Feel like you’re doing all the things to get that youthful, radiant glow? While finding the right skincare products plays a role in helping us achieve healthier-looking skin, the secret really lies within the foods we eat.
We’re breaking down cranberry benefits for skin and why this deliciously flavorful fruit should make its appearance throughout the year, not just during the holiday season.
Cranberry Benefits For Skin
# 1 Helps Boost Collagen Production
There’s no denying the fact that collagen is essential for keeping our skin looking young and radiant. In fact, it’s the most abundant protein in your skin, and it helps promote skin elasticity, while keeping fine lines and wrinkles at bay.
So, where do cranberries come into play? Cranberries are rich in vitamin C, an essential vitamin that helps boost collagen production. So, by eating more cranberries you can give your body the boost it needs to make sure you’re producing enough collagen to keep your skin looking and feeling young.
#2 Antioxidant Powerhouse
Like most berries, cranberries are packed full of antioxidants, which play a protective role for our skin. Antioxidants help ward off free radicals (commonly found in air pollution) that can lead to oxidative damage and can speed up the rate at which our skin ages.
Boosting our intake of antioxidant-rich foods like cranberries is not only great for the health of our skin but essential for keeping our overall body in tip-top shape.
What’s even better is that while we can all boost our intake of cranberries, using cranberries topically by making a homemade cranberry face wash (recipe below) can supply our skin with those protective antioxidants to take a step further in nourishing our skin.
#3 Cranberries May Lower Inflammation
Inflammation is a huge cause of premature aging. Plus, with chronic inflammation being at the root of nearly all disease, upping your intake of anti-inflammatory foods like cranberries is always a good idea.
Cranberries have been found to lower the levels of C-reactive protein in the blood, which is a huge measure of inflammation. With lower inflammation, comes a lower chance of premature aging, and healthier-looking skin.
Cranberries For Skin Health Recipes
# 1 Make a Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Think making your own cranberry sauce is complicated? Enter this Clean Eating Cranberry Sauce recipe. Made with only a handful of wholesome ingredients, and none of the unnecessary added refined sugar, this will become a staple in your kitchen all year long.
#2 Blend up a Nutritious Cranberry Smoothie
Looking to spice up your current smoothie routine? Swap out strawberries for cranberries and make a skin-boosting smoothie.
Blend together one cup of fresh cranberries, half of sliced orange, a sprinkle of ground cinnamon, and a drizzle of raw honey with unsweetened almond or coconut milk.
Sip and let this skin-boosting superfood smoothie go to work supporting a healthy glow.
#3 DIY Cranberry Face Wash
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup cranberries
- 1 cup coconut oil
DIRECTIONS:
1. Add the cranberries to a high-speed blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Add in the coconut oil and blend again.
3. Use as a face wash, rinse, and moisturize for healthy, glowing skin.
Want Healthier Skin? Turn to Cranberries
Often times, we find ourselves resorting to expensive skincare products for healthier and clearer looking skin. But, if you’re tired of these products not living up to the hype, it’s time to see what cranberries can do for you.
Between their powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, they may be the superfood your skin needs to look and feel radiant again.
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11 Foods That Make Your Skin Glow
