What a dermatologist eats in a day to maintain flawless skin

Dr Thivi Maruthappu believes the secret to younger looking skin lies in your diet

As a dual-qualified dermatologist and nutritionist, I’ve spent my career examining how profoundly our diet affects our skin health – and how we age as a result. When our skin isn’t getting what it needs, the top layer, or epidermis, begins to get dry or flaky, while our middle layer, the dermis, which plays the biggest role in retaining youthful skin, loses its bounce. Here’s what I eat and drink to keep my skin looking younger for longer.

CHAI TEA

It’s fragrant and delicious, and when I get up at 5am it wakes me up in a gentle way. If I have time, I’ll make it from scratch using a blend including Ceylon tea leaves. Grown on the hillsides surrounding Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka, close to where I was born, they are high in catechins and theaflavins, plant chemicals which have remarkable antiinflammatory and antioxidant properties, which can help prevent sagging and wrinkles.

Cinnamon is in there too. Research has shown that just half a teaspoon of the spice per day can curb high blood sugar levels in those with Type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes, along with nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Sugar can accelerate skin ageing by a process called glycation and contribute to breakouts of acne for some.

RAINBOW-COLOURED VEG

To keep skin looking young, eat a vibrant, colourful diet with plenty of different coloured fruits and vegetables. Each of those colours is down to a different antioxidant, such as betalan in beetroots, lutein in spinach, anthocyanins in blueberries and bioflavonoids in peaches, which help to target free radical damage from the likes of ultraviolet light pollution. Free radicals are responsible for collagen deformation in our skin – when it begins to sag, is no longer bouncy, and fine lines appear – so colourful veg can help stave that off.

OILY FISH

I aim to eat at least two fillets of oily fish per week. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish like salmon, sardines, trout or mackerel, are critical in maintaining skin moisture levels, reducing inflammation and promoting wound healing. It is one of the most important nutritional changes you can make. I call keeping your omega-3 levels topped up “moisturising from within”. In conditions like rosacea the skin barrier is often compromised and antiinflammatory good fats will help reverse the damage. Protein-rich foods like fish can also help in the production of collagen to support skin healing after acne breakouts, as will vitamin C.

I also recommend moderating refined sugar intake and reducing cow’s milk for a period of time to see if breakouts diminish.

If you don’t eat fish, try omega-3 supplements made from plantbased sources such as ground flaxseeds or chia seeds.

LEMON AND CUCUMBER WATER

I take a bottle with me everywhere and add lemon and cucumber to make it more interesting. When we are dehydrated, skin loses elasticity; drinking enough helps to support blood flow to the skin, which delivers nutrients and removes waste products.

YOGURT

A daily serving of probiotics, such as live yogurt, introduces additional good bacteria to the gut. There is increasing evidence to support a link between the gut microbiome and skin health, primarily by dampening unwanted inflammation, a trigger for premature ageing and lacklustre skin. Some studies have linked drinking milk to acne, with low-fat varieties being worse for triggering breakouts – but we don’t have sufficient evidence that other dairy foods, such as yogurt and cheese, could pose a problem. If you find your skin is prone to flare-ups after consuming it, try eliminating it from your diet and see if that helps.

DARK CHOCOLATE WITH HAZELNUTS

Hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios and cashews are rich in prebiotics, which are the plant fibres the probiotics in our gut need to feed on. They are key for a balanced gut microbiome, and therefore skin. I like to think that some after dinner chocolate with nuts in it is helping the ageing process, too.

Chocolate can also be rich in antioxidants such as catechins, anthocyanidins and proanthocyanidins, but not all are made equal. The good stuff contains cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter and sometimes vanilla and that’s it. Ensure it’s at least 70 per cent cocoa, as higher percentages have greater concentrations of antioxidants.

While people think of sugar (milk or white chocolate has higher levels) as contributing to weight gain, it can also cause the skin to sag, forming molecules in the dermis. When these attach to our collagen fibres, they become stiff, and cause the skin to lose plumpness.

SRI LANKAN DHAL

I love spice, and a curry like dhal, or Sri Lankan parippu, is an easy complete meal in the evenings. It combines red lentils – enriched with fibre, protein and minerals – antioxidants including turmeric and cinnamon and probiotics, thanks to the kefir raita, that I serve on the side. If you add a wholegrain like brown rice, you’ll get a good helping of inositol, which helps to regulate blood sugar in those with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), too.

SAUERKRAUT AND KEFIR

Focus on supporting the gut microbiome with pre and probiotic foods, such as sauerkraut and kefir, to optimise microbe diversity; there is increasing evidence to support the interaction between the gut microbiome and the skin microbiome and the interplay between the two.

Skin Food: Your Four-Step Solution to Healthy, Happy Skin, by Dr Thivi Maruthappu (Piatkus £14.99)

Dr Maruthappu says dark chocolate and nuts can help keep skin healthy