If you have acne, you’re far from being alone. It affects up to 85% of people at some point in their lives.
Acne is most common among teenagers but it can affect people of all ages. It isn’t fun at all! When one pimple goes away, others seem to crop up. Acne can have serious negative effects on your self-image and self-esteem.
I’ve experienced acne myself and tried all kinds of remedies. I can tell you first hand, there’s no quick fix!A healthy diet and the following smoothie recipes for clear skin may help you reduce acne, but it isn’t going to happen overnight.
Try one acne-fighting smoothie a day to and give your body the proper time to adapt to your changes.
Why Try Smoothies for Acne?
You are what you eat is very true! Your skin is your biggest organ and yourdiet plays a role in how your skin looks and your body functions. Research shows thatchanging your diet can have a positive effect in reducing acne.
Acne is an inflammatory skin disease. When your body as a whole is inflamed, the inflammation can also show up on your skin. Adding more greens and inflammation-fighting veggies to your diet can be a great way to fight acne.
Especially for those of us who aren’t getting enough fruits and veggies, smoothies can be a game-changer! These colorful companionsare a quick and easy way to make effective dietary changes and start living healthier.
Before I get to my favorite smoothie recipes for acne, let’s first clear up which foods are best for skin-friendly smoothies, as well as which foods to avoid.
Foods to Avoid for Clear Skin
Unfortunately, our modern Western diet is rich in inflammation-causing foods. In order to battle acne and inflammation, we need to know which foods may cause acne.
Sugar
If you’re suffering from acne, it’s best to limit yourself eating foods rich in simple sugars, the most common are:
- white flour (white bread, pasta, and rice)
- sweet beverages (soda, juices)
- candies & chocolate
- sugar, but also sweeteners like agave, honey, or maple syrup
These foods cause your insulin levels to spike. Having too much insulin in your blood may lead to more acne.
Dairy
A few smaller studies show a link between dairy products and skin health. A diet rich in milk products may lead to acne. Try replacing cow’s milk with plant-based alternatives like almond milk. Nut milk tastes great in smoothies and may help you reduce the symptoms. Please make sure to choose the organic version and avoid any added sweeteners.
Junk Food
It’s no surprise that unhealthy fast food may be bad for your skin. This study shows that eating a diet rich in fried foods may increase your risk of developing acne by 43%. It’s not clear if fast food will make symptoms worse, but it may lead to developing acne.
Now that we know which foods are best to avoid, let’s see which foods we should eat more of to get that glowing skin we all deserve.
Best Ingredients for Skin-Clearing Smoothies
Incorporating more healthy foods into your diet is always a good choice. The following foods may help you reduce inflammation and acne. Here are the best ingredients for your skin-clearing smoothies:
Oats
Oats are complex carbs and a great source of fiber. Low-glycemic foods that won’t let your insulin levels spike are a great choice when trying to reduce acne.
Leafy Green Vegetables
Your mom was right when she told you to eat your veggies. Leafy greens like kale, arugula, and Swiss chard are low in calories and high in nutrients. They have been found to reduce chronic inflammation. Inflammation-lowering greens may be exactly what you need if you’re suffering from acne. Be careful with spinach, however. Spinach contains iodine and may cause breakouts for some people. When it comes to leafy greens, the darker the color, the better.
Berries
Don’t let their small size fool you! Just like leafy greens, berries are anti-inflammatory and bursting with nutrients. Because of their high content of antioxidants, berries may help you decrease symptoms. Berries are a delicious snack on their own or simply use them in our acne-fighting smoothie recipes.
Green Tea
Green tea may be effective in treating acne. Just like other acne-fighting foods, it may help you fight inflammation. You can try a green tea mask for acne, or simply add cold green tea to your smoothies. Avoid store-bought green tea, as most products contain added sugar.
These foods can be good for acne. Keep in mind, however, everyone’s different. Under your doctor’s supervision, experiment with your diet and try what works for you.
10 Smoothie Recipes for Acne
Why not give these anti-acne smoothie recipes a try and see if they can make your skin glow from the inside out?
Green Smoothie for Acne
Let’s start with a simple green smoothie for acne. This arugula smoothie recipe is quick to make yet so delicious.
The star of this smoothie isn’t spinach but arugula. Spinach can make acne symptoms worse since it contains iodine. Arugula, on the other hand, is packed with vitamins and minerals that may help you reduce symptoms. Its slightly peppery flavor tastes great in smoothies. It’s a good source of zinc, an essential mineral with anti-inflammatory properties. Zinc can help you relieve skin irritation and may even help reduce the appearance of acne scars.
What You’ll Need:
- 1 cup arugula
- 1 cup pineapple chunks, fresh or frozen
- 2 kiwi
- 1 apple, cut into chunks
- 1 tsp chia seeds
- a few mint leaves
- ½ cup of coconut water
How to Prepare:
Put all ingredients into your blender and blend until smooth and creamy. You can replace the coconut water with plain filtered water if desired. Add some ice cubes for an even more refreshing taste.
Breakfast Smoothie for Clear Skin
Peanut butter can make you more oily. Acne-safer alternatives to peanut butter can include cashew or almond butter. Almonds have high levels of Vitamin E and selenium. These nutrients may protect your cells and skin from damage. It’s best to use natural, organic almond butter for skin-clearing smoothies.
