Top 20 Fruits For Good Healthy Glowing Skin

Just when you think you have enough problems to deal with, your skin starts acting weird. You look in the mirror and see dull and pigmented skin or an acne-filled face staring back at you. But why is your skin screaming for help?  Is it due to dust, pollution, radiation, or chemicals? Here’s what I have to say…

Harsh but true, your skin is the victim of your poor lifestyle choices and ignorance (and dust and pollution). Maybe you are not blessed with the “perfect skin” genes, but you can turn that around if pay attention to what you eat and what you apply to your skin. And the best way to rejuvenate your skin is to consume fruits and apply a fruit mask every alternate day. Invest 10 minutes of your time every day in doing this and see a visible difference in two weeks’ time.

Want to know which fruits to eat and which ones to apply? Well, this article has all that information. All you have to do is read on to get glowing skin without having to resort to makeup or expensive skin treatments. Let’s begin.

Top 20 Fruits For Skin  

1. Lemon 

Lemons are natural bleaching agents. They are rich in vitamin C, a potent antioxidant that helps flush out toxins and protect the skin from photodamage and hyperpigmentation (1). So, if you have uneven pigmentation, dark spots, acne scars, or keratinization, try using lemon to get glowing skin. Here’s how you can use it.

How To Use Lemon For Glowing Skin

• Add the juice of ½ lemon and 1 teaspoon of organic honey to a glass of water and drink it first thing in the morning. This will help flush out toxins.
• Add lemon juice to your salad.
• For oily skin with pigmentation or acne scars, mix lemon juice with rose water and dab it on your skin and rinse off after 10 minutes.
• For dry skin with pigmentation, mix lemon juice and coconut oil, dab it on your skin and rinse off after 10 minutes.
• To get rid of dark circles, mix 1 tablespoon of lemon juice with 1 teaspoon of milk. Apply it to your under-eye area and rinse off gently after 10 minutes.
• Rub lemon and sugar on the keratinized areas to lighten the skin tone and reduce keratinization.

2. Papaya

Papayas contain vitamins A, C, B, pantothenic acid, and folate and minerals such as copper, potassium, and magnesium. They also contain enzymes like papain and chymopapain that help prevent skin damage by free radicals and have antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties. Consuming papaya can help prevent constipation, which is one of the reasons for poor skin health. It can also help treat warts, eczema, corns, and cutaneous tubercles (2).  Scientists have also found that papaya can help heal wounds and chronic skin ulcers (3), (4). So, if you have digestive issues, scars, and pigmentation, you must include papaya in your diet and beauty regimen. Here’s how to use it.

How To Use Papaya For Glowing Skin

• Eat a bowl of papaya for breakfast or as an evening snack.
• You can prepare papaya smoothie by blending papaya, lemon juice, and pink Himalayan salt.
• Mash a small piece of papaya and apply it on your skin. Rinse off after 10 minutes.
• Mix mashed papaya with lemon juice and ¼ teaspoon of turmeric and apply it on the pigmented and scarred areas. Rinse off after 10 minutes.
• For dry and flaky skin, apply mashed papaya with half a teaspoon of almond oil. Wipe it away with a soft wet cloth after 10 minutes.
• Make a papaya scrub using a small piece of papaya, 1 teaspoon of orange peel, and 1 tablespoon of rose water (for oily skin) or honey (for dry skin). Use gentle circular motions to scrub your skin. Rinse with room temperature water.

3. Avocado 

Avocado is rich in healthy fats, dietary fiber, and vitamins E, A, C, K, B6, niacin, folate, and pantothenic acid. It has antioxidant properties that help reduce oxidative damage, which, in turn, prevents DNA damage. Consuming avocado can promote healthy aging as it is rich in lutein and zeaxanthin that protect your skin from UV radiation. The healthy fats in avocados help retain the skin’s elasticity, reduce inflammation, and speed up wound healing (5). Here’s how you can use avocado to get clear and flawless skin.

