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Face fats
As shocking as it may sound, some fats are not only good for you, but they are essential every single day. Good fats give you a rosy glow and a well-hydrated complexion. Cutting them out of your diet can cause all sorts of skin problems, like dry, flaky skin, eczema, psoriasis and acne. A deficiency of good fats can result in dry, brittle nails and dull hair too.
All the different types of fat play a huge role in regulating your hormone levels and increasing or decreasing inflammation in your body, so choosing to eat the good fats and avoid the bad ones is a key factor in acne control. Remember that a major trigger for acne is your skin's over-production of sebum (oil), caused by high or imbalanced hormone levels in your body. Good fats can actually prevent the build-up of too much oil in your pores and, as a result, help prevent acne outbreaks. Some of the healthy fats, like omega-3s, also have powerful antiinflammatory properties that help troubled skin.
Face-friendly fats
- Olive oil - extra virgin, cold-pressed
- Flaxseed oil - organic, cold-pressed
- Walnut oil - cold-pressed
- Pumpkin seed oil - cold-pressed
- Coconut oil - virgin, cold-pressed
- Avocado oil - cold-pressed
- Macadamia nut oil - cold-pressed
Olive oil
Include plenty of extra virgin olive oil in your diet for good health and great skin. It's rich in heaps of different vitamins and fabulous phytos, and is a big reason why people living in the Mediterranean region (such as Spain, Greece and Italy) are super healthy and live for so long. Even though you're years away from your first wrinkle, research has found that people who eat lots of olive oil get fewer wrinkles. What on earth is 'extra virgin'? That means the oil comes from the olives' first pressing, so it contains more of these fabulous phytos. 'Cold-pressed' is also important, as heat processing generally means that you lose out on some of the beneficial vitamins and phytos.
Flaxseed oil
Flaxseed oil contains all the important types of fats for gorgeous skin and great health. It's highly anti-inflammatory (great news for acne sufferers), plus it helps keep your skin moisturised from within. Flaxseed oil is super sensitive to heat, though, so it can't be used in cooking. The taste of flaxseed oil takes a bit of getting used to, and it's certainly not everyone's favourite! So if you can't stand it straight from the spoon, disguise it in a smoothie or use it in salad dressings, adding some lemon juice, fresh herbs and balsamic vinegar to mask its taste.
Coconut oil
When you think of coconut oil, you probably think of summer and all those yummy-smelling coconut body lotions. But it doesn't just smell nice, coconut oil gets the thumbs up for great health and good skin. It's actually a saturated fat and for years it was wrongly accused of bumping up cholesterol levels and clogging arteries. But it turns out that not all saturated fats are the same. Coconut oil contains a healthy type of saturated fat called medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs), and one in particular called lauric acid. Lauric acid has anti-viral and anti-microbial properties, so it helps protect your body against viruses and other unwanted visitors. Another bonus is that coconut oil is burned quickly for energy rather than stored as fat, and it may actually boost your metabolism. On top of that, coconut oil is very heat-stable. This means it doesn't break down and create problemcausing free radicals during high-heat cooking like some other vegetable oils. Just make sure to choose an unrefined (virgin) coconut oil.
Avocado oil
Avocado oil is packed with super healthy monounsaturated fats, vitamins (including vitamin E, vitamin C and folic acid), antioxidants and phytos. It's an excellent salad and cooking oil, and a great alternative to olive oil. Avocado oil also makes a yummy green dressing mixed with lemon juice, herbs and vinegar.
Macadamia nut oil
Macadamia nut oil is the richest of all the oils in the healthy anti-inflammatory monounsaturated fats. It also has a great nutty flavour and makes delicious dressings and dips, and it's especially good for sautéing and stir-frying.