Packed with beauty vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients these two smoothies help support your body's natural collagen production to firm and smooth skin and keep skin looking plump, youthful and glowy. Better yet, these delicious beauty boosters will also support your overall wellness, immunity and energy levels too.

From the age of 25 you lose between 1-2% of your collagen each year. As your collagen begins to deplete, you'll slowly begin to see the emergence of fine lines and other signs of ageing. Incorporating collagen-boosting foods in your diet can help support collagen production and keep your skin looking plump, smooth and youthful for longer.

In addition, Advanced Glycation End products (AGEs) may attach to collagen and elastin proteins, accelerating the visible signs of ageing. AGEs are in many of the foods we eat and can even be increased by how we chose to cook our foods, making it even more important to choose beauty boosting, rather than age-accelerating foods. If you have a diet high in AGEs (lot's of sugary, fried or BBQ foods) you'll start to see visible evidence of this from around the age of 35.

Don't despair! There is much you do to both rejuvenate skin that is starting to show early signs of ageing and prolong youthful glowy skin. We've developed a smoothie, rich in beauty boosting minerals and phytonutrients to support collagen production naturally and protect skin from destructive AGEs.

RASPBERRIES - Raspberries are high in beauty protecting, ellagic acid. This acid helps to protect collagen from being destroyed and a 2010 study found that ellagic acid from berries can help alleviate wrinkles and inflammation caused from UV exposure. 

They are also high in both beauty fortifying, vitamin C, and anti-ageing anthocyanins. These two powerful compounds help to support collagen production and keep skin looking plump, smooth and youthful.

STRAWBERRIES - Strawberries contain more vitamin C than oranges and pack a powerful anti-ageing punch. Strawberries are also packed with collagen-protecting antioxidants. These powerful chemicals battle free radical molecules that cause oxidative cell damage and premature ageing of the skin.

PINEAPPLE - Pineapples contain anti-ageing vitamins A, C and E and a powerful beauty boosting compound known as bromelain which is a powerful anti-inflammatory. Pineapples are also loaded with antioxidants and alpha-hydroxy acids, which fight skin-damaging free radicals.

SPINACH - Spinach is rich in vitamin K, a powerhouse nutrient when it comes to reducing dark circles. It also contains beta-carotene and zeaxanthinm a naturally occuring antioxidant, which helps to protect skin and even out skin tone. Finally zinc helps to support your body's natural collagen production.

BANANA - Bananas are high in vitamin B6 which helps to protect skin against damage caused by AGE products. They are also high in potassium to help keep skin moisturised and fine lines at bay.

FLAXSEEDS - Flaxseeds also help to protect skin against the ageing effects of AGE products to keep skin youthful and dewy. These seeds also help to alleviate inflammatory skin issues and improving overall hydration of your skin cells. They are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which erase spots and iron out fine lines. A study in the British Journal of Nutrition found participants who consumed about half a teaspoon of omega-3s in 6 weeks experienced significantly less irritation and redness (thanks to their anti-inflammatory properties), along with better-hydrated skin.

Leading dermatologists acknowledge that eating a diet rich in beauty foods can help take years of a person's face. We've done the research to uncover some of the most powerful beauty foods for reversing the visible signs of ageing to build collagen, firm and tighten skin and smooth fine lines. 

Our restorative smoothie is a quick and easy daily beauty boosting drink that will help keep your skin moisturised to smooth fine lines and build collagne for a tighter complexion.

A clinical study with over 3500 women found that the consumption of plant-based antioxidants led to more hydrated skin. A 2016 study with individuals aged between 40 and 65 found tighter skin in individuals who had a higher intake of fruits and vegetables. And a  2017 study found that particular plant based antioxidants can help lessen wrinkle depth and smooth fine lines by supporting both collagen production and aiding in skin repair.

This smoothie incorporates our beauty-boosting heros spinach and flaxseed (from above) alongside avocados which are high in healthy fats. Getting enough of these fats is essential to help keep skin elastic and moisturized. One study involving over 700 women found that a high intake of total fat — specifically the types of healthy fats found in avocados — was associated with more supple, springy skin. 

Restorative Smoothie Recipe

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 large frozen banana (sliced)

1/2 ripe avocado

1 large handful of spinach

3/4 cup almond milk

1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds

1/2 tablespoon Vegan Collagen (optional but recommended - adding this more than doubles the vitamin C content and provides essential collagen-building beauty nutrients)

Method

Add ingredients to a blender and mix well until creamy. Add more banana to increase thickness or more milk to make thinner according to personal preference.