How To Use Avocado For Glowing Skin

• Add avocado to your salad, burritos, wraps, breakfast bowl, sandwiches, etc.
• Make an avocado and spinach smoothie.
• Prepare an avocado dip by mixing it with yogurt or hummus.
• Use avocado in cakes or as a topping.
• Mash an avocado and apply it on your skin. Rinse off after 10 minutes.
• For oily skin, mash a small piece of avocado with rose water and a pinch of camphor. Rinse off after 10 minutes.

4. Orange

The sweet, juicy, and pulpy orange has a vibrant color and intoxicating smell. This fruit can also work wonders for your skin. Like lemons, oranges too are rich in vitamin C – 100 grams of oranges contain 54 milligrams of vitamin C, which is an antioxidant. This means that oranges can help prevent oxidative damage, photodamage, DNA damage, reduce inflammation, and aid collagen synthesis (6), (7). Now, let me tell you how to include oranges in your daily life.

How To Use Oranges For Glowing Skin

• Consume half an orange each day.
• Drink freshly pressed orange juice with the pulp. Avoid the pulp if you have stomach ulcers or are suffering from IBS/IBD.
• Add oranges to your salad, pizza, stew, cakes, and chocolates.
• Add orange juice to your smoothie.
• Apply orange juice topically wherever you have pigmentation. Rinse off after 10 minutes.
• For oily skin, mix 3 tablespoons of orange juice, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of gram flour, and ½ teaspoon of turmeric. Apply as a pack.
• For dry skin, mix 3 tablespoons of orange juice, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of milk, ½ teaspoon of turmeric, and 1 teaspoon of honey and apply on your skin.

5. Watermelon 

Red, fleshy, watery, sweet, and refreshing – I just cannot get enough of watermelon. And what’s more, it is great for your skin too, especially if you have oily and acne-prone skin. Watermelon has dietary fiber (0.4%), water (92%), carbs (7.55%), sugar (0.4%), vitamins C, A, B1, and B6,  carotenoids, flavonoids, and lycopene. It has zero fat and is cholesterol-free (8). Lycopene helps in scavenging the free oxygen radicals and prevents skin damage (9). Water helps to flush out toxins and improve bowel movement. Here’s how you can use watermelon to achieve clear skin.

How To Use Watermelon For Glowing Skin

• Have a medium bowl of watermelon as an afternoon snack or for breakfast.
• Drink freshly made watermelon juice in the morning or evening.
• Make a fruit salad with watermelon.
• Add watermelon to add a zing to your otherwise dull smoothie.
• Mash a watermelon and apply it on your skin. Rinse off after 10 minutes.
• For oily skin, mix 3 tablespoons of watermelon juice, 1 tablespoon of lime juice, 1 tablespoon of Fuller’s earth, and 1 teaspoon of rose water. Rinse with cold water after the mask dries.
• For dry skin, mix 3 tablespoons of watermelon juice, 1 tablespoon of lime juice, 1 teaspoon of honey, and 1 teaspoon of aloe vera. Rinse off after 10 minutes.

6. Cucumber

A fresh green cucumber has a typical aroma that can make you feel fresh even without eating it. Like watermelons, cucumbers are also very high in water content, have a cooling effect on the body, and possess antioxidant properties (10). Unpeeled cucumbers are also rich in vitamins K and C and dietary fiber. Scientists have found that sea cucumbers can be used for skin whitening and reducing wrinkles (11). Here’s how you can use cucumbers to heal your skin.

How To Use Cucumber For Glowing Skin

• Add cucumber to your salads, wraps, sandwiches, smoothies, etc.
• Prepare a glass of refreshing cucumber pulpy juice and add a dash of lime juice, roasted cumin powder, and pink Himalayan salt for taste and flavor.
• Eat a cucumber as a snack in the evening.
• Grate a cucumber and mix it with 1 tablespoon of gram flour and 1 teaspoon of rose water to reduce inflammation in acne prone skin.
• Mix grated cucumber, 1 tablespoon of milk, and 1 teaspoon of coconut oil to moisturize dry skin.
• Mix grated cucumber, 1 tablespoon of lime juice, and sugar to scrub your hands and feet.

