Clients often ask which serum will give them glowing skin, and the honest answer is that no serum works as hard on its own as it does alongside a decent diet. Skin cells are constantly renewing, and that renewal process relies on a steady supply of the right nutrients. When your diet is lacking, it tends to show up here first, in texture, tone and how well skin holds moisture.

Eat well consistently over weeks rather than days and you get better texture, stronger barrier function and a brighter tone, all without adding another step to your routine.

None of this replaces good skincare or in-clinic treatment. It just means everything else you do works better. Here are the seven foods I come back to most often with clients, and a recipe at the end that brings several of them together in one bowl.

1. Oily fish

Salmon, mackerel, sardines and anchovies are the richest source of omega 3 fatty acids, which sit in the membrane of every skin cell and help hold moisture in. Omega 3 is also anti-inflammatory, which matters if you have acne, eczema or psoriasis, all of which are inflammatory conditions at their root, and can be worth including alongside management of rosacea too.

Aim for two portions a week. Tinned sardines on sourdough is a perfectly good way to get there.

2. Avocado

Avocados give you healthy monounsaturated fats plus vitamin E, one of the main antioxidants that protects skin cell membranes from free radical damage. They also contain lutein and zeaxanthin, carotenoids that help skin cope with light exposure.

3. Sweet potato

Bright orange vegetables are loaded with beta carotene, which the body converts into vitamin A. Vitamin A is the same family as retinol, the ingredient I recommend more than any other for cell turnover and fine lines, and getting it through diet as well as topically supports skin renewal from the inside.

4. Berries

Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries are some of the highest antioxidant foods available, particularly in flavonoids and vitamin C. Both help neutralise the free radicals produced by UV exposure, pollution, stress and alcohol.

Frozen berries are just as good as fresh and often better value, since they are picked and frozen at peak ripeness. A handful in porridge or a smoothie is an easy daily habit.

5. Pumpkin seeds

Zinc is the mineral I flag most often for clients with acne. It helps regulate oil production, supports wound healing and calms inflammation, and it is worth checking your intake is adequate if breakouts are a persistent issue. Pumpkin seeds are one of the best plant sources for this.

6. Leafy greens

Spinach, kale, watercress and rocket bring vitamin C, folate, iron and vitamin K to the table. Vitamin C is non-negotiable for collagen production, since your body physically cannot build collagen without it, and vitamin K supports healthy circulation.

7. Tomatoes

Cooked tomatoes are rich in lycopene, a carotenoid that has been shown to give skin a small amount of natural protection against UV damage. Cooking increases the lycopene that is available to your body, so tinned tomatoes, passata and a slow-cooked sauce are all better than raw.

To be very clear, this is not a replacement for SPF. Nothing you eat is. Think of it as a small extra layer underneath your sunscreen rather than instead of it.

Recipe: Skin Glow Salmon and Sweet Potato Bowl

This brings together five of the seven in one meal. It takes about 35 minutes, most of which is hands-off oven time, and the leftovers are just as good cold the next day.

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 salmon fillets
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 2cm cubes
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 large handfuls of kale, stems removed and torn
• 1 ripe avocado, sliced
• 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
• 1 lemon
• Small handful of fresh parsley or coriander, chopped
• Sea salt and black pepper

For the dressing:

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
• 1 tsp honey or maple syrup

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200C fan. Toss the sweet potato cubes with 1 tbsp of the olive oil, the smoked paprika and a good pinch of salt, then spread out on a baking tray. Roast for 15 minutes.
2. Push the sweet potato to one side of the tray. Add the salmon fillets, drizzle with the remaining olive oil, season and squeeze over half the lemon. Return to the oven for 12 to 14 minutes until the salmon flakes easily.
3. While that cooks, put the kale in a bowl with a little olive oil and a pinch of salt and massage it with your hands for a minute. This softens the leaves and makes them far more pleasant to eat raw.
4. Toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry pan over a medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes until they start to pop. Keep them moving so they do not catch.
5. Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a jug or shake them in a jar.
6. Build the bowls with kale at the bottom, then the roasted sweet potato, the salmon flaked into large pieces, and the avocado on top.
7. Scatter over the pumpkin seeds and herbs, pour on the dressing and finish with a squeeze of the remaining lemon.

Give it a few weeks

Skin cells take roughly 28 days to renew, so you will not see a difference after one good dinner. Give any dietary change six to eight weeks before you judge it, and be consistent rather than perfect.

If you are eating well and your skin still is not behaving, that is usually the point where something clinical is going on underneath. Persistent acne, rosacea, eczema and pigmentation all respond far better to proper assessment than to guesswork. We run dermatology and skincare consultations at our clinics in Beckenham, Orpington and Sevenoaks, and can look at what is happening in the skin alongside what is happening on your plate.

Book a consultation here, or take our skin quiz to find your starting point.