Fruit, Vegetables and Skin
Does eating more fruit and vegetables improve your skin?
They change skin colour; other benefits are associations
Partly. In a six-week trial a carotenoid-rich fruit smoothie made skin more yellow and slightly redder, which is a visible colour change. Surveys link vitamin C intake to fewer wrinkles, but those are associations, and a Mediterranean-diet study found no link with acne.
Colour
Carotenoids, the pigments in many fruit and vegetables, build up in skin. In a trial of 81 university students, daily carotenoid-rich smoothie drinkers had more skin yellowness and redness after four weeks than the water group. A survey of 91 young women found higher fruit and vegetable intake went with a more yellow skin tone. This is a colour change, not a measure of skin health.
Ageing and dryness
A US survey of 4,025 women aged 40 to 74 linked higher vitamin C intake to lower odds of a wrinkled appearance and of dry skin in older age. It relied on one day of recalled food and cannot show cause.
Acne
A case-control study of university students found that how closely people followed a Mediterranean diet was not linked to having acne or to its severity. Evidence on plant-rich eating and acne is limited.
More of
- A mix of colourful vegetables and fruit
- Beans, lentils and wholegrains
What trials found about supplements
This reports study results only. It does not suggest taking anything or an amount, because the right choice depends on you. Talk to a doctor or pharmacist first, especially if you are pregnant or take other medicines.
Beta-carotene
Some evidenceIn the Australian sunscreen trial, beta-carotene supplements had no overall effect on skin ageing, although the authors said further study was needed to rule out benefit or harm. Eating carotenoid-rich foods is a separate question.
Questions people ask
A systematic review of supplements found the greatest evidence of photoprotection for polyphenols, carotenoids and Polypodium leucotomos supplements, limited by small and short studies. None of it replaces sunscreen.
Research
Selected studies and reviews on fruit, vegetables and skin. Each link opens the abstract on PubMed. This is background reading, not a substitute for advice from a dermatologist.
- Daily Consumption of a Fruit and Vegetable Smoothie Alters Facial Skin Color.Tan KW et al. PLoS One, 2015 · PMID 26186449Note: 6-week randomised trial, 81 students.
- Fruit, Vegetable and Dietary Carotenoid Intakes Explain Variation in Skin-Color in Young Caucasian Women: A Cross-Sectional Study.Pezdirc K et al. Nutrients, 2015 · PMID 26184306Note: Cross-sectional study, 91 women.
- Dietary nutrient intakes and skin-aging appearance among middle-aged American women.Cosgrove MC et al. Am J Clin Nutr, 2007 · PMID 17921406Note: Cross-sectional survey, 4,025 women.
- Acne Vulgaris and adherence to the mediterranean diet among university students: a case‒control study.Taha S, Shakhshir M, Zyoud SH J Health Popul Nutr, 2024 · PMID 38481345Note: Case-control study in university students.
- Sunscreen and prevention of skin aging: a randomized trial.Hughes MC et al. Ann Intern Med, 2013 · PMID 23732711Note: 4.5-year randomised trial.
- Oral Supplements and Photoprotection: A Systematic Review.Natarelli N et al. J Med Food, 2025 · PMID 39804624Note: Systematic review of oral supplements and photoprotection.
General information, not dietary or medical advice. These guides describe what studies found and how strong the evidence is. Talk to a doctor or dietitian if you have a condition, are pregnant or are changing your diet or supplements.