Eat for better skin: your questions answered

What should I eat for healthy facial skin? I suffer from sun damage, probably caused when I was a child, and would appreciate any tips for keeping my face in a better condition - apart from staying out of the sun as I already do this.
The most important group of nutrients for you is antioxidants. Your skin has been damaged by the sun from many years ago and it is important to support the repair of this damage as well as protect it from further damage – this is the role of antioxidants!  Particularly good is Lycopene, found in tomatoes, and especially in cooked tomatoes. Lycopene is a carotenoid that is depleted by ultra violet light, suggesting that it plays a role in protecting the skin from sun damage and associated health conditions.

UV light can penetrate the skin and create free-radical damage which may lead to wrinkling so it is important for your topical skin creams to contain antioxidants also, to help fight free radical damage. The antioxidants shown to be particularly effective are Vitamin C, Vitamin A (and the caronetoid family such as beta carotene) and Alpha Lipoic Acid. Vitamin A and the carotenoid family have been shown to repair signs of ageing that result from sun exposure as well promote the production, and defend against the breakdown, of collagen.