Six Food Strategies to Treat and Prevent Dry Skin

1. First of all: drink plenty of water!

More than 70 percent of our body consists of water – including our skin, which is our largest organ. For our metabolism to function properly, it needs a sufficient supply of liquids – between two to three litres of water a day. Especially dry skin can benefit from this.

2. Fats? Absolutely, but the right ones! 

Unsaturated omega-3 fatty acids in fatty fish such as salmon, as well as in nettle seeds, chia seeds and linseed oil can fill the skin’s lipid reserves from the inside and stabilise its natural protective barrier.

3. Orange-coloured fruits and vegetables

The bright colour of foods such as apricots, sea buckthorn, carrots as well as yellow and red bell peppers indicates their high levels of beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A. As an antioxidant, beta-carotene is effective in the prevention of dry and ageing skin.

4. Fresh food rich in biotin

Biotin, also known as vitamin B7 or simply vitamin H, is considered to be the skin vitamin par excellence. Good sources are egg yolk, oat flakes, salmon and herring, tomatoes and spinach, dairy products, bananas and walnuts. Nuts and seeds in general are also rich in vitamin E, which additionally supports the skin’s lipid layer and ensures better skin hydration.

5. Foods with zinc

Dry and cracked skin that feels tight or itchy can indicate a deficiency of the trace element zinc. Help can be found in rye and wheat sprouts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, hard cheeses, fish and meat, as well as oat flakes and lentils.

6. Foods to avoid

In the case of dry skin, it's better to avoid anything that drains moisture from the body – such as alcohol, caffeine in coffee and tea, and excessive salt. Trans fats in fried and baked foods can constrict the veins and thus hinder blood circulation in the deeper layers of the skin.