Let’s start with the bad news: juicing for clear skin doesn’t yield results overnight. But the good news? One of the first positive changes you’ll notice when juicing regularly will be in your overall skin health and tone.
In fact, the biggest reason why so many juicers – including myself – regularly put up with the produce prep and clean up that juicing requires is precisely because juicing really does promote clearer, glowing skin.
How does it work, you ask? Well, it starts with what you juice. Because some juicing ingredients are much more beneficial to getting clearer skin than others.
Must Have Ingredients when Juicing for Clear Skin
You already know that fresh juice provides us with a potent range of vitamins and nutrients we need to combat a wide range of health concerns, and problematic skin is no exception. In fact, there are certain nutrients that are particularly effective when juicing for clear skin.
These nutrients help to combat breakouts in several ways. They balance the levels of hormones within the body, which helps to reduce breakouts. In addition, they boost the immune function to reduce infection. These nutrients also provide important support for the liver detoxification pathways, helping to detox your system and clear the skin.
Other ways in which these nutrients promote clear skin are through supporting healthy mucus membranes in the skin and digestive system, promoting wound healing, acting as anti-inflammatory agents, and even reducing excess oil secretion.
So without further ado, here are the best fruits and veggies that, when juiced, provide all the acne-fighting nutrients you need in order to get back your naturally clean and clear complexion.
WHEATGRASS
Wheatgrass is one of the best greens to juice for anything and everything – and clear skin is no exception.
This supergreen is rich in zinc, selenium and copper – some essential minerals for fighting breakouta – as well as chlorophyll, beta-carotene and a veritable alphabet soup of vitamins: A, B-complex, C, E, and K.
Seriously, this is one superfood you must have when you’re juicing for clear skin, since this incredible plant is incredibly rich in the minerals and amino acids that our bodies require. Just one ounce of wheatgrass has 103 vitamins, minerals and amino acids and that same one ounce of wheatgrass has as much nutritional value as about 2.5lbs of fresh green veggies!
So if your breakouts are due to a nutritional deficiency (or even a hormonal imbalance caused by certain deficiencies), wheatgrass juice is a simple way to make sure you’re getting what your body needs in a highly bioavailable form.
Oh, and did we mention wheatgrass is also awesome for detox? Get some.
SWEET POTATOES
Sweet potatoes – and carrots – are some of the richest sources of beta-carotene. And this really matters when you’re juicing for clear skin since beta-carotene is converted into Vitamin A in our bodies.
Vitamin-A containing foods regulate sebum production and have a positive effect on the inflammatory aspects of acne (they also help boost rosy tones in your skin). Your skin will be nourished and strengthened, making it less prone to breakouts.
Other foods with lots of Vitamin A content include dark leafy greens, squash, cantaloupe melons, red peppers, and even yummy mangoes.
FENNEL
This licorice-y herb doesn’t seem like much but it has components that boost your digestive function and act as a slight diuretic in your body, stimulating your system flush out excess fluids and toxins, thus helping your skin detoxify itself.
BLUEBERRIES
When you think blueberries, think antioxidants. That’s because these delicious berries contain the highest antioxidant content. And that’s great news for clear skin since foods rich in antioxidants are useful for both preventing and treating acne.
Antioxidants reduce free radical damage to your skin and your immune system, decrease inflammation and breakouts, and protect your skin by limiting the external toxins that can penetrate your skin.
They also help promote cell turnover and specific antioxidants like vitamin C are crucial to collagen formation, making these a must-juice to combat acne scars before they happen.
When it comes to fruit, blueberries have some of the strongest antioxidant properties but juicing a wide range of produce will get you plenty of antioxidants on top of that since most fruits and veggies are pretty damn high in antioxidants.
Other foods that are high in antioxidants are: strawberries, red cabbage, raspberries, apples, cherries, plums, and dark green veggies.
PINEAPPLE
Pineapple juice is an effective acne treatment thanks to its high levels of both Vitamin C and bromelain. Vitamin C and the amino acids found in pineapple juice help in the process of cell and tissue repair. The enzyme bromelain is great for digestion and as you already know – a healthy, properly functioning gut is one of the most important components in getting rid of acne from the inside out.
LEAFY GREENS
Leafy greens are a great source of beta-carotene, which is in turn converted into Vitamin A in our bodies, as well as Vitamin E. In addition to fighting free radicals, these nutrients have anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties and help to control sebum secretion.
