Avocados

2. Avocados

Avocados are high in healthy fats. These fats benefit many functions in your body, including the health of your skin (7Trusted Source).

Getting enough of these fats is essential to keep skin flexible and moisturized.

One study in 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 (8Trusted Source).

Preliminary evidence also shows that avocados contain compounds that may protect your skin from sun damage. UV damage to your skin can cause wrinkles and other signs of aging (8Trusted Source, 9Trusted Source).

Avocados are also a good source of vitamin E, which is an important antioxidant that helps protect your skin from oxidative damage. Most Americans don't get enough vitamin E through their diet.

Interestingly, vitamin E seems to be more effective when combined with vitamin C (5Trusted Source).

Vitamin C is also essential for healthy skin. Your skin needs it to create collagen, which is the main structural protein that keeps your skin strong and healthy (10Trusted Source).

A deficiency in vitamin C is rare these days, but common symptoms include dry, rough and scaly skin that tends to bruise easily.

Vitamin C is also an antioxidant that protects your skin from oxidative damage — caused by the sun and the environment — which can lead to signs of aging (10Trusted Source).

A 100-gram serving, or about 1/2 an avocado, provides 10% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for vitamin E and 17% of the RDI for vitamin C (11).