'I'm a beauty expert and eating these foods will have your skin glowing'

Some festive foods will leave your skin glowing (Image: Getty Images)

Christmas dinner may be one of the best parts of the festive season, and it has benefits much bigger than just its deliciousness.

Some of the ingredients within the dinner have huge benefits for the skin and will have you looking years younger in the weeks following the festivities.

Hayley Walker, skincare expert at JustMyLook, says: "Christmas dinner is a long-awaited meal for many and is favoured for its delicious, savoury flavour and festive feel.

"However, this much-loved Christmas dish is also packed with skin-benefiting food. The popular Christmas dinner foods contain nutritional vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, zinc, and antioxidants.

"These properties can benefit the skin and improve its complexion, contributing to a natural glow-up this festive season."

So they are foods you may want to continue to eat well into the new year for glowing skin.

Parsnip's are packed full of vitamin C and potassium (Image: Getty Images)

Parsnip

One food highlighted by Hayley for its skincare benefits is parsnips, which she describes as "a must-have" for those wanting hydrated and youthful-looking skin. The popular vegetable is packed full of vitamin C and potassium, which nourishes the skin by healing and moisturising, leaving you with smooth and supple skin.

Alongside these, the copper found in parsnips helps stimulate collagen and elastin production, strengthening the skin and reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Carrots

"This Christmas Dinner staple is praised for its anti-ageing properties, helping you achieve a more youthful complexion," explains Hayley.

"The antioxidants contained in carrots reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, while Vitamin C, zinc, and other vitamins and minerals promote collagen production to improve the skin’s elasticity. Carrots are also beneficial for those with acne-prone skin as they reduce inflammation and encourage cell turnover to prevent blemishes.”

Turkey

It's not just the veg in your Christmas dinner that comes with benefits for your skin, but also the central turkey. This protein-rich food boosts collagen and keratin production, providing the skin with much-needed moisture. It also helps strengthen the skin’s elasticity, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and leaving you with a youthful complexion.

Brussels sprouts are rich in vitamin C and omega-3 fatty acids (Image: Getty Images)

Brussels sprouts

Whether you hate or love them, Brussels sprouts should have a role in your Christmas dinner if you're seeking to improve your skin. Hayley explained: "This Vitamin C-rich vegetable contains antioxidants that contribute to healthy, firmer skin, and omega-3 fatty acids that reduce inflammation, improve the skin’s hydration and minimise the signs of ageing for a botox-like glow-up."

Cranberry sauce

Cranberries are packed with skin-nourishing antioxidants, which are a lifesaver when nursing a hangover, and they can also benefit the skin by protecting it from environmental stressors, boosting collagen production for firmer skin, and brightening dull or uneven skin tone for a radiant complexion.

Red cabbage

"This festive side dish is full of nutritional goodness for glowing skin this Christmas," says Hayley. "This vitamin C-rich food contains antioxidants that reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles while its moisturising and anti-inflammatory properties soothe irritated skin. The benefits don’t stop there; red cabbage contains sulfur, helping the body produce keratin for healthy skin."