It’s a surefire recipe for healthy skin success: Superfoods! Loved by celebrities like Jennie Garth and Minka Kelly, natural additives and antioxidant-rich nutrients are one of the hot new ways to keep skin looking gorgeous. Anxious to stock up on the super new beauty trend? Here are five foods to try:
ROYAL JELLY
What it is: The antioxidant-rich nutrient is created by worker bees to feed queens, who live 48 times longer, according to the University of Illinois.
What it does: “Studies show that it stimulates collagen production,” says Garth’s L.A. dermatologist Jessica Wu. To be effective in serums like Perlier’s Royal Elixir, jelly must be listed among the first four ingredients. Warning: Spot-test for allergies! ($99, hsn.com)
CHIA SEEDS
What they are: Yes, the germs, native to Guatemala, sprout the minty herbs for Chia Pets.
What they do: Fatty acid oils extracted from the seeds “bind moisture to skin,” says NYC cosmetics chemist and founder of BeautyStat.com Ron Robinson. Employed in a cleanser (try One Love, used by Kelly Rutherford), the emollient keeps foam from drying out the face. ($28, oneloveorganics.com)
NONI FRUIT
What it is: Bitter and foul-smelling, noni hails from the Pacific Islands, where Polynesians revere it as a cure-all!
What it does: Zealots claim it can remedy colds, skin sores and even cancer, but science has yet to find supporting evidence. The pulp does contain vitamin B13, which Robinson notes may “calm rosacea” when added to a toner such as the Kora Organics loved by Miranda Kerr. ($44, koraorganics.com)
SPIRULINA
What it is: Simply put: The blue-green algae forms and floats on a pond’s surface.
What it does: The plant contains phycocyanin, a protein that reduces melanin pigmentation, according to a 2011 study in the Journal of Biomedical Science. In a mask like the one from Kerstin Florian (Kelly is a fan of the brand), spiraling “could help fight dark spots,” explains Wu. “It could also help soothe itchy, irritated skin.” ($65, kerstinflorianusa.com)
KOLA NUTS
What they are: Native to African rain forests, the tart kernels were crucial to the original Coca-Cola recipe.
What they do: The high amounts of caffeine in the nuts, often found in facial oils like the Nyakio version used by Ali Larter, “can help depuff skin around the eyes,” says NYC dermatologist Macrene Alexiades-Armenakas. ($49, nyakio.com)
