Best Foods for Dry Skin By J-Beauty (7 Best Vitamins & Nutrients)

Did you know changing a few things in your diet can help heal dry skin? Would you like to know the best foods for dry skin?

There are many foods that are good for health skin but there are 7 vitamins and nutrients you want to be sure to include in your diet if you continue to suffer from dry skin.

As I was growing up in Japan, my mother taught me which foods are good for dry skin and I still try to eat those super foods as much as possible to prevent it. It works like a charm and I thought I share the tips with you!

In this article, I go over the causes of dry skin quickly and introduce the best foods for dry skin. Let’s dive in!

Causes of Dry Skin

The outermost layer of our skin acts as the primary barrier to the environment. It is the first line of defence for the body.

It’s called stratum corneum, and it consists of intercellular lipids such as ceramide and NMF (natural moisturising factor). They are responsible for protecting the moisture inside the skin.

The natural moisturising ability, however, can malfunction if you have the following habits.

1. Wrong Skincare

You can be damaging the outermost layer of the skin and causing dry skin if:

• Washing too much to clear the skin
• Rubbing and scrubbing (touching the skin with too much pressure)
• Frequently using products for pores and blackheads
• Massaging excessively

2. Poor Diet and Eating Habits

The skin may not be getting enough nutrition if you are on an extreme diet or eating lots of ready meals, processed food or fast foods. Then, the skin’s turnover gets disrupted, causing dryness.

It is very important to have a balanced diet with various nutrients, including proteins that our body needs to function properly.

3. Poor Lifestyle Habits

Most of the time, the root cause of your dry skin is in your habits or daily activities.

If you have any of the below, make sure you try to change in your everyday life:

• Lack of sleep (causing poor skin’s turnover)
• Dry air in the house
• Having a hot shower or bath with too high temperature
• Using scrubs or rubbing the skin too much
• The rough texture of your clothes and bed linens
• Suffering from atopic eczema (don’t rely on home remedies but go see a dermatologist)

How To Prevent Dry Skin

If you have dry skin, it means your skin has become dry due to a LACK of:

•  Secretion of sebum (natural oil on the skin)
•  Moisture in the outermost layer (stratum corneum) of the skin
•  NMF (natural moisturising factor)

To cure dry skin, make sure you are doing the following:

• Eat foods with nutrition which help prevent and/or improve the condition
• Improve the blood flow with mild exercise
• Boost your metabolism through diet and lifestyle

Before reviewing your skincare routine or products, make sure you get the above right in your day to day life!

Best Foods for Dry Skin (Nutrients)

Many nutrients are said to be good for skin, but you would want to focus on the following mainly:

(Some are Japanese foods you might not know, so I put links for you just in case!)

Vitamin A

• Helps keep moisture in the skin’s health and
• Boost metabolism

Foods to eat:

Japanese fish – unagi & anago, sanma, saba (a type of mackerel), iwashi (sardines), dairy products, eggs, green & yellow vegetables, seaweed, green tea

Vitamin B

• Increase metabolism
• Reduce inflammation caused by dry skin

Foods to eat:

Pork, liver, eggs, soybeans, natto

Vitamin C

• Promotes the production of skin collagen needed to prevent dry skin
• Aid antioxidant activity (removal of excess oxygen in the blood that promotes skin ageing and inflammation)

Foods to eat:

Paprika, lemons, blackcurrants, kiwis, broccoli, brussels sprouts, guavas, papayas, oranges and strawberries etc

Vitamin E

• Promotes blood circulation and enhance skin’s turnover
• Aid antioxidant activity
• Helps dissolve lipid peroxide that skin ageing such as wrinkles and sagging

Foods to eat:

Sesame, almonds, nuts, soybeans, avocado etc

Ceramide

• Protects the skin from the external environment
• Keeps moisture in the outermost layer of the skin

Foods to eat:

Konjac, shirataki noodles, soybeans, kuromame (sweet Japanese black beans), azuki (red beans), hijiki (Japanese seaweed), wakame seaweed

α-Linolenic acid

• Helps cell division
• α-Linolenic acid becomes a raw material to make ceramide

Foods to eat:

Linseed oil (aka flaxseed oil or flax oil), perilla oil, fish oil

Zinc

• Activates enzymes of protein metabolism needed for cell division

Foods to eat:

Oysters, lean meat, egg yolk, tarako (pollock roe), red king crabs

In Japan, we always have taken a holistic approach when it comes to maintaining beautiful skin. Putting a focus on a very balanced diet is one of the beauty secrets of why Japanese women look young for long.

Foods and Drinks to Avoid

Now, there are some foods and drinks you should AVOID to keep your skin from drying out!

Too Much of Carbs, Sugar, Fatty & Oily foods

If you eat lots of bread, pasta, and noodles, or your diet is more a meat-based, you are most likely lacking essential nutrients that are needed for skin production.

With these diets, it is difficult to maintain a good nutritional balance.

On top of that, if you’re eating lots of sugary, fatty or oily foods, your body is not getting enough B Vitamins that are essential for beautiful skin.

It’s because our body consumes B Vitamins when digesting sugar or fat.

Regular consumption of sweets, fried foods or soft drinks is a no-go if you want to maintain young-looking skin!

Foods With Many Additives

Our liver is responsible for breaking down any harmful substances and additives and making them harmless. But smoking cigarettes or tobaccos or eating foods with many additives, you’re putting a huge burden on your liver.

Those things are full of harmful substances, and the liver then would not be able to supply enough nutrition to produce skin. In time, it will eventually manifest as skin problems like rough skin and dry skin.

Cold Drinks & Cold Foods

Cold drinks (any type), ice creams, chilled salads (raw vegetables), cold cut meat, anything cold will cool the body and internal organs and cause poor blood circulation.

It means your body is not able to supply necessary nutrients to the body and the skin and you get dry skin as a result.

Japanese women hardly eat things cold because they grow up being taught that they would dehydrate the body.

In Japan, cold foods are seen as poor diet, and people believe it’s best to avoid eating foods cold to keep the body (and the skin of course!) hydrated. For them, it is important to serve food while it’s warm and eat freshly cooked meals.

Caffeine and Alcohol

Caffeine destroys not only Vitamin C but also excretes minerals from the body.

Alcohol also prevents Vitamin C and Vitamin E from working for the body, and you lose a large amount of water in your body during the process of breaking down alcohol.

❣️ related read: Effects of Alcohol on Skin – Your Appearance & Weight

Caffeine and alcohol steal lots of nutrients that are essential for good skin from the body. If you consume caffeine or alcohol regularly, you are more prone to develop dry skin than those who do little.

7 Things You Can Do to Prevent Dry Skin

Here is a summary of what to do to prevent or cure dry skin!

1. Actively consume high-quality protein
2. Reduce foods and drinks that promote dryness (listed above)
3. Review your skincare methods
4. Make sure the air in your room is not dry
5. Improve the quality of your sleep
6. Pay attention to the fabrics of your clothes and bed linens
7. Be mindful of how you are having a shower (temperature)

You can get your skin back to normal by reviewing your diet, skincare routine and lifestyle.

I know that it’s easier said than done – know it too well! So, don’t be too hard on yourself 🙂

Hope my tips are useful for you but do let me know if you have any questions in the comment section below!