7. Mango 

The sweet and fleshy mangoes work amazingly well when it comes to rejuvenating the skin. They are rich in vitamins A, E, C, and K, flavonoids, polyphenolics, beta-carotene, and xanthophylls. This is why mangoes help protect your skin from DNA damage and inflammation (12). They are also rich in sugar and dietary fiber, which helps treat constipation. In fact, mangoes are already used in the cosmetic industry to create hair and skin butters that have shown wound healing properties (13). Here are different ways in which you can use mangoes to rejuvenate your skin.

How To Use Mango For Glowing Skin

• Add mango to your smoothie, breakfast bowl, or fruit salad.
• Mash a small piece of mango and apply it all over your skin. Rinse off after 10 minutes.
• For oily skin, mix mango, rose water, and lime juice and apply it on your skin. Wash with cold water after 10 minutes.
• For dry skin, apply a mask of mashed mango, 1 teaspoon of yogurt, and 1 teaspoon of honey. Wash with room temperature water after 10 minutes.

8. Pomegranate

Do you feel you are overexposed to pollution and the sun? Then, you must read how this delicious and gorgeous fruit can benefit your skin. Pomegranates are rich in vitamins C, K, and folate, and minerals like calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium (14). In fact, the peel, the membrane, and the edible seeds are loaded with antioxidants (ellagic acid) that help protect the skin from UV-A and UV-B damage and skin pigmentation (15), (16), (17).  Scientists were also successful in regenerating human dermis and epidermis in the laboratory using pomegranate (18). So, clearly, you cannot avoid this fruit. Here’s how you can use it to treat all your skin problems.

How To Use Pomegranate For Glowing Skin

• Add it to your salad, hummus, baba ganoush, juice, smoothie, cakes, smoothies, breakfast bowl, or fruit salad.
• You can mash pomegranate seeds and apply the juice all over the affected area. Wash it off after 10 minutes.
• Make a face pack with 1 tablespoon of gram flour, 1 teaspoon of Fuller’s earth, 1 teaspoon of lime juice, and 2 tablespoons of pomegranate juice to treat pigmentation for oily skin.
• If you have dry skin, instead of adding Fuller’s earth, add milk or honey to the above mask.

9. Banana 

A friend of mine recently recommended that I use banana peel to remove acne scars, and it did work really well. The scientific explanation behind banana’s exceptional skin healing properties is that it is rich in dietary fiber, vitamins A, C, K, E, and folate, and minerals such as potassium, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium (19). It is a very good natural moisturizer and has antioxidant and antimicrobial properties (20), (21). Here’s how you can use a banana in various ways to get a glowing skin.

How To Use Banana For Glowing Skin

• Add banana to oatmeal for breakfast.
• Add a banana to your smoothie or breakfast bowl.
• You can prepare banana muffins or banana bread.
• Apply mashed banana all over your skin to make it soft and supple instantly.

10. Apple

I always wondered who ate Apple’s apple. Probably, Eve ate it to cure her skin problems! Well, you can do it too. Apples are rich in vitamins A and C, dietary fiber, potassium, calcium, and magnesium (22).  They have antioxidant properties and help scavenge the harmful free oxygen radicals. The peel of the apple has also been found to be rich in antioxidants (23). So, the next time you want to eat an apple, do not peel it. Wash it thoroughly to remove dirt and bacteria. Here’s how you may use it to get flawless skin.

How To Use Apple For Glowing Skin

• Eat one apple per day as part of a healthy snack with some nuts.
• Add apple slices to your breakfast bowl, oatmeal, or cornflakes.
• Add apple to your smoothie or make apple juice.
• Add apple to your baby spinach and tuna salad.
• Add apples to cake batter.
• Grate one apple and apply it on your skin. Rinse it after 10 minutes.
• For dry skin, mix grated apple with 1 teaspoon of honey and apply it on your skin. Wash it off with warm water after 10 minutes.