Oats may help you promote healthy skin. They’re not only a good source of zinc, but also rich in complex carbs. Oats can help regulate your blood sugar levels because it’s low on the glycemic index. Foods that won’t spike your insulin levels, like oats, may help you get your acne in check.
Cinnamon is loaded with powerful antioxidants, even outranking other superfoods. It’s considered being anti-inflammatory and may help your body repair tissue damage. Vanilla is a great addition to this breakfast smoothie. Who needs added sugar if you can have vanilla?
What You’ll Need:
- ½ cup rolled oats
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tbsp organic almond butter
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 banana
- a hint of cinnamon
How to Prepare:
Place the oats in the blender first and pulse for a few seconds until finely ground. Add all the other ingredients and blend until creamy and smooth. Enjoy this delicious guilt-free treat!
Best Smoothie for Acne
You might not like the taste of kale, but I urge you to try this smoothie. Kale is one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet. There’s nothing to fear since the tropical fruits make this smoothie quite tasty. The almond milk and avocado give it the nice creamy texture we all crave.
What You’ll Need:
- 1 cup kale or chard, chopped
- ½ avocado
- 1 cup pineapple chunks, frozen
- 1 cup mango chunks, frozen
- 1 kiwi
- 1 banana
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
How to Prepare:
Simply chop up the kale and place everything into your blender. Turn your blender on and blend on the highest setting for 1-2 minutes. Kale is one of the toughest ingredients for any blender. To get a delicious, chunk-free smoothie, you’ll need a high-speed blender. For powerful blenders that won’t break the bank, check out my Vitamix-alternative blenders.
Skin-Clearing Smoothie with Blueberries
Who doesn’t love the combination of almonds and banana? This combo gives this smoothie a nice creamy texture that almost tastes like a dessert.Blueberries are a great addition to any smoothie. They are full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.
This study shows that a diet rich in antioxidants may help with acne. Chia seeds are full of omega-3 fatty acids which may help control acne.
What You’ll Need:
- ½ unsweetened almond milk
- 1 banana
- ½ avocado
- 2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 tbsp organic almond butter
How to Prepare:
Simply place everything into your blender jar and start blending. Blend until everything is well incorporated. Add some ice cubes if you’re using fresh blueberries for a more refreshing taste.
Anti-Acne Smoothie
Pumpkin can be beneficial for your skin. The zinc in pumpkin may help control your hormone levels and oil production. The vitamin A content may help reduce acne scars. It also contains lutein and zeaxanthin, both of which can help keep your skin healthy.
Chia seeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids which are believed to reduce inflammation. One study found that incorporating more omega-3 fats into your diet may help reduce symptoms for people with moderate to severe acne.
What You’ll Need:
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 2 bananas
- 1 tsp chia seeds
- a hint of cinnamon
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 5-6 ice cubes
How to Prepare:
Simply add all ingredients to your blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Enjoy!
Detox Smoothie for Acne
Try to beat inflammation with this detox smoothie for acne. This smoothie recipe combines healthy leafy greens with green tea. Green tea is rich in polyphenols that may improve your oily skin and acne.
In addition to drinking smoothies, why not try a green tea facial spritz?
- Simply prepare some green tea
- Let it cool completely in your fridge
- Fill a spritz bottle with the cold tea
- Spray it gently on your face
- Let it soak in for 15 minutes
- Rinse your face with water
Now let’s get back to what we’re here for, awesome skin-clearing smoothies!
What You’ll Need:
- 2 kiwis
- 1 cup of kale, chopped
- 1 green apple
- 1 banana, sliced and frozen
- 1 cucumber, medium-sized
- juice of ½ lemon, freshly squeezed
- ½-inch ginger root
- 1 cup parsley
- ½ cup green tea, chilled
- 5-6 ice cubes
How to Prepare:
Prepare the green tea and let it cool in the fridge. Add everything to your blender and blend on the highest setting for 1-2 minutes. You’ll need a high-speed blender for best results.
Celery Smoothie for Acne
Everybody seems to go crazy about celery these days! According to medicalmedium.com celery juice is kinda magical and may even help heal acne. According to them, celery’s juice may help destroy bacteria and prevent it from becoming acne.
While I don’t know if celery is the magic ingredient we’ve all been waiting for, I do drink fresh celery juice every morning and it does serve me well. This celery smoothie for acne is definitely worth a try!
For an extra boost of antioxidants add ½ tsp of matcha powder. Because of the high content of polyphenols, matcha might be even more efficient in treating acne than green tea.
What You’ll Need:
- 2 stalks of celery, chopped
- 1 green apple, cored and cut into chunks
- juice of a lime, freshly squeezed
- 2 bananas
- 1 cup mango, frozen
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tbsp flaxseeds
- ½ tsp matcha powder (optional)
How to Prepare:
Cut the celery into smaller chunks. Core the apple, cut it into chunks. Squeeze the lime and put everything into your blender. Blend until smooth and enjoy!
These were my favorite smoothie recipes for acne. Eating healthier is always a good choice and can be beneficial for your skin. When it comes to acne, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Try different foods and see how your body reacts to it. With time you’ll be able to beat that nasty acne once and for all. If you have any smoothie recipes or questions you’d like to share, I’ll be happy to hear from you in the comments section below. Always remember to stay vibrant, happy, and healthy!
