Your skin is what you eat. We’ve heard it a thousand times but somehow this rather obvious message failed to reach my brain for years. And it showed – right on my forehead and my cheeks. Pimples come and pimples go but it seemed mine was there to stay for forever.

Entering my 25th year of life was a breaking point. I’ve found a great beauty routine based on Ceramides but I knew that in order for it to be effective, I would have to also work on my glow from the inside, out. So it was decided: I would be shelving the chocolate (trust me, it was a moment in my life when a whole jar of Nutella was not even a challenge) and replacing it with an avocado. It sounds simple, right? But for the junk food-lover in me, it was a revolution of sorts. We all know of avocado’s health benefits but I wondered if one delicious slice of avocado on toast per day could keep the pimples away. 

It only took one week to start seeing results, and may I just say, the magic was real. Not only has my skin detoxed, but it now also taken on a “I eat healthy” glow that no face cream could ever deliver. On top of cutting out the bad stuff, I supported my avocado diet with nutritious snacks (nuts, dry fruits), tonnes of leafy greens, and a “no-sweets” policy.

Honestly, the results have been so transformative I’m still pinching myself. I had to dig a little deeper. Turns out this #trending stonefruit contains the healthiest fat of all – 63% of oleic acid, which boosts the production of natural oils, in turn strengthening your skin’s natural barrier. And that, my friends, leads to hydrated, plump, bouncy skin. If that wasn’t enough to sell you, two weeks into my little skin experiment, my pesky breakouts began to clear. So I dug again and found out that avocado oil also contains linoleic acid, a lack of which can make your complexion more acne-prone. I’m thinking that the fact I’ve cut down on sugar didn’t hurt, but I was also coming around to the idea that the more avocado you eat, the bigger chance you’ll have of waving goodbye to unwanted breakouts.

I’m aware of the fact that a daily dose of avocado can get expensive. It’s definitely a luxury. We can’t all go around swimming in a sea of avocado smoothies, spreads and guacamole. But in the spirit of my newfound skin, please indulge me for one last beauty hack:

Mash half an avocado with a drizzle of manuka honey, olive oil, rub into the skin once a week and watch your glow-up come on like never before.

Repeat the mantra after me: works from the inside, works from the outside.

Words, Marta Knàs.