EAT YOUR skincare! The latest trend in beauty and wellness takes self-care to a whole new level with the skincare breakfast. Popularized by content creators on TikTok like Alice Sun or Cook With Candy, the skincare breakfast promises to incorporate the benefits of your skincare routine into your morning meal plan. From collagen-packed bone broth to moisturizing smoothie bowls, these meals vow to be both delicious and healing for your skin.
While the research behind skincare meals is limited, these wellness content creators point to links between nutrition and skin. They swear by the benefits of skincare meals for things like healing your gut or boosting your daily vitamin intake to achieve glowing skin. Skepticism aside, the skincare breakfast is a refreshing and healthy way to start off your day and you don’t have anything to lose from giving it a shot.
For anyone looking to try these meals out for themselves, here’s a student-friendly list of skincare breakfast items that are easy on the wallet and convenient to prepare!
Photo sourced from Organic Facts
Green Tea Smoothie
Dump a few ingredients into a blender and you’ve got yourself a refreshing morning drink. Green tea is great for detoxification, and fruits can help with enhancing your immune system. It’s also a great coffee-substitute for anyone looking for an energy boost without the afternoon caffeine crash. Feel free to add some honey or mint leaves for extra taste!
Ingredients:
- Any fruit of your choice (add according to your taste)
- 2 tablespoons of green tea powder (or matcha!)
- Leafy greens like spinach or kale
- 2 teaspoons of honey (optional)
- ¼ cup of mint leaves (optional)
Instructions:
- Combine all the ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth.
- Serve in a glass or tumbler to bring with you to your next class!
- Tip: Feel free to mix up the ingredients and adjust to your taste.
Photo sourced from Jane Hsu
Celery Leaf Omelet
Taken from Alice Sun, a popular creator who posts food skincare recipes inspired by Chinese medicine, the celery leaf omelets are packed with Vitamin C to brighten the skin and even out skin tone. These are also highly anti-inflammatory—perfect for people with skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis. Adding in some peppers or onions can also help boost this dish’s flavor.
Ingredients:
- 2 eggs
- Soy sauce (any type you prefer)
- Celery leaves
- Green and red peppers, onions (optional)
Instructions:
- Wash the celery leaves and any additional ingredients.
- Chop the celery leaves and any additional ingredients.
- Crack two eggs into a bowl, add soy sauce, and stir well.
- Evenly pour your egg mixture into a pan on low heat.
- Add your chopped celery leaves and other ingredients to the bowl.
- Slowly stir and fry the omelet.
- Flip and fry the other side.
- Once cooked to your liking, serve on a plate and enjoy with any other breakfast items.
Photo sourced from Downshiftology
Overnight Oats
This delicious and flexible recipe requires no morning preparation at all, since you can fix this up the night before! Aside from serving as anti-inflammatory agents, killing acne-causing bacteria, and being full of proteins and vitamins, the beauty with overnight oats is that you can customize literally everything according to your taste.
Ingredients:
- Oats
- Milk (you can use plant-based milk like almond or coconut)
- Yogurt (optional)
- Chia seeds (optional)
- Sweetener (optional)
- Toppings like nuts or dried fruit (optional)
Instructions:
- Combine your milk and oats using a 1:1 ratio into a bowl, mason jar, or any glass cup.
- Add any of your other favorite ingredients.
- Mix everything together until you see no large clumps.
- Seal with a cover or lid and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Enjoy once you wake up!
Photo sourced from Slender Kitchen
Chia Seed Yogurt
If you’re looking for a blank canvas for your favorite fruits, toppings, and sweeteners, try making a chia seed yogurt parfait! Chia seeds provide healthy omega-3s that reduce skin inflammation and improve overall skin clarity. Meanwhile, yogurt is also packed with vitamins C and E that help repair damaged skin cells!
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup of chia seeds
- 1 cup of yogurt
- Fruits of choice (recommended: strawberries, bananas, mangoes)
- Granola for crunch (optional)
- 1 tsp of honey or maple syrup (optional sweeteners)
Instructions:
- Combine your chia seeds, yogurt, and sweetener (if any) in a bowl. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least two hours—the longer, the better!
- Once the mixture has thickened into a pudding-like consistency, scoop some into a glass jar. Layer with your fruits of choice and other toppings!
- Dig in!
Photo sourced from Simply Delicious
Banana Oatmeal Pancakes
These pancakes are a skincare staple—and for good reason! Bananas are natural sweeteners rich in antioxidants like vitamin C that give your skin a more radiant, youthful glow! The oats also provide fiber which lessens the likelihood of acne by removing bodily toxins.
Ingredients:
- 2 ripe bananas
- 1 cup of rolled oats
- 2 large eggs (or flax eggs)
- ½ teaspoon of baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- Sliced fruits (optional)
- 1 tsp maple syrup or honey (optional sweeteners)
Instructions:
- In a blender or food processor, blend your ripe bananas, rolled oats, eggs, baking powder, and a pinch of salt until smooth.
- Let the batter rest for about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Heat a non-stick pan over medium (grease if using a regular pan). Ladle some of the batter to form pancakes.
- Cook the pancakes until you see bubbles forming. Carefully flip using a spatula. Make sure both sides are golden brown!
- Carefully transfer to a plate and top with fruits, sweeteners, nuts, or whatever your heart desires!
Photo sourced from What’s Gaby Cooking
Avocado Toast
The epitome of a girl brunch, avocado toast will become your favorite staple! The monosaturated fats of avocado are perfect for keeping your skin moisturized. These healthy fats also lessen redness, puffiness, and itchiness!
Ingredients:
- 1 ripe avocado
- 2 slices of bread of choice (recommended: whole-grain or sourdough)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Vegetables of choice (optional, recommended: cherry tomatoes, pickled red onion, or arugula)
- Protein of choice (optional, recommended: fried egg, poached egg, or feta cheese)
- Drizzle of choice (optional, recommended: spicy honey, balsamic vinegar, or olive oil)
Instructions:
- Toast your chosen bread.
- Cut the avocado in half, scoop out the pit, and spoon the flesh into a bowl. Mash to your desired texture.
- Season it with salt and pepper.
- Spread the avocado on your toasted bread slices then top with your chosen toppings. Get creative with it!
- Serve and eat as an open-faced or traditional sandwich.