Your Thanksgiving Feast Just Got a Skin-Loving Glow-Up

The Best Thanksgiving Foods For Your Skin

1. Turkey

It’s no secret that turkey is packed with protein, which is great for building muscle—but when it comes to beauty benefits, protein provides structure to skin, hair, nails, and teeth. The Thanksgiving meal staple is also known to have a high concentration of zinc, which helps maintain collagen and elastin fibers, which help maintain the skin’s elasticity and firmness. 

2. Spinach

While we doubt you’re digging into raw spinach at your Thanksgiving dinner, it’s still important to point out its benefits. Sautéed or not, this leafy green is packed with nutrients. Vitamins C, A, and K make up this powerhouse plant, along with zinc and folate. The combination protects the skin from free radicals, while helping to promote cell turnover, transport oxygen, reduce the look of dark circles, and improve overall skin tone.   

3. Carrot

Much like spinach, carrots pack a punch when it comes to skin benefits. Chock-full of vitamins A, E, and C, consider this orange veggie your skin’s security guard, blocking environmental stressors (i.e., UV rays and air pollution) from getting in its way, thanks to antioxidants. So next time you want to roll your eyes at the honey-glazed carrots on your Thanksgiving menu, think twice.

4. Onion

We know, onions are probably the last thing you think of when Thanksgiving foods for glowing skin come to mind. But this savory staple has a few skin-friendly benefits worth knowing about. Onions contain antioxidants, including vitamin C and quercetin, that help protect cells from oxidative stress. Vitamin C also plays an important role in collagen production, which helps support healthy skin. So go ahead and pile on the caramelized onions—your taste buds aren't the only ones that can benefit.

5. Pecans

While we strongly advise against incorporating pecans into your topical skincare routine, you can still reap their benefits by eating them. They contain calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, vitamin K, and high amounts of biotin and phosphorus—so yeah, you could say they’ve got a benefit or two. Biotin is known for hair and nail growth, along with nourishing the skin and strengthening the skin barrier. Phosphorus helps maintain developmental tissue, strengthening teeth and bones.  

6. Pumpkin

This vibrant veggie is rich in vitamins E, A, and C, which are all essential for maintaining the health of your skin. These vitamins help to soothe and hydrate, keeping your skin soft and supple long term. Plus, pumpkin contains enzymes that gently exfoliate, leaving your complexion looking fresh and radiant. Consider adding pumpkin puree to your favorite DIY face mask or whip up a pumpkin spice latte to sip while you pamper your skin.

7. Cranberries

Cranberries are so much more than just a side dish. These tart, little berries are chock-full of antioxidants, including vitamin C, which is essential for collagen production and helps protect your skin from oxidative stress. You can create a homemade cranberry scrub or get similar antioxidant benefits from ACEOLOGY Here We Glow Berry Mask, which uses five berry extracts and 14 fresh fruit extracts to help leave your skin looking fresh, glowy, and plump.

8. Apples

An apple pie or a crisp might be in your Thanksgiving dessert spread, but apples are also loaded with vitamin C and fiber, which can help improve your skin's texture and keep it glowing. The natural fruit acids in apples also act as gentle exfoliants, promoting a fresher complexion. But that’s not all! The apple juice in DERMALACTIVES Apple Cider Toning Spray, for example, delivers a burst of skin-brightening antioxidants.

9. Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are a Thanksgiving staple, and their skin-loving nutrients give us one more reason to go back for seconds. They're packed with beta-carotene, an antioxidant your body converts into vitamin A, which helps support healthy skin and normal cell turnover. Plus, beta-carotene helps protect cells from oxidative stress. Whether you like yours mashed, roasted, or baked into a casserole, this colorful side dish brings more to the table than just delicious flavor.

10. Honey

Honey isn't just for drizzling over biscuits or sweetening your tea. This golden ingredient is also a longtime favorite in skincare thanks to its moisturizing and soothing properties. As a humectant, honey helps attract and retain moisture, making it a popular addition to formulas designed for dry skin. And while certain types of medical-grade honey are used in wound care, that doesn't mean the jar in your pantry is a substitute for acne treatments. For a little extra skin-loving sweetness, look for honey in a professionally formulated face mask or moisturizer.

How to Use Thanksgiving Leftovers in Your Skincare Routine 

We know smearing Thanksgiving dinner on your face sounds questionable, but the ingredients we’re choosing are already staples in many masks on the market. So, in other words: No, we’re not telling you to grind up your turkey leftovers with pecan sprinkled in. We’re thinking more along the lines of pumpkin, cranberry, and honey—noted topical favorites. These are super easy to incorporate, too, and won’t require much prep or cleanup. 

For starters, a pumpkin, honey, and yogurt mask can hydrate and exfoliate, thanks to pumpkin’s enzymes and vitamins. Then you have nourishing, soothing honey alongside yogurt, which makes the consistency easy to apply and adds hydration. A quick mixture and 10 to 15 minutes on the skin will have you good to go.

Yogurt is actually recommended for many DIY face masks pertaining to Thanksgiving leftovers. You can pretty much take any of the core Thanksgiving/skincare crossover ingredients (think pumpkin, cranberry, and honey) and slather them on with yogurt generously. 

Final Thoughts

While skincare and Thanksgiving aren’t typically thought to go hand in hand, you’d be surprised about the crossover. So before you dump your leftovers or serve ’em to the dogs, you’ve got some holiday skincare tips right in front of you. Even just eating your regular meal (everything from turkey to pecans and pumpkin) can benefit your skin, thanks to vitamin-rich food that produces antioxidants. But, indeed, if you want to take things a step further, a DIY face mask is just a few mixing bowls away. If you want to keep the momentum going well past Thanksgiving, check out our IPSY Shop for your favorite foods infused into some of our favorite skincare products.