keep the skin hydrated and flush away toxins from the body

Eat vegetables & Fruit

Eat 2 – 3 portions of vegetables for lots of nutrients for the skin,

The best ones are below, but really any vegetable or fruit is good and in terms of vegetables try and eat them raw if you can.

Sweet potatoes tomatoes and spinach

For three important antioxidants

Beta-carotene is present in sweet potatoes, lycopene in tomatoes and lutein in spinach.

They enter the skin and help reflect harmful UV rays and act as a permanent sunscreen.

Cherries, blueberries, blackberries, grapes

Contain anthocyanins an antioxidant that keeps the skin supplied with nutrients through the blood vessels that lead into the face.

Oily fish

As we all know oily fish are a great source of protein to regenerate collagen and elastin, as well as omega 3 oils, these are essential to keep the skin both subtle and hydrated.

Good sources include: Salmon, mackerel, herrings and sardines.

Crab, sardines, lean beef and wheat germ

A good source of copper, a trace element that is essential for the making of melanin, the pigment in the skin that helps to absorb harmful UV rays from the sun.

It also helps fight age spots which are the most obvious sign of skin aging.

Soya milk, lentils, bean sprouts, yogurt & wholegrain cereals

These contain plant oestrogens, which help make lubricating oils and collagen in the skin for a healthier complexion. They also repair collagen and elastin, which slow down the thinning of the skin and the formation of fine lines which most women fear!

Oats

Contain the trace element silic acid, which is used to make the spongy cells that lie between collagen and elastin fibers. This makes the skin full and plump and by consequence slows down the formation of fine lines.

Whole meal pitta, gogi berries & muesli

Pitta contains ferulic acid, berries contain vitamin c, muesli contains vitamin E. These are great antiaging vitamins

Vitamin C and e are great for fighting harmful UV rays and gogi berries have 15 times more vitamin C than an orange gram for gram.

The secret of beautiful skin is actually simple!

Protect from the outside and nourish from the inside. Forget the miracle cures follow the advice above and you will have beautiful radiant skin for life.

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By sacha tarkovsky
Published: 11/25/2006