Dermatologists may have all the treatments and serums at their fingertips, but those with that enviable glow often credit something much simpler: food. Good skin care cannot overcome poor nutrition. From gut health to hydration, we asked top dermatologists to share the foods and habits that keep skin balanced, energy stable, and collagen thriving.
“Your skin is nothing more than a diagnostic tool for everything that happens inside you”
For Dr. Rashmi Shetty, famous dermatologist, author and international speaker, healthy skin starts in the gut. “Your gut is the feeding vessel for your entire body, and it all starts from here, so keeping it calm and well-fed is key,” she says. His advice is simple: eliminate what doesn’t serve you.
That means no unnecessary sweets, snacks, ice cream or dairy. “If you look in my refrigerator, there is no butter at all,” he reveals. Instead, it’s packed with berries, nuts, cucumbers, and baby carrots for when you need to munch. Her three main meals are balanced between vegetables, proteins (usually fish or eggs) and carbohydrates, always rice, “since I’m from South India.”
“I eat rice with both meals, even breakfast,” he says. For cravings, he allows himself a spoonful of what he likes. “That’s usually enough to make me happy.”
“I have become very sugar conscious because I have seen firsthand how glycation damages collagen and accelerates wrinkles.“
Dr. Jaishree Sharad, medical director at Skinfinitii Aesthetic & Laser Clinic, sees daily evidence that what you eat reflects on your face. “Premature aging, inflammation, dullness, slow healing – it all starts from within,” he says.
Dr. Sharad avoids processed foods and refined carbohydrates and relies on fruits rich in vitamin C to achieve glowing and even skin. Breakfast consists of chia seeds, walnuts and seeds soaked in almond milk. A mid-morning vegan protein shake keeps collagen synthesis going. Lunch consists of non-starchy rice, seasonal vegetables, lentils or sprouts and homemade curd. Dinner is light, usually soup or salad with red fruits to end the day on a note rich in antioxidants.
Her kitchen staples for optimal skin health include berries, soaked almonds, chia seeds, curd, and spinach. She eats homemade ghee and curd every day to support her microbiome. Even rice remains on the menu, in moderation. Two tablespoons of non-starchy rice give me constant energy without spiking insulin.
“I naturally drink 2.5 liters of water a day, hydration is half the battle won in skin care.“
Dr Geetika Srivastava, AIIMS trained dermatologist and founder of Influennz Skin and Hair Clinic, believes that glowing skin comes from healthy eating, not expensive treatments. “I’ve seen patients who avoid junk food, drink enough water and cut down on sugar, and their skin literally glows. They age more slowly and need fewer procedures,” he says.
He has eliminated salt, sugar, refined flour and milk from his diet. Your day begins before dawn with methi seeds, chia seeds and saffron water. Supplements like omega-3, calcium, evening primrose oil, and spirulina round out your morning. Before training, eat soaked almonds, walnuts, figs and seeds. Lunch is chilla lauki-besan or vegetable-laden poha. At tea time, he allows himself a teaspoon of sugar, his only indulgence.