11. Gooseberry 

Gooseberry or amla is sour and loaded with vitamin C (24). Hence, it is no wonder that gooseberry has antioxidant properties. Gooseberries also have anti-inflammatory, wound healing, and GI tract soothing properties (25). Moreover, it has been confirmed by scientists that gooseberries promote procollagen production (26). That’s the reason gooseberries are highly sought after by the cosmetic industry. But you can treat your skin using amla at home. Here’s how.

How To Use Gooseberry For Glowing Skin

• Chop seeded gooseberries and dry them in the sun. Store them in a glass jar. Pop one or two pieces of dried gooseberry in your mouth after lunch every day.
• You can make gooseberry juice and store it in the fridge.
• Add gooseberry pieces to your smoothie or juice.

12. Strawberries

If your skin is acne prone, here’s some good news. You can simply eat or apply strawberries to get clear and spotless skin. That’s because strawberries are a great source of vitamin C and alpha-hydroxy acid, which is also known as salicylic acid. Salicylic acid is used in creams for acne treatment as it penetrates deep into the pores and cleans them. Strawberries also contain ellagic acid that protects the skin from UV radiation and prevents collagen destruction and wrinkle formation (27). Here’s how you can use them for your skin.

How To Use Strawberries For Glowing Skin

• Add strawberries to your breakfast bowl.
• Add strawberries to your morning smoothie.
• Halve the strawberries and add them to a salad.
• Add them to cake or muffins.
• Mash a strawberry and apply it to your skin. Wash off with cold water after 10 minutes.

13. Kiwi 

For those of you with panda eyes, kiwi is a savior! Kiwis contain a good amount of vitamin C and help protect the skin from the toxic free oxygen radicals that cause DNA damage (28). Kiwis also promote collagen synthesis and help prevent wrinkles (29). Here are different ways to use kiwis to improve your skin health.

How To Use Kiwi For Glowing Skin

• You can blend a kiwi with spinach and grapefruit to make a yummy morning smoothie.
• Just blend a kiwi and add 1 teaspoon of honey to it to enjoy a soothing juice.
• Peel and slice a kiwi and eat it as an evening snack.
• Add chopped kiwi to a salad.
• Mash a kiwi and apply it on your skin. Wash off after 10 minutes.
• Mash a kiwi and add ½ teaspoon of turmeric and apply it to hydrate and lighten your skin.

14. Apricot

The sweet and juicy apricots look humble, but they are fierce when it comes to protecting the human body from free oxygen radicals. They are rich in vitamins A, C, K, and folate (30). Apricots are also loaded with dietary fiber that helps improve bowel movement. And lastly, researchers found that apricots can help prevent endothelial cell death (31). Here’s how you can include apricots in your diet.

How To Use Apricot For Glowing Skin

• Chop apricots and add to your juice, smoothie, or breakfast bowl.
• Add apricots to your salad, pie, tarts, jams, and jelly.
• Have 2-3 apricots as an evening snack.
• Thinly slice an apricot and apply the slices on the pigmented area of your skin. Remove them after 10 minutes.

15. Grapes 

Grapes, red or green, are loaded with resveratrol, an antioxidant. Researchers have found that resveratrol helps protect the skin from UV damage and skin cancer (32). It is also a rich source of vitamins C, K, and folate and minerals such as calcium, potassium, and phosphorus (33). Plus, grape seed extract has skin rejuvenating, protecting, and healing properties (34) (35). Let me tell you how to use grapes to get flawless skin.

How To Use Grapes For Glowing Skin

• Consume a small bowl of grapes.
• Add grapes to your morning smoothie.
• Add sweet and red grapes to chicken stew to give it a sweet edge.
• Add grapes to your breakfast bowl.
• Add grapes to your fruit salad.
• Mash grapes and apply it on your skin. Wash off with cold water after 10 minutes.

