Raw Food Diet for Skin

The raw food diet is a broad term for a diet that consists mainly of foods in their natural state - not cooked. This diet is touted as healthy for your whole body, including your skin because there are more nutrients in raw foods than in cooked foods. According to Raw Foods Guru (see Reference 2), the toxins that you put in your body are eliminated through the oil glands in your skin, and eating more raw foods in place of possibly toxic foods can help your skin look and feel better.

Enzymes

According to Changing Shape (see Reference 1), heating food above 105 degrees Fahrenheit destroys most of that food's enzymes, half of its protein, and more than half of its vitamins and minerals, so you really get the most nutrients out of your food when you eat it raw.
Getting the food's enzymes is probably the most important thing you can do for your skin because enzymes are needed for the digestion process. The idea is that the more enzymes you take in, the easier the digestive process will be, so food will be eliminated faster. This means that the food and its potential toxins will be out of your body before the toxins have a chance to harm your skin.

Cancer and Aging

Raw foods such as berries contain powerful antioxidants. Antioxidants are important in your diet because they fight free radicals that you absorb through polluted air and processed foods. Free radicals are one of the known causes of cancer, but they can also age your skin, so eating foods with plenty of antioxidants will benefit your skin.
One of the most noticeable signs of aging is sagging skin. This happens because of collagen loss. Eating raw foods that contain collagen, such as citrus fruits, may help your skin to tighten naturally.
Sun damage not only causes premature wrinkling, but can also lead to skin cancer. The nutrient beta carotene helps your body fight sun damage naturally, keeping your skin healthy and looking younger. Raw carrots and tomatoes are good sources of beta carotene.

Acne

If you suffer from acne, depending on the cause, you may benefit from eating more raw foods. One of the leading causes of acne is a hormone imbalance, but eating raw foods like alfalfa, flaxseed, oats, parsley, celery, and fennel may help regulate your hormones, according to Raw Foods Guru (see Reference 2).
Sulfur has long been used as a cure for acne, but instead of putting it directly on your skin, you could try eating raw asparagus, broccoli, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, onion, red pepper, and kale.
Raw Foods Guru (Reference 2) says that if you have acne, you should be especially worried about foods that might stay in your digestive system too long and cause toxin build-up, which may lead to acne. These foods are not part of the raw food diet, and they include dairy, refined or cooked carbohydrates, cooked fats, and meats.