Dermatologists may have every treatment and serum within reach, but the ones with that enviable glow often credit something far simpler: food. Good skincare can’t outwork poor nutrition. From gut health to hydration, we asked leading dermatologists to share the foods and habits that keep their skin balanced, their energy steady and their collagen thriving.
“Your skin is nothing but a diagnostic tool for everything that’s happening inside”
For Dr Rashmi Shetty, celebrity dermatologist, author and international speaker, healthy skin begins in the gut. “Your gut is your whole body’s feeding pot, and everything starts from here, so keeping it calm and well-fed is key,” she says. Her advice is simple: remove what doesn’t serve you.
That means no unnecessary sweets, snacks, ice cream or dairy. “If you look at my fridge, there’s no butter at all,” she reveals. Instead, it’s stocked with berries, nuts, cucumbers and baby carrots for when she needs to munch. Her three main meals are balanced between vegetables, protein (usually fish or eggs), and carbs—always rice, “since I’m South Indian.”
“I have rice at both meals, even breakfast,” she says. For cravings, she allows herself a spoonful of whatever she loves. “That’s usually enough to make me happy.”
“I’ve become very mindful about sugar, because I’ve seen firsthand how glycation damages collagen and accelerates wrinkles“
Dr Jaishree Sharad, medical director of Skinfinitii Aesthetic & Laser Clinic, sees daily proof that what you eat shows up on your face. “Premature ageing, inflammation, dullness, slow healing–it all starts from within,” she says.
Dr Sharad avoids processed foods and refined carbs and relies on vitamin C–rich fruits for bright, even skin. Breakfast is soaked chia seeds, nuts, and seeds in almond milk. A vegan protein shake mid-morning keeps collagen synthesis on track. Lunch is starch-free rice, seasonal vegetables, lentils or sprouts, and homemade hung curd. Dinner is light, usually soup or salad with berries to end the day on an antioxidant-rich note.
Her kitchen staples for optimal skin health include berries, soaked almonds, chia seeds, curd and spinach. She has homemade ghee and curd every day to support her microbiome. Even rice stays on the menu, in moderation. Two tablespoons of starch-free rice give me steady energy without spiking insulin.
“I naturally hit 2.5 litres of water daily, hydration is half the skincare battle won“
AIIMS-trained dermatologist Dr Geetika Srivastava, founder of Influennz Skin and Hair Clinic, believes glowing skin comes from clean eating, not costly treatments. “I’ve seen patients who avoid junk, drink enough water, and cut down sugar, and their skin literally glows. They age more slowly and need fewer procedures,” she says.
She’s cut salt, sugar, refined flour and milk from her diet. Her day starts before sunrise with methi seed, chia seed and saffron water. Supplements like omega-3, calcium, evening primrose oil, and spirulina round out her morning. Pre-workout, she snacks on soaked almonds, walnuts, figs and seeds. Lunch is lauki-besan chilla or vegetable-loaded poha. At tea time, she allows herself one teaspoon of sugar—her only indulgence.
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