Quinoa, Spinach, and Chia Seeds in Your Skincare Routine?

The humble avocado has over eight million hashtags on Instagram, and celebs like Cara Delevingne and Victoria Beckham love it for keeping their diet and skin in check. “Avocados are a great source of vitamin E, also known as the ‘youth vitamin’ thanks to its anti-aging properties,” says author and women’s health expert Dr. Marilyn Glenville.

They’re also rich in fatty acids, which makes their oil a fantastic moisturizer, and a good source of the skin-repairing vitamin A. Try Tata Harper’s ‘Fortifying Body Lotion’, which contains avocado oil to soothe and nourish chapped, dry skin.

Spinach is a staple ingredient in green juices and salads seeing as it’s “packed with iron” according to Cassandra Barns, nutritionist at Nutricentre.com. “This is important for growth, repair, reproduction, and immunity.” Spinach leaves are also packed with vitamins A, C, E, and K, which work to replenish and clear the complexion. Want to try it on your skin? MAC’s ‘Studio Moisture Cream’ contains spinach leaf to moisturize and protect your complexion and leave you glowing.

Chia seeds contain more omega-3 fatty acids than any other plant and can be used in just about anything, from soups and smoothies to salads and puddings. Miranda Kerr relies on these little seeds for keeping her diet and her figure on the straight and narrow, adding them to smoothies and her homemade muffins.

Not only is chia-seed oil loaded with skin-nourishing omega-3 oils, but it also contains high levels of antioxidants – 30 percent more than blueberries! Get a radiant glow with the intensively nourishing and protective powers of the Perricone MD ‘Chia Serum’.

“Coconut water is low in calories and sugar compared to fruit juices,” says Barns. The oil is not only great for cooking with, but it’s also super nourishing for skin and has excellent antioxidant properties. “It’s high in lauric acid, which offers great anti-inflammatory properties and reduces irritation,” adds Barns.

Try using it as a nourishing cleanser at night; it’s brilliant for removing every last trace of makeup without leaving your skin feeling tight. Just massage onto the skin and then remove and rinse with a warm, damp washcloth. Try the Down to Earth ‘Organic Coconut Oil’.

Love cold-pressed juices? Then you’ll know all about how nutritional benefits can easily be degraded or oxidized if the fruits or vegetables get above a certain temperature. The same principles of cold-pressing apply to skincare; when ingredients go through the production process, heating and refining can take away many of their benefits.

For more potent results, look for skincare products that contain cold-pressed oils, like the Sunday Riley ‘Juno Hydro Active Cellular Face Oil’ that is formulated with a blend of potent cold-pressed superfood seed oils to nourish your skin deep down, leaving you glowing and hydrated.

We all know the nutritional benefits of adding quinoa to our diets, especially if you’re gluten-intolerant, but it’s fast becoming a revolutionary ingredient in skincare, too. Quinoa proteins deliver essential antioxidants and repair amino acids that can create a shield to protect skin and hair from free radicals.

Give your hair a protective boost with the Green People ‘Quinoa & Artichoke Shampoo’. Intensely conditioning, it coats every hair shaft to enhance softness and give it a brilliant shine.

Rihanna relies on a breakfast of almond butter on toast to give her an energy kick each morning. “This is because almond butter is high in protein, which takes longer to digest, making it a steady source of energy,” explains Dr. Glenville.

What few know is that almond butter is also high in vitamin E, a great hydrator, and an antioxidant – especially if your skin is prone to being dry and sensitive. Weleda’s ‘Almond Soothing Facial Cream’ helps strengthen the top layer of the skin, protecting it from water loss, while vitamin E fights free radical damage to counteract premature aging.

Heard of kimchi, sauerkraut, and kefir? They’re all part of the fermented-food trend, whereby food is soaked in saltwater, allowing good bacteria to grow. During the process, a natural bacteria feeds on sugars and starches in the food, which creates lactic acid, B vitamins, and useful enzymes – all highly beneficial to the body and more nutrient-rich than in the food’s natural state. But how does this relate to beauty products?

“When you ferment ingredients, they become bio-available, meaning the skin can absorb and put them to use more easily,” explains George Cleeve, founder of Oskia skincare. Oskia’s ‘Renaissance Hand and Body Cream’ helps to smooth and nourish the skin, as well as treat keratosis pilaris, thanks to a mineral content of zinc, magnesium, copper, and iron. Because they’ve been fermented, this allows them to penetrate deeply into the skin for better results.