Leafy greens are also potent detoxifiers and known to clean toxins from the liver, reducing your liver’s workload so it can better metabolism fats and expel unwanted waste from your system. See a whole list of greens here!
GARLIC
Garlic is just a good idea. It’s full of this naturally occurring chemical called allicin, which has powerful antiseptic, antiviral and anti-fungal properties and helps to kill off many harmful bacteria your body might be fighting (hint, hint: acne).
Plus, garlic – especially raw garlic – is extremely dense in acne-fighting nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin B6, selenium, copper, as well as sebum-controlling zinc. But remember – raw garlic is potent so use very sparingly in your juice recipes!
Speaking of juice recipes…
Best Juice Recipes for Clear Skin
Getting clear skin with the help of vitamins and minerals – nature’s “medicines” is the only holistic, permanent skin solution I’ve found. An extra bonus? These juice recipes for clear skin are delicious (and some can help with acne), don’t come with negative side effects (i.e. destroying the liver to clear the skin), and are actually good for your entire body.
Simple Juice Recipe for Skin and Eyes
In the mood for an unconventional juice recipe? Sure, it might taste a little different from what you’re used to, but it also comes with some differently exceptional health benefits.
Like those provided by bell peppers – this sweet and juicy veggie is the perfect beauty food since it’s packed with collagen-helping vitamin C and also contains phytochemicals known to stimulate metabolism.
Red bell peppers are also high in vitamin A – you know, the antioxidant responsible for promoting eye health.
Pumpkins aren’t too shabby in that department, either – your average pumpkin, with its bright orange loveliness, contains 100% of your DV for vitamin A (for 100 grams). Not bad. Not bad at all.
Lemons, with their high acidity, help to balance your body’s pH levels and add a welcome zest to this juice recipe. But I have to say…the real star of this recipe is the ginseng root.
This potent root is a multi-tasking wonder, improving your immune system, enhancing your mental prowess, slowing the aging process, lowering stress and restoring your body’s homeostasis, and giving your energy levels a huge boost.
Vitamin A Shot Detox Juice Recipe
As delish as this juice recipe is, try to refrain from drinking it daily – you might turn orange.
Okay, now that that’s out of the way…this bright orange juice recipe is simply awesome and my go-to recipe whenever I know my body can use a potent dose of immunity. It’s chock full of anti-oxidants. Beets are loaded with the phytochemical, betanin, that helps gently detox while helping to reduce overall inflammation in your body.
Carrots are bursting with vitamin A, which keeps your eyes healthy, your skin glowing, and speeds up the metabolism of blood sugar in the body.
As for orange, you already know it’s filled with vitamin C – plus, it adds a delicious zesty sweetness to the mix (you can also replace the oranges in this recipe with grapefruit if you’re juicing for weight loss). And to top it all off, spicy turmeric adds a potent anti-inflammatory, protective boost to the mix.
Oh, did I mention the overall result is pure, orange deliciousness?
Red Green Juice for Clear Skin
This 4-ingredient juice is one of the simplest green juice recipes you’ll find – perfect for when you’re in a rush. The celery contained in this juice brings with it a whole lot of antioxidants, and vitamins and minerals in plenty—including some that are less-commonly encountered but are nevertheless essential to your well being ones, like molybdenum and phosphorous.
This recipe is also really high in apigenin, that wonderful flavonoid which help protects from neurological problems, heart conditions, high blood pressure and cancer.
Then spinach brings up the vitamin count by a whole lot, adding in chunks of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K and even more minerals. Cilantro brings in beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein and zeaxanthin, as well as its almost magical hard metal detox properties.
A Healthy Juice Recipe for Clear Skin
If you like the taste of licorice – you’ll love the fennel in this nutrient-laden juice recipe for clear skin. So feel free to add in a little bit more than this recipe calls for. Especially if you’re looking to get your digestive juices and your circulation flowing. You see, fennel’s got both iron and the amino acid, histidine.
Both are great if you’re anemic and even if you’re not, both iron and histidine help produce hemoglobin, which transports oxygen within the blood and throughout your body.
Fennel’s also great for eye health, containing oils that help rejuvenate tired eyes. Along with vitamin-A-packed carrots and bell peppers, this is one juice recipe guaranteed to be welcome by both your taste buds, your skin and your eyes.
