3 Dessert Smoothies for Beautiful Skin

There are many reasons to love your skin. As our largest organ, the skin helps regulate body temperature, absorbs nutrients (such as vitamin D and magnesium), and facilitates physical sensation to help us navigate environments.

The skin can also let us know when we’re deficient in specific nutrients. While you can certainly address skin issues like dryness or acne with topical solutions, long-term skin health depends on making sure you’re eating foods rich in glow-inducing nourishment.

[Read: “5 Beautiful Ways to Use Pumpkin for Skin.”]

Beautiful skin starts from the inside—if your skin needs some love, chances are your internal systems could use a boost too.

Vitamin-Rich Dessert Smoothies for Skin

Smoothies are a great way to pack in the vitamins. They’re delicious, versatile, and offer a way to consume foods you may not find very palatable on their own. (In my case, this is definitely a reference to kale!)

Most smoothie recipes call for wide varieties of fruits and veggies in large amounts, meaning you’re getting a ton of nourishment as part of a light meal or hearty snack.

Here are a few favorites, each centered around a specific nutrient essential to glowing, healthy skin.

1. Vitamin A: Sweet Potato Pie

What this smoothie does for the skin: If you have dry, itchy skin and are prone to breakouts, vitamin A is your best friend. This incredible nutrient helps hydrate your skin and prevent the infections that cause breakouts in the first place.

Fortunately, since vitamin A is an essential nutrient, it’s contained in many delicious foods, such as dark orange fruits and veggies and dark leafy greens. Here, the rich sweetness of steamed sweet potatoes combines with baby kale to create a nourishing treat that tastes like sweet potato pie!

To make this smoothie, you’ll need:

• ½ c sweet potato (steamed and cooled)
• 2 c baby kale (stemmed and chopped)
• 1 frozen banana
• 1 c ice
• ¾ c oat milk
• 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 2 tbsp pecan butter (or nut/seed butter of your choice)
• Pinch cinnamon

Steps:

1. Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender.
2. Blend until velvety smooth. The color will be dark green; it won’t taste like kale, I promise!

2. Vitamin C: Berry-Mango Tango

What this smoothie does for the skin: In addition to being an immune-boosting powerhouse, vitamin C supports collagen production. Collagen helps skin stay elastic and minimize wrinkles. It’s also essential to helping the body heal itself, including soothing away scarring and uneven skin tone.

Since our bodies don’t produce vitamin C on their own, we have to consume it to reap the benefits. If you love berries, tropical flavors, and creamy desserts, you’ll love this recipe.

To make it, you’ll need:

• ¼ c mango (cubed and frozen)
• ¼ c pineapple (cubed and frozen)
• ¼ c blueberries
• ¼ c strawberries
• 1 c coconut milk (the ultra-thick kind from a can)
• 1 c ice
  

Steps:

1. Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender.
2. Blend until smooth and creamy. If you have some leftover, this recipe freezes beautifully. Put it in an ice cube tray, and blend with frozen bananas to make decadent vegan soft serve!

Vitamin E: Devil’s Food Smoothie for Skin

What this smoothie does for the skin: If your skin is dry and prone to fine lines, vitamin E may be just what you need. Well-known for its moisturizing, healing, and anti-inflammatory properties, vitamin E can make your skin look smoother and fuller while protecting against future damage. As a bonus, it can also give you stronger, healthier hair and nails!

Since vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin, many foods rich in it also contain a lot of healthy fats. For this reason, this recipe is especially indulgent, blending avocados and nut butters with dark cocoa powder to create a truly hunger-busting treat.

For this smoothie, you’ll need:

• 1 medium avocado
• 2-3 tbsp sunflower seed butter
• 2 cups baby spinach
• ¼ c dark cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1 c hazelnut milk (or plant milk of your choice)
• 1 c ice
• 1 tbsp cocoa nibs or dark chocolate chips (optional)

Steps:

1. Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender.
2. Blend until completely smooth. Take your time, as the spinach may take a minute or two to blend completely.
3. Top with cocoa nibs or chocolate chips, if desired.

Balancing Your Nutrition

Whether you’re making one of these recipes or creating your own, remember that your body needs a variety of nutrients to function at its peak. Enjoy the above smoothies in a rotation, or use them as inspiration to build your own smoothie recipes with a balance of all three nutrients!

Add another vitamin: Discover how more vitamin D can boost your immunity in winter.