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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. Dinner is early, around 6 pm and includes protein (chicken or paneer), rice and salad. She skips trendy superfoods like quinoa or avocado, preferring simpler staples. “White rice gives me clean energy and is gentle on the gut,” she says. Once a week, she resets with a fruit-and-liquid day to support digestion. Omega-3, calcium, evening primrose oil, and spirulina supplements complete her inside-out beauty arsenal, though her stance on collagen supplements is firm. “Most are sugary and superficial. I’d rather nourish my body to produce collagen naturally,” she says. “What you eat today is literally building the skin you'll have a month from now” For years, Dr Madhuri Agarwal, founder and medical director of Yavana Skin & Hair Clinic, focused only on topical treatments. Retinoids, peptides, sunscreens—she was convinced that this is how the magic happens. “Then something changed around my mid-30s. I often saw that, despite following a good routine, the skin still lacked the health and resilience it should have. I also realised that when I started looking at what we eat, patterns emerged that I couldn't dismiss. Nutrition became my foundation for good skin after that. The treatment and products are now akin to paint on a house.” Her daily staples are walnuts, cottage cheese, leafy greens, pomegranate, pulses, brown rice, jowar, bell peppers and citrus fruits. “Walnuts are my omega-3 source since I don’t eat fish. Most Indians are deficient, and it shows as dry or inflamed skin,” she says. She relies on fermented foods like homemade curd or buttermilk and good fats like ghee and nuts. “Cooking tomatoes in a bit of fat releases lycopene, which offers some internal sun protection. It won't replace sunscreen, but it's an additional defence. So, I eat fresh tomato-based curries regularly,” she says. Swapping white rice for low-glycaemic grains was another turning point. “I stopped feeling sluggish, and my skin became clearer and more even-toned.” "I don't do substitutes of yummy foods to make myself feel better" Dr Kiran Sethi, MD and author of Skin Sense, avoids ultra-processed foods altogether. “Artificial flavours and sweeteners have destroyed daily food habits, and have increased metabolic disease, food cravings, obesity and diabetes, and then they blame us for not having self-control. It's so wrong,” she says. Her only packaged indulgences are cookies, dark chocolate or popcorn—one per week. She avoids “healthy” substitutes of comfort foods, which she believes can be chock-full of preservatives and chemicals that aren't doing your skin any favours. Her daily plate is built around protein, fruits and vegetables. Breakfast is eggs with vegetables or avocado. Lunch is salmon or grilled chicken with mixed vegetables. Post-lunch, she has a vegan protein shake with creatine and collagen. Dinner is chicken curry with red rice and vegetables. Fruit or an all-vegetable juice is a daily staple. "I eat lots of protein. People underestimate how important it actually is," she says. "I've eliminated gluten, simple and refined carbohydrates, and lactose. This one change improved my energy, skin clarity and digestion" Facial plastic surgeon Dr Yash Mehta, founder of the Aesthetic & Cosmetic Surgery Clinic, saw the impact of inflammation daily in his patients and decided to change his own habits. He cut refined carbs, hidden sugars and high-sodium foods, and added antioxidant-rich fruits to his diet. He typically follows the OMAD (One Meal A Day) model, which he keeps “lean, clean and green”: high in protein, fresh vegetables and unprocessed ingredients. His snacks are seeds, nuts and berries. "Now, when I see dullness or inflammation, I know refined carbs, sugary foods or processed ‘healthy’ items like fruit juices, energy drinks and flavoured yoghurts are the likely culprits," he says. His go-to skin foods are berries, walnuts, sunflower seeds, sweet potatoes and broccoli. For cravings, he reaches for 90% dark chocolate. “It’s a powerful antioxidant and fits perfectly into an anti-inflammatory diet.” The one thing women should consider before doing a cold plunge You’re eating healthy, so why are you still tired? A nutritionist breaks it down The antioxidant everyone should take after age 40
