How to Eat Your Skincare: A Nutritionist’s Guide to Healthier Skin

Skincare has become increasingly sophisticated. Serums, actives, barrier creams, LED masks – all promising blemish-free, hydrated skin and a youthful glow.

Many of us are now willing to spend significant money supporting the skin from the outside, while barely questioning whether what we eat is giving skin what it needs from the inside. The reality is that no topical product, however advanced, can fully override what’s happening internally.

That’s because skin isn’t just something we decorate. It’s a living organ, constantly interacting with the rest of the body. It absorbs, excretes, and responds to immune signals, hormones, inflammation and nutrient availability.

“Skin isn’t just something we decorate – it’s a living organ that reflects what’s happening internally.”

When skin isn’t looking or feeling its best – whether that’s dryness, breakouts, redness or loss of glow – it’s often a signal rather than a failure. The body communicates through symptoms; that’s its language.

This is where the idea of eating your skincare becomes so relevant. Food doesn’t replace topical care, but it does shape the internal environment your skin is working within. When that environment is supported, everything you apply externally tends to work better.

Why skin health starts from within

Skin health is influenced by inflammation levels, digestion, hormone balance, immune signalling and nutrient status. These systems are deeply interconnected, which is why skin issues so often sit alongside digestive discomfort, fatigue or hormonal changes.

“No topical product can fully override inflammation, nutrient deficiency or digestive stress.”

Supporting skin from within doesn’t require perfection – but it does require looking beyond creams alone.

The skin barrier explained: why fats and inflammation matter

The skin barrier is largely made up of lipids (fats). These fats help retain moisture, protect against environmental stressors and prevent irritation.

When the barrier is compromised, skin becomes more prone to dryness, sensitivity, breakouts and inflammation. This is where dietary fats become relevant.

Oily fish earns its reputation here, not just because of omega-3s, but because it delivers a combination of nutrients that support barrier integrity:

• Omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) – help resolve inflammation rather than simply suppress it
• Vitamin A – supports skin cell turnover and repair
• Zinc – critical for wound healing, immune defence and barrier function

“When the skin barrier is compromised, the issue often starts with inflammation and lipid imbalance – not a lack of moisturiser.”

Small oily fish such as sardines and mackerel are particularly nutrient-dense – and yes, tinned fish absolutely counts.

Omega-3s and oily fish: essential nutrients for calmer skin

Omega-3s play a key role in inflammatory balance throughout the body. Rather than switching inflammation off entirely (which wouldn’t be healthy), they help the body resolve it efficiently.

This is why omega-3 intake is often discussed in relation to reactive skin, redness and inflammatory breakouts – not as a cure, but as part of a supportive pattern.

Calmer internal inflammation often means the skin has less to respond to, which allows repair and barrier function to take priority.

The gut-skin-liver axis: how digestion influences your complexion

The gut-skin axis is now well recognised. Disruptions in digestion and the gut microbiome can influence inflammatory signals that show up on the skin.

But the liver is often the missing link.

The liver plays a central role in:

• Processing hormones that influence skin (including androgens and oestrogen metabolites)
• Clearing inflammatory by-products
• Producing bile, which is essential for absorbing fats and fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K)

“The gut-skin axis matters – but the liver often does the heavy lifting behind the scenes.”

If digestion is sluggish or the gut is inflamed, the liver has to work harder. If liver clearance slows, inflammatory or hormonal by-products can circulate for longer – and the skin is often where this becomes visible.

Supporting digestion and liver function reduces the overall inflammatory load, allowing skin to settle.

Antioxidants and skin protection: defending against oxidative stress

Skin is exposed daily to oxidative stress from UV light, pollution and normal metabolic processes. When this load exceeds the body’s capacity to neutralise it, skin repair slows and sensitivity can increase.

Antioxidant-rich foods help buffer this stress.

Vitamin C is particularly important, as it:

• Neutralises oxidative stress
• Is essential for collagen synthesis

Without enough vitamin C, the body simply cannot build or maintain collagen effectively – regardless of how much collagen is consumed.

Plant pigments also matter. Anthocyanins (found in berries and red, purple and blue foods) help protect skin cells and support circulation, contributing to resilience and glow over time.

Classic British brassicas – broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage – support antioxidant defences and liver detoxification pathways.

“Antioxidants don’t just protect the skin – they reduce the background stress that prevents repair.”

Protein, collagen and peptides: what actually supports skin structure

Collagen is a structural protein rich in specific amino acids. When consumed as collagen peptides, these are already broken down (hydrolysed), making them easier to absorb and use as building blocks.

However, two things matter:

1. Adequate total protein intake is foundational
2. Collagen works best alongside cofactor nutrients such as vitamin C and zinc

Research suggests collagen peptides may support skin hydration and elasticity when the nutritional foundations are in place.

“Collagen works best as part of a well-nourished system – not as a shortcut.”

 

Eating your skincare: supporting skin without chasing trends

Eating your skincare doesn’t mean chasing expensive trends or eating sardines for every meal (though they are having a moment).

It means supporting digestion, lowering inflammation, ensuring nutrient sufficiency and reducing background stress so the skin can do what it’s designed to do.

“Your skin’s glow is rarely about one food – it’s about how well the system is supported as a whole.”

Add skin-supportive foods where you can, support the gut–liver axis, and yes – gently reduce the things that inflame it (sorry, not sorry, alcohol).

When the internal environment is supported, skin often follows.

About the Author
Natalie Louise Burrows is a registered nutritional therapist (BANT, CNHC) and clinic director at Integral Wellness, a nutrition and health clinic specialising in cardio-metabolic health. Along with her clinic team of nutritionists, they help men and women regain their energy, control their cravings and avoid and reverse type 2 diabetes. They also address health conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, insulin resistance, fatty liver and heart disease, and weight challenges.