It doesn’t matter how much you spend on expensive skin care lotions and make up, if you don’t have a healthy, balanced diet then your skin will never look its best. Diets that are too rich in saturated fats and sugar can cause tired, lifeless looking skin prone to spots and blemishes, so if you do care about how your skin looks, then swapping your afternoon tea and biscuits with some fresh fruit and unsweetened low fat yogurt can be just what you need to restore a healthy, glowing complexion. There are many vitamins and minerals vital to healthy skin, and most of these can be found from eating a balanced diet that includes a good range of fresh fruits and vegetables, proteins, essential fatty acids and fibre. Overloading the body with rich, heavy foods can make the skin to look blotchy and can also cause other health problems, so make sure you keep processed meats, ready made meals and fried snacks and sweets to a minimum. Vitamin A This is one of the essential vitamins for healthy skin, as it supports skin strength and cell repair and can also help to prevent wrinkles and acne. Vitamin A can be found in foods like eggs, whole milk, liver, spinach and carrots, and is also present in many whole grain breakfast cereals which are also good sources of fibre. It is not advised that you take vitamin A supplements as it can build up in your body, and can actually be harmful in larger amounts, but you can use topical creams safely if you have conditions such as acne. Vitamin E This well known antioxidant that can help boost protection against free radicals that can cause ageing, and can be found in many nuts and seeds such as almonds, sunflower seeds and hazelnuts, as well as spinach, broccoli and mangos. Vitamin B This vitamin is essential for healthy skin tone and can also help to prevent skin conditions such as eczema that are brought on by stress. There are a number of different types of vitamin B, and each have a beneficial effect on the skin. Vitamin B1 for example helps the skin to flush out toxins more efficiently and can improve circulation. You can find vitamin B in whole grains such as whole wheat, wheat germ, bran and oatmeal and also dairy products, fish, offal and eggs. Vitamin C Vitamin C helps the skin to rejuvenate and heal wounds, and is also beneficial to the immune system and is one of the essential vitamins for overall health. You can find vitamin C in a whole range of fruits and vegetables including oranges, lemons, grapefruits, lettuce, spinach, green peppers and tomatoes, and it is also present in high concentration in fresh chilies.