Outer Beauty: Nine Antioxidant-Rich (and Dermatologist-Approved) Foods for Your Skin

Skin less than glowing? Try nourishing it from the inside with these antioxidant-rich foods.

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Illustrations by Steven Stankiewicz

• Carrots contain beta carotene and may help prevent wrinkles and sunspots.

• Lycopene, which gives tomatoes their color, may keep sun damage at bay.

 Low-glycemic-index foods such as brown rice and sweet potatoes may help alleviate acne.

 Salmon contains astaxanthin, which some studies show can help prevent uneven skin tone and sunspots, plus omega-3s, which may stop wrinkles from forming.

—Dr. Emmy Graber, Boston University School of Medicine

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Illustrations by Steven Stankiewicz

• Green tea not only contains caffeine, which evidence suggests can provide protection against skin cancer, but it also has GTCs (green tea catechins), believed to help slow down the aging process.

 Apples are packed with flavonoids, which may improve skin strength. The polyphenols in the peel, meanwhile, are natural antioxidants.

 The vitamin C in lemons is a skin brightener.

 Quinoa is a low-glycemic-index food that has flavonoids and vitamin E, which has anti-inflammatory properties.

—Dr. Jennifer Lin, Brigham and Women’s Hospital