It’s a sad fact: Alcohol is NOT good for your skin. But summertime and margaritas go together like bikinis and the beach!
So we asked Dr. Ava Shamban, the celebrity dermatologist from "Extreme Makeover," about the ingredients we should look for in a drink to offset the drying and negative effects of our dear friend, booze.
ACAI: Acai contains substances called anthocyanins and flavonoids, which are powerful antioxidants that help defend the body against free radicals and also play a role in the body's cell protection system.
CUCUMBER: Cucumber’s flesh is primarily composed of water but also contains ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and caffeic acid, both of which help soothe skin irritations and reduce swelling. Cucumber juice is often recommended as a source of silica to improve the complexion and health of the skin.
GREEN TEA: Green tea's antioxidants, called catechins, scavenge for free radicals that can damage the DNA. There is preliminary evidence that green tea may inhibit matrix metalloproteinases (MMP), the enzymes whose excessive activity contributes to age-related degradation of the skin matrix.
GRAPEFRUIT: Grapefruit contains citric acid (an alpha hydroxyl acid) that makes it an excellent exfoliator. It's also a great source of vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, folate and vitamin B5. Grapefruit can assist in fighting acne by reducing the oils in the skin and elevating skin pH. As a powerful antioxidant, it fights the free radicals and slows down aging of the skin.
Now that you know what to look for, how can you start to stir up some skin-savers of your own? We sent our beauty expert, Amber Milt, to the Manhattan Cocktail Classic to find some healthy cocktails and tips on how to make them! So put down that Jack and Coke, check out the video above, and start sipping a healthier summer cocktail.
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