The women in my family age slowly. In my mid-20’s while my friends where all modeling couture and looking sultry while doing so, I was still getting booked for teen magazine covers and back-to-school editorials.

I’d get sent home from castings for “young moms” and “executives” for looking too young. It was a blessing and a curse, because to this day, I don’t get taken as seriously as I would if people knew my true age…..but I’m not complaining. Really.

What I do get asked frequently is, what I do to keep my skin looking young. Aside from genetics, there are so many healthy and natural ways to slow down the aging process effectively and some of them are delicious!

I do have a natural skin care routine that I started about 3 years ago, which I’ll share in another post. Today, I’ll share the super fruits that I keep in my kitchen year round and which give your skin what it needs to stay healthy and youthful.

With the media constantly feeding us ads for new lotions, potions, and injections, it’s easy to forget that we actually need to be feeding our skin from the inside. While fruit is a healthy treat in general, there are specific ones that have unparalleled benefits for our skin. The top five being oranges, papaya, pomegranate, berries and avocados.

Oranges are amazing for your skin due to the fact that they are packed with Vitamin C and extremely hydrating. Vitamin C is essential for skin health because it protects cells from free radical damage as well as boosts collagen production. Oranges also aid in your body’s overall detoxification process since they are high in fiber and rich in antioxidants which helps move oxygen around your body. Recent scientific studies have also shown that oranges contain a naturally occurring cancer fighting nutrient which can aid in giving your skin an anti-cancer boost. Oranges also have a high liquid content which makes for an excellent source of hydration for thirsty skin.

Along with oranges, adding papaya to your daily diet is a fantastic way to ensure your skin stays at its best. Like oranges, papaya has a very high Vitamin C content. It also happens to have one of the highest Vitamin A and carotene levels in the fruit family. Papaya is also rich in papain which is thought to help in the renewal of skin cells and aids in digestion. Vitamins C and A combat free radicals which can lead to premature aging, while the carotene and papain help aid in new skin cell production while also decreasing your skin’s chances of developing rashes or inflammation.

Like papayas, pomegranates are becoming more and more popular with all of the new research being done on how beneficial they are to our health. Pomegranates are not only healthy for our cardiovascular and digestive systems, but they are also an incredible fruit for healthy, vibrant skin. This shiny, red fruit with its bevy of jewel-like juicy seeds happens to contain ellagic acid which has been proven to inhibit the growth of skin cancer. The high levels of antioxidants contained in the fruit are also said to aid in cell renewal in the two most important layers of your skin, the epidermis and the dermis. As if that weren’t enough, pomegranates also contain anthocyanins which act to strengthen the walls of the tiny blood vessels that supply nutrients to the skin therefore inhibiting the development of spider veins below your skin’s surface.

While berries are already a favorite fruit for many of us, they are also a favorite of our skin. Berries of all kinds, including raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and strawberries are high in Vitamins C and E which are both important for protecting your skin from the damaging effects of free radicals. Vitamins A and C are also known to aid in the production of collagen which makes skin look smooth, supple and more youthful. It is said that eating a handful of dark berries every day can make you look several years younger without the use of injections.

It may be easy to grab a handful of berries and toss it in a bowl of yogurt or cereal, but another fruit that we should eat on a regular basis for healthier skin is avocado. Avocados are chock full of nutritional benefits for our skin. This fleshy, creamy, green fruit is also high in Vitamins C and E as well as monounsaturated fats that help to keep our skin moist and nourished from the inside out. Avocados are especially beneficial if you are prone to dry skin or suffer through the drying effects of cold weather.

With these five delicious fruits added to your daily dietary intake, you are not only giving your body a boost, but you are also ensuring that your skin gets all of the nutrients and natural protection that it needs to stay looking healthy, supple and young.

The old adage states that “We are what we eat” and one of the first places that starts to prove true is our skin. If we eat unhealthily, that will manifest on our faces.

Eating oranges, papaya, berries, pomegranates and avocados is a mouthwatering way to ensure that your skin always looks healthy and it’s far cheaper and less painful than Botox or facelifts.

Go ahead! Enjoy a fruit salad and know that your skin is thanking you for it!

For more stories like this visit my blog, Adulthood Rewired, at: https://adulthoodrewired.com