The Nutrients you are Missing, that are Quietly Sabotaging your Skin

The Nutrition You Aren’t Eating That’s Impacting Your Skin

One thing I love, is talking nutrition and your skin. In appointments, we spend a lot of time talking about what to add onto your plate — not just what to take away in terms of eating to nourish your skin. When it comes to skin health, nutrition is one of the most powerful tools you have, and it is often the piece we overlook when we are frustrated with dull, dry, or breakout-prone skin.

Your skin is the largest organ in your body and, just like any other organ, it needs raw materials to function and repair itself. If you are not feeding it the building blocks it needs, no serum in the world can fully make up for it. Let’s talk about some of the key nutrients that you might be missing from your plate and how they can transform your skin from the inside out.

1. Protein – Your Skin’s Building Blocks

Protein is often the most under-eaten macronutrient I see in my patients, especially women. Your skin, hair, and nails are made up of proteins, like collagen, elastin, and keratin. If you are not consuming enough dietary protein, your body has to prioritize where it goes. Spoiler alert - glowing skin is not first on the list when your body is trying to repair muscles, make hormones, and keep your immune system running.

Health Canada recommends 0.8 g of protein per kg of body weight per day for healthy adults. This is considered the bare minimum to prevent deficiency, not necessarily the optimal amount for muscle maintenance, healing, skin health or hormone balance.

For most adults (minimum):

• Women: ~46–75 g/day (based on 57–94 kg (125-207 lbs) body weight)
• Men: ~56–91 g/day (based on 70–114 kg (154-251 lbs) body weight)

I even suggest aiming a bit higher, especially if you are active, healing, or working on body composition goals:

• 1.2–1.6 g/kg/day (optimal muscle health, skin repair, and metabolic function)

An easy rule of thumb to help hit your goals include spreading protein evenly across meals and snacks (20–30 g per meal is ideal for most adults). Also including a variety of sources can help to boost your goals and hit the recommended intake. In an ideal world, you would hit your daily protein intake via whole food sources, however, with busy schedules, this can be challenging. If needed - adding things like protein enriched snacks (protein bars, protein drinks) or even utilizing a protein powder, can help support you. When you meet your protein needs, you’re giving your skin the raw materials to build healthy collagen, repair damage, and maintain firmness and elasticity.

A few common sources include

• Poultry, fish, lean beef, turkey, eggs etc 
• Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese
• Lentils, beans, tempeh, soy, edamame (for plant-based eaters)
• Collagen peptides, protein powders - easy add-in to smoothies or coffee for an extra boost

2. Healthy Fats – The Glow Factor

If you have ever dealt with dry, flaky, or irritated skin, it might not just be your moisturizer, it could be your nutritional fat intake. For years, we have been told to fear fat to avoid unwanted weight gain, but what if I told you, actually avoiding it, can sabotage your skin health. Healthy fats are essential for keeping your skin barrier strong, reducing inflammation, supporting your brain and maintaining hydration from the inside out.  Shift your mindset to think of them as internal moisturizers that nourish your skin at the cellular level so it can stay smooth, supple, and resilient. 

Healthy Fats to focus on:

• Omega-3s from salmon, sardines, mackerel, chia seeds, flaxseeds, walnuts
• Monounsaturated fats from extra virgin olive oil, avocado, almonds
• A little saturated fat from coconut or grass-fed butter (yes, some is okay!)

Not eating enough fat can lead to dullness, premature fine lines, and a weakened skin barrier that’s more prone to irritation and breakouts. So go add some healthy fats to your plate! 

3. Nutrients for Collagen Production

Your body can not build strong, healthy collagen without the right nutritional co-factors. Collagen is a protein made from amino acids (aka protein!), but those amino acids will not go far without the vitamins and minerals that activate collagen production and help stabilize collagen fibres. These important micronutrients include: 

Vitamin C:  This vitamin acts as a co-enzyme in collagen synthesis, helping link collagen fibres together for strength and stability. Without enough vitamin C, collagen formation is incomplete, which is why scurvy (severe vitamin C deficiency) causes fragile skin and poor wound healing.