16. Peach

If you want to make your skin glow, make sure you consume and apply a peach face mask. Peaches are rich in vitamins A, C, E, and K and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, and dietary fiber (36). They are also a great source of antioxidants that help scavenge the free oxygen radicals, thereby preventing DNA damage and photodamage (37). Here’s how you can use peaches to get a warm glow.

How To Use Peach For Glowing Skin

• Add peach slices to your breakfast bowl.
• Make peach juice or smoothie.
• Add peaches to your dessert.
• Thinly slice the peach and place the slices all over your skin. Remove the slices after 10 minutes and wipe your face with a wet cloth.

17. Cherries 

Sweet, red, and delicious, cherries are not only good to taste, but they also have the ability to repair and protect your skin from damage. They are rich in dietary fiber, vitamins A, C, K, and folate, and minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus (38). Cherries also have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that may help prevent skin damage (39). Here’s how you can use cherries to get a flawless skin.

How To Use Cherries For Glowing Skin

• Have a small bowl of cherries in the morning or evening.
• Chop cherries and add them to your salad.
• Add cherries to a small bowl of yogurt or custard.
• Mash a cherry and apply it on your skin. Rinse off after 10 minutes.

18. Muskmelon

The watery and subtle-tasting muskmelon can do wonders for your skin. It is rich in dietary fiber, vitamins A, C, K, and folate, and minerals such as potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, and sodium (40). Muskmelon has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties (41). In fact, scientists have found that muskmelons can help treat psoriasis (42). So, when it comes to skin treatment, you should not ignore muskmelon. Here’s how you can use it.

How To Use Muskmelon For Glowing Skin

• Add muskmelon to a bowl of fruit salad.
• Apply mashed muskmelon on your skin. Wash it off after 10 minutes.
• Mash a muskmelon and add grape juice and 2-3 drops of lime juice to it. Apply it on your skin to get rid of uneven pigmentation.

19. Pineapple 

The sweet and tangy pineapples are rich in dietary fiber, vitamins A, C, K, and folate, and minerals like calcium, potassium, and phosphorus (43). Pineapples contain an enzyme called bromelain, which has anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and wound healing properties (44) (45). Applying pineapple on the burnt human skin can help remove the dead skin cells and speed up the process of healing (46). Here’s how you can use pineapple to heal your skin.

How To Use Pineapple For Glowing Skin

• Consume a small bowl of pineapple for breakfast or as an evening snack.
• Toss a pineapple with spinach, cucumber, pomegranate, and cilantro to make a delicious salad.
• Add pineapple to your dessert.
• Add pineapple to pizza, wraps, burritos, stews, etc.
• Mix pineapple juice with 1 teaspoon of milk and apply it on your skin. Wash off after 10 minutes.

20. Prunes

Prunes are dried plums. They have high fiber content and are rich in vitamins A, K, and niacin and minerals like calcium, magnesium, and potassium (47). The fiber in prunes helps prevent constipation, which is one of the reasons your skin looks so dull and is acne prone (48). Scientists have found that prune juice can help increase the weight of stool and improve bowel movement (49). So, if you are suffering from constipation, you should definitely try prune juice. Here are other ways you can use it.

How To Use Prune For Glowing Skin

• Drink 4 oz. prune juice first thing in the morning.
• Add prune juice to your morning smoothie.
• Apply prune juice on your skin and wash it off after 10 minutes.
• Mix 1 tablespoon of prune juice, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon of rose water and apply it on your skin. Wash off after 10 minutes.

 

These were the 20 fruits that can help you get glowing skin. Make sure you avoid eating deep fried and oily food. Consume more veggies, fruits, fish oil, and nuts and drink enough water to keep your skin clear. And if you want to accelerate the process of healing your skin, try working out at least three days a week in addition to consuming and topically applying the fruits mentioned in this article. Results are guaranteed. All the best!