I thought I would start back after the very long exam season with my favourite beauty boosting smoothies! (Apologies for the lack of posts over this period lovely readers!) The key ingredients are fruits rich in vitamin C. If there was one ingredient that had to be in a skin rejuvenating smoothie, it would have to be Vitamin C. Vitamin C is a natural biochemical precursor to collagen which indubitably keeps our skin youthful and elastic. L-ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is used ubiquitously as a skin brightener, antioxidant and anti-ageing addition in a lot of skincare I come across. I recently was lucky enough to attend the FACE conference in London (exciting blog posts to come) and it was the recurring recommendation in skincare by top dermatologists for an anti-ageing routine. Vitamin C stabilises the collagen helix, and also stimulates increased Type I and III collagen synthesis. The American journal of Clinical Nutrition found in a rather large study (4,025 women) that youthful looks and decreased wrinkles were significantly correlated to vitamin C intake within several parameters.
There is a plentiful intake with the addition of mango, melon and banana for the Vitamin A.C.E smoothie. (recipe below) The addition of a vitamin E rich almond milk is fantastic for the skin as Vitamin E works hand in hand with vitamin C during powerful antioxidant processes so are always great to have together. It has been shown that the synergy of antioxidants and phytochemicals from obtaining a mix of fruit and vegetables is highly beneficial.
I always top my smoothies with an Omega 3 seed mix or
add flax seed oil into the mix, since the British Journal of Nutrition
found that supplementation of alpha-linoleic acid rich flaxseed oil
significantly reduced skin roughness and redness while increasing hydration over a 12 week period, which is quite remarkable! These supplements may also benefit sensitive skin. An omega 3 seed mix, hemp oil or hemp protein powder are fantastic smoothie editions to supplement yourself with these powerful skin conditioning nutrients.
For the anti-inflammatory smoothie, I focused on adding some beautiful
and well documented skin soothers. As inflammation along with redness and pruritis is a major hallmark of skin problems in frequent dermatology trials, I thought it would be a fantastic experiment to utilise some of the best known anti inflammatory ingredients, and this smoothie is creamy, spiced, sweet and delicious! Turmeric, common to Ayurvedic medicine is getting a lot more attention in the western medical field. Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric and certain phytochemicals in ginger have been found to be strongly anti-inflammatory. The addition of avocado not only makes for a super creamy consistency, but The American Journal of Nutritional Science found that avocados increase the absorption of other fantastic molecules such as beta-carotene and lycopene.
A.C.E Vitamin smoothie
A quarter of a mango
one banana
half a melon
one- two cups of almond milk
top with omega 3 seeds/ toasted almonds
Optional- baby leaf spinach if you want an iron boost ( vitamin C greatly assists iron absorption)
Anti-inflammatory Creamy spiced nut smoothie
A generous amount of Turmeric (fresh if possible)
Ginger (fresh if possible)
one chopped banana
5 dates ( add less if you want a less sweet version)
half an avocado( add more if you want a creamier version)
2-3 cups of Hazelnut or vegan praline milk
Omega sprinkle/hemp seeds/flax seeds and grated tumeric for garnish
I really hope you've enjoyed this post, what are your favourite skin boosts?
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