• Food sources: bell peppers, citrus fruits, strawberries, broccoli.

Zinc: Zinc is involved in hundreds of enzymatic reactions, including those needed for cell growth, tissue repair, and protein metabolism. Deficiency has been linked to delayed wound healing, more frequent acne, and thinner skin.

• Food sources: pumpkin seeds, oysters, beef.

Copper: Copper helps form cross-links between collagen and elastin, giving skin its elasticity and tensile strength. Low copper can mean weaker skin and connective tissue integrity.

• Food sources: cashews, sesame seeds, dark chocolate.

Silica: Though less talked about, silica supports connective tissue structure, hair, nails, and skin. It helps strengthen collagen fibres and supports hydration by influencing glycosaminoglycans (molecules that hold water in the skin).

• Food sources: cucumbers, oats, leafy greens.

If you’re low in any of these nutrients, your body’s collagen production slows down. That can mean your skin suffers:

• Thinner, weaker skin that’s more prone to fine lines and sagging (hello premature aging).
• Delayed wound healing (cuts, acne scars, skin injuries).
• Increased inflammation that accelerates visible aging.

Collagen supplements are having their time to shine right now in the media. The bottom line when thinking about collagen powders and peptide supplements - they can help to provide the building blocks for collagen, BUT, your body still needs these essential nutrients from food to actually effectively utilize them. If you chose, pairing collagen supplementation with a nutrient-rich diet is the best way to support your skin from within. That being said, collagen supplements are just that - supplements - you do not necessarily need one to support your skin if you are truly focusing on balanced nutrition. 

4. Iron – For Radiance and Circulation

If your skin looks pale, dull, or “lifeless,” iron might be the missing piece. Iron is a critical mineral for oxygen transport — it binds to hemoglobin in red blood cells and delivers oxygen throughout the body, including directly to your skin cells. Without enough iron, circulation slows and skin can lose its healthy, rosy glow.

Low iron does not just affect appearance - it can impact overall energy and cellular repair. Many people with low iron also notice fatigue, hair thinning, brittle nails, feeling cold, and a pale complexion.

Common Animal Sources (Heme Iron – best absorbed)

• Red meat (beef, lamb, venison)
• Liver and organ meats
• Poultry (chicken, turkey)
• Fish and shellfish (sardines, clams, mussels)

Plant Sources (Non-Heme Iron – absorption varies)

• Lentils, beans, chickpeas
• Tofu, tempeh
• Pumpkin seeds, cashews, quinoa
• Leafy greens (spinach, kale, beet greens)

A few of my Fav Tips for Improved Iron Absorption:

• Pair iron with vitamin C rich foods like citrus, bell peppers, strawberries, or tomatoes can triple non-heme (plant sources) iron absorption (spinach + lemon, or lentils + bell peppers). 
• Cook in cast-iron cookware – especially acidic foods (like tomato sauce), which naturally leaches small amounts of iron into your meals.
• Separate iron from calcium – dairy, calcium supplements, and fortified foods can block iron absorption when eaten together.
• Watch oxalates & phytates – found in spinach, tea, coffee, whole grains, and legumes; they can bind iron and reduce absorption. Cooking, soaking, sprouting, or fermenting these foods helps reduce the effect.
• Avoid high-dose zinc at the same time – it competes with iron for absorption in the gut.

If you suspect low iron, ensure to speak to your healthcare provider about testing your iron AND ferritin levels before supplementing. Too much iron can build up in the body and be harmful, especially if deficiency is not present.

The Bottom Line

Your skin reflects what’s happening on the inside. Before you overhaul your skincare routine (again), take a look at what’s on your plate. Are you getting enough protein to build collagen? Enough healthy fats to keep your skin barrier strong? Enough micronutrients to support repair and radiance?

Small, consistent changes to your nutrition can give you results that no cream or serum can touch in terms of your skin health.  The bonus is, your energy, hormones, and digestion usually improve right along with your skin.

Ready to dive deeper into your Skin Health?