Are you sick of seeing dull, ageing skin looking back at you in the mirror? You may immediately grab for that expensive jar of anti-ageing cream in hopes that you can regain your skin's youthful glow.
And you're not alone. People all over the world feel self-conscious about their wrinkles. In fact, the global anti-ageing market is expected to be worth over $331 billion (almost 258 billion pounds) by 2021.
If you want to get serious about giving your skin a healthy glow, anti-ageing cream may not be enough. Instead, you should consider adding treatments, such as Botox and dermal fillers, and make sure you're eating enough natural age-fighting foods.
Smoothies are one of the best ways to pack tons of these healthy ingredients into one delicious snack. Keep reading to discover 7 smoothie recipes that can help give your skin a younger and healthier glow.
1. Green Smoothie
You've probably heard about the amazing benefits of green smoothies before, whether you read about it in a magazine or your friend filled you in. There are numerous ways you can make a green smoothie, but let's take a look at just one example:
- 1 cucumber
- 2 kale leaves with the stems removed
- 3 celery ribs
- 1 pear
- 125ml pineapple juice
- 3 ice cubes
- Juice from 1 lime
Just cut the larger ingredients into chunks (don't forget to core the pear first) and blend together. You can add more ice cubes or pineapple juice if you prefer a thinner consistency.
The cucumber has tons of antioxidants that can prevent wrinkles while kale is rich in vitamins A, C, and E which promote new cell growth. Plus, the cucumber, celery, and ice cubes contain plenty of water to help keep your skin hydrated and prevent wrinkles.
2. Purple Smoothie
Most green smoothies use kale or spinach to get that vibrant colour. A fun twist on the classic green smoothie is to use cabbage instead of leafy greens to get a beautiful purple smoothie. Let's take a look at the ingredients below:
- 35 grams grated red cabbage
- 1 banana
- 75 grams blueberries
- 370ml almond milk
- 5ml chia seeds
- 3 ice cubes
Cabbage contains vitamin C which can boost collagen production to leave you with younger looking skin. Both cabbage and blueberries are antioxidants and high in fibre. This means they aid in removing skin-harming toxins from your body.
3. Blueberry Lavender Smoothie
While it sounds like a fancy spa treatment, you can make blueberry lavender smoothies at home and enjoy all the benefits. Let's take a closer look:
- 150 grams of blueberries
- 1/2 banana
- 1/2 avocado
- 15ml chopped culinary lavender
- 5ml of vanilla extract
- 3 grams of red swiss chard
- 250ml of unsweetened coconut milk
- 3 ice cubes
Blueberries are great antioxidants to help rid your body of toxins affecting your skin. Red swiss chard is fairly similar to kale in that it's also high in vitamins A, C, and E which promotes the growth of new cells. Additionally, avocado also helps prevent wrinkles.
4. Apple Pie Smoothie
If you have a real sweet tooth, you can't miss this apple pie smoothie. Below, we'll list the ingredients that make this such a healthy and delicious treat:
- 1 Granny Smith apple, cored and cubed
- 1 12-ounce pack of tofu
- 30 grams spinach
- 2ml vanilla extract
- 15ml maple syrup
- A pinch of ground cinnamon
- A pinch of cardamom
The spinach in this smoothie is packed with vitamin C which aids collagen production to help fight wrinkles. But the real surprise ingredient here is tofu. Not only does the texture help give you a thick and creamy smoothie, but it's full of protein and helps with skin elasticity.
5. Cherry Smoothie
Who says strawberries and blueberries make up the only good fruit smoothies? If you're looking for something a little more unique that still contains a ton of anti-ageing properties, take a look at this recipe:
- 225 grams pitted cherries
- 1/2 banana
- 125ml plain yoghurt
- 15ml almond butter
- 30ml milk
- 15ml chia seeds
- 3 ice cubes
The main ingredient, cherry, contains the collagen-producing vitamin C and vitamin A which promotes cell growth. Apigenin is also present in cherries, which may help fight against skin cancer. The omega-3s in chia seeds can help give your skin a healthier glow.
6. Mango Ginger Turmeric Smoothie
Are you in the mood for something exotic? This smoothie may just be your new best friend. Let's take a look at what you need to make it:
- 1/2 small mango, cubed
- 60ml nonfat plain Greek yoghurt
- Honey to taste
- 20 grams oats
- A pinch of ground ginger
- A pinch of ground turmeric
- 180ml milk
- 3 ice cubes
Mangos have plenty of carotenoids that contribute to glowing skin plus that amazing collagen-producing vitamin C. The oats are full of fibre which can help remove those pesky toxins, and ginger acts as an anti-inflammatory, leaving you with younger looking skin.
7. Healthy Strawberry Smoothie
Of course, not every healthy smoothie has to seem super unique. If you want to keep things simple, check out this healthy strawberry smoothie:
- 152 grams strawberries, halved
- 1/2 banana
- 1 kale leaf
- 1 small roasted beet
- 15ml almond butter
- 5ml vanilla extract
- 7ml hemp hearts (optional)
- 3 ice cubes
Although beets and kale may not seem like they belong in a classic strawberry smoothie, they provide tons of benefits and you can't even taste them! The main flavours are strawberry and banana.
But those beets have folate, a B vitamin that can promote cell repair to fight signs of damage in ageing skin. Kale is packed with vitamins A, C, and E to help your skin produce more cells, and strawberries have plenty of fibre to remove unwanted toxins from your body.
Although the hemp hearts are optional, they calm red, flaky skin, making them a must for anyone suffering from skin redness.
Get a Healthy Glow by Drinking Smoothies
As you've seen, smoothies are more than just a fruity and delicious snack. You can enjoy youthful skin and a healthy glow by following any of these recipes.