It is well researched by trusted scientific studies that fruits are an essential part of a healthy, well-balanced diet.
Regularly eating fruits provides critical vitamins and nutrients for our bodies like vitamin C which is why it is not surprising that fruits offer great benefits for our skin as well.
This guide will cover the most popular fruits, their health benefits, and how they improve your skin:
Are Bananas Good for Your Skin?
Bananas are one of the most popularly consumed fruits in the world. Simple to eat and tasty, bananas not only provide a quick source of energy but eating bananas can also be good for your face and skin.
The famous yellow fruit is known to pack a rich amount of nutrients that promote healthy skin and hair including:
- Potassium
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin B6
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin E
- Magnesium
- Antioxidants
With such an abundant nutrition profile, eating bananas can provide numerous benefits for your skin:
- Moisturizing benefits: The moisture content and potassium in bananas help keep your skin well-hydrated
- Anti aging benefits: Vitamin C and B6 in bananas promote skin elasticity. Additionally, its antioxidants, Vitamin A, and magnesium provide protection for your face against free radicals responsible for causing wrinkles and fine lines
- Skin brightness: Potassium in bananas help maintain healthy circulation of oxygen and blood to skin cells, enhancing blood flow and skin brightness
While further research is needed to validate the health claims, advocates also tout banana peels as being good for skin when applied on your face. It is suggested that the inherent moisture content and vitamins in banana peels promote skin brightening and wrinkle reduction.
Can bananas be bad for your skin?
Bananas contain a considerable amount of natural sugar and spiking sugar levels lead the body to overproduce skin oil. Since acne is caused by a combination of inflammation, oil, and trapped dead skin cells, eating too many bananas can contribute to worsening a person’s acne
Are Apples Good for Your Skin?
Apples are so well known for being healthy that it coined the phrase “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” The fruit has been extensively studied for its health benefits, including lowering the risk of heart disease and cholesterol. Not surprisingly, there are also aesthetic benefits to eating apples for skin and hair.
With over 7,500 different varieties in the world, apples provide numerous vitamins and nutrients including:
- Fiber
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- Copper
- Potassium
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin B6
When consumed, apple benefits for skin include:
- Moisturizing benefits: Apples are incredibly juicy and boast a high moisture content, making it a great fruit to eat for hydrating your skin.
- Anti aging benefits: The antioxidants, potassium, vitamin A, and vitamin C loaded in apples fight against premature aging and provide your skin proper nourishment to reduce dark circles under your eyes as well. These nutrients also help protect the skin against environmental stressors that can cause inflammation and damage. Vitamin C in particular also boosts collagen and elastin, both of which keep your skin smooth and firm.
- Fight acne: The dietary fiber and water content in apples promote healthy circulation and digestion, both of which are critical benefits to fighting acne on your face.
Are Lemons Good for Your Skin?
Citrus fruits like lemons are particularly known for their vitamin C content and acidity. Other vitamins and compounds contained in lemons include:
- Potassium
- Vitamin B6
- Citric acid
- Eriocitrin
Unlike most other fruits on this list, the benefits of lemons for skin are more so related to lemon peel extract being infused in topicals or water containing lemon extract rather than outright eating the fruit. The acidity of lemons is too strong too eat on its own or directly apply on your face.
When properly mixed into a topical solution or diluted with water, lemons can be applied on your face and provide a hefty amount of benefits for skin health including:
- Exfoliation of dead skin cells: Most topical containing lemon peel extract have citric acid which break down dead skin cells and promotes faster skin turnover. This leads to newer, healthier skin coming to the surface of your face.
- Anti aging benefits: The hefty dose of vitamin C from lemons promotes collagen production which slows the aging process as well as fights wrinkles and fine lines.
- Removes dark spots & uneven skin tones: The acidity of lemons makes it a natural bleaching agent, allowing for the reduction of dark spots over time. The vitamin C also inhibits melanin production, helping even out skin tones on the face.
Are Grapes Good for Your Skin?
Grapes are one of the most popular berries in the world and come in many colors including green, red, black, and purple. This fruit has an impressive range of nutrients and health benefits including cell protection due to its antioxidants.
When it come to nutrition, grapes are a great source of:
- Potassium
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin K
- Fiber
- Copper
The grapes’ benefits for skin are mainly driven by their high antioxidant content. As your body and face take on the harsh effects of the external environment, free radicals accumulate in your body. In high enough concentrations, free radicals can damage your body’s cells including skin cells which can lead to faster aging and other illnesses.
Antioxidants like the ones found in grapes protect your cells by binding to free radicals and neutralizing them. Thus, grapes provide:
- Anti-aging benefits: Antioxidants prevent cell damage, thereby slowing the aging process by protecting your skin cells.
- Reduce wrinkles and fine lines: Vitamin C in grapes help promote collagen production which maintain the skin’s elasticity.
Does It Matter What Type of Grape You Eat?
Are the red grapes benefits for skin superior to the green grapes benefits for skin? Generally darker grapes provide more benefits for your skin than that of lighter colors. This is due to dark grapes have more antioxidant content.
Is Watermelon Good for Your Skin?
Watermelons are incredibly juicy and perfect for a summertime snack due to its refreshing taste and water content. There are also quite a few benefits of eating watermelon for skin and body health driven by its great nutrition profile.
So drives the benefits behind eating watermelon?
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin E
- Calcium
- Magnesium
The vitamins, minerals, and fiber in the fruit make eating watermelon good for skin health including features like:
- Anti-aging benefits: Vitamin C in watermelon benefits the skin by boosting collagen which protects your face from sun damage as well as smooths out wrinkles. The vitamin A in watermelon helps drive repair and creation of new skin cells.
- Reduces dark spots: Vitamin E is an important antioxidant in watermelon that lightens up hyperpigmentation. This is partly due to the vitamin’s ability to rejuvenate skin cells by neutralize free radical damage like sunburn.
- Moisturizing benefits: Water makes up more than 90% of watermelons, making it a great source of hydration. Paired with its high fiber content, watermelon is good for skin turnover and freshness, staying plump and hydrated to fill in fine lines and wrinkles.
What Other Lifestyle Choices Can Improve My Skin?
While it is now established that fruits are a great part of a healthy diet, eating fruits for better skin only solves a portion of the entire skincare puzzle.
For men dealing with wrinkles and trying to fight aging, we recommend checking out our Anti-Aging Skincare Guide for Men for other lifestyle tips and tricks.
Men who are dealing with oily skin should check out our article on ways to control oily skin.