Mint, lemon, and cucumbers are so much more than just garnishes – these foods are brimming with skin-helping nutrients! Extract their goodness by incorporating these foods into simple morning smoothies. I’ve been doing just that since upgrading my Magic Bullett blender with their more powerful NutriBullett, which can pulverize heartier veggies like carrots. Try any one of these three easy-peasy recipes, and let me know how you like them.

Cucumber-Carrot Quencher

In a blender, combine: 1 small carrot, peeled + 1/2 English cucumber, peeled + 1 cup water + 1 cup ice. Nutrients per cup: 56 calories, 0 g fat, 2 g protein, 60 mg sodium, 3 g fiber, 13 g carbohydrates.

Skin benefits: Water-rich cucumbers provide silica, a trace mineral that helps promote skin firmness and hydration, due to its role in aiding collagen production and increasing the presence of retinoic acid in the body. The carrots provide a good amount of beta-carotene, which is converted to vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays a role in preventing acne, wrinkles, and dry skin.  If you’re currently using a retinoid in your night time skincare regime to treat acne and fine lines (like I do with the Kellett 1% retinol serum), then sipping this drink regularly can help maximize your results.

Minty Mango Green Tea

In a blender, combine: 1 tablespoon chopped mint + 2 cups mango, peeled + 1 cup green tea, chilled + 1 cup ice. Nutrients per cup: 110 calories, 0 g fat, 1 g protein, 7 mg sodium, 3 g fiber, 28 g carbohydrates.

Skin benefits: This mildly sweet drink combines three foods that each boast a surprisingly high amount of antioxidants. Fuelling your skin with a steady stream of antioxidants is the key to warding off free radicals from damaging your cell’s DNA, causing premature wrinkling and blotchy skin. A study in The Journal of Nutrition found that mint is a superior source of antioxidants, beating out other herbs such as ginger, thyme, chamomile, and nutmeg. Green tea supplies a mighty dose of polyphenols, which The University of Maryland Medical Center states can help neutralize free radicals and may reduce or even help prevent some of the damage they cause. And mangoes are one of the most nutrient-dense fruits around, containing vitamins A, B, C, and K.

Zesty Brighter Skin Smoothie

In a blender, combine: 1 lemon, peeled and deseeded + 2 yellow or green apples, cored + 1 cup coconut water + 1 cup ice. Nutrients per cup: 151 calories, 1 g fat, 1 g protein, 63 mg sodium, 3 g fiber, 13 g carbohydrates.

Skin benefits: Ever since adding the Kellett vitamin C serum in the morning, worn underneath my sunscreen, my skin has never looked more luminous and even-toned. Vitamin C is required for collagen formation, and provides antioxidant protection against the aging effects of the sun, pollution, and cigarette smoke. Lemons are an excellent source of vitamin C and limonins, which are antioxidants that are unique to lemons. Limonins have been suggested in studies to help fight cancers of the mouth, skin, lung, breast, stomach, and colon. Talk about the power of sour!

Sip your way to better skin, cheers!