Skin Glow Juice Recipe (Carrot, Orange and Ginger)
This skin glow juice recipe blends carrots, orange, apple, cucumber, ginger and lemon into a bright orange juice in about five minutes. Thanks to the carrots and citrus, a glass is a source of vitamin A, which contributes to the maintenance of normal skin, and of vitamin C, which contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of skin. It is naturally sweet, so it needs no added sugar.
Before I show you the recipe, a little story: what I eat has always shown up on my skin. Every time I eat cheese several days in a row, I start seeing more spots, and my skin loses its glow. That is one of the reasons I looked into what the research says about diet and acne, and why this juice, mostly vegetables and only a little fruit, is the one I keep coming back to.
As I love juices and smoothies, I wanted one made with skin in mind, and this carrot juice has become my favorite by far. It won’t replace a good skincare routine or a dermatologist, but it is an easy, bright way to get more vegetables into your day.
A note before we start: OMMA is our family brand, built by the two of us, a husband-and-wife team, around the same idea we have on this blog: simple routines that work in real life. The patches at the end of this article are ours, so this recommendation isn’t neutral, and we want you to know that up front. Nobody paid for this article, and everything about diet comes from the studies listed at the end.
Can a Juice Help Your Skin? What It Can and Can’t Do
A fresh vegetable juice won’t clear acne on its own, but it can be a good part of a day that is kind to your skin. Here is what is worth knowing:
- Vitamins A and C: by my calculation from USDA values, one glass (about 200 ml) gives roughly a quarter to a half of the daily reference for vitamin A, from the carrots’ beta-carotene, and about a fifth to a quarter for vitamin C. Vitamin A contributes to the maintenance of normal skin, and vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of skin.
- Mostly vegetables: four carrots and half a cucumber against one apple and one orange, which keeps the natural sugar lower than in a pure fruit juice.
- Drink it with a meal: juice has none of the fiber of whole vegetables, so its sugars reach your blood faster. In two small trials, a low-glycemic diet reduced acne, so I have this juice with breakfast rather than on its own between meals.
- The bigger picture matters most: studies link high-glycemic foods and milk, especially skim milk, to acne. I put everything the research says in my guide to foods that cause pimples.
Key ingredients
Carrots are the backbone of this juice, both for color and for nutrition. They are loaded with beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A, a nutrient skin genuinely relies on. Pick firm, deeply colored carrots and leave the peel on if they are organic, since a lot of nutrients sit just under the skin. Older, rubbery carrots juice poorly and taste flat, so use fresh ones.
Apple brings natural sweetness and body to the juice without any added sugar. Choose a crisp, sweet variety and juice it whole, core included, since the seeds and core pass through a juicer fine. A softer, mealy apple gives you a duller, less vibrant juice.
Orange adds vitamin C and a bright citrus lift. Halve and peel it before juicing — the white pith is fine, but the bitter outer rind is not something you want in the glass. Heavy oranges for their size are the juiciest.
Cucumber is mostly water, so it cuts the intensity of the carrot and citrus and keeps the juice refreshing and hydrating. I peel it because the skin can carry a slightly bitter, waxy note, especially on supermarket cucumbers.
Ginger is the ingredient that wakes the whole thing up. A thumb-size piece is enough to add warmth and a gentle bite without overpowering the sweetness. There is no need to peel young, thin-skinned ginger; just give it a good rinse.
Lemon adds a final touch of brightness and a dose of vitamin C, and the acidity helps keep the juice tasting fresh. Half a peeled lemon is plenty — any more and it starts to dominate.
Tips for getting it right
- Juice the watery produce, like cucumber and orange, between the harder pieces, like carrots and apple. Alternating helps push the soft pulp through and gives you a higher yield.
- Taste before you reach for sweetener. The apple, orange and carrots usually make this sweet enough on their own. I prefer it exactly as it is, with no sweetener at all.
- If the juice feels too concentrated or too sweet, add a little water to dilute it. You want it bright and drinkable, not syrupy.
- Start with a small piece of ginger and add more only if you want more heat. It is much easier to add than to take out, and ginger sneaks up on you.
- Drink it right away, ideally with breakfast or next to a meal. Fresh juice starts losing color, flavor and nutrients within minutes of being pressed, so this is not a drink you want to let sit around.
Storage and make-ahead
This juice is at its best the moment it is made, so I always drink it fresh. If you really need to store it, pour it into an airtight glass jar, fill it to the very top to limit air contact, and keep it in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Add the lemon juice if you are storing it, since the acidity helps slow oxidation and keeps the color brighter. Give it a good shake before drinking, as it will naturally separate.
If you enjoy this one, you will probably like my other fresh juices too. Try this sea buckthorn juice vitamin bomb for a serious vitamin C hit, the iron-rich juice to fight anemia, or a fresh citrus barley grass juice when you want something a little greener.
Super Skin Glow Juice
Ingredients
- 1 apple
- 1 orange halved and peeled
- 4 carrots
- ½ cucumber peeled
- ginger a thumb-size piece
- ½ lemon peeled
- water to dilute, if needed
- healthy sweetener of choice to taste
Instructions
- Juice all the ingredients. Add water if you want to dilute it, and a healthy sweetener to taste. I prefer it as is, without sweetener, as I find it sweet enough. Enjoy!
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
A juice built around carrots is a good choice, because carrots are rich in beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A, and vitamin A contributes to the maintenance of normal skin. This juice adds orange and lemon for vitamin C, which contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of skin.
Yes. Blend all the ingredients with a little water in a high-speed blender, then strain the mixture through a nut milk bag or a fine mesh sieve to remove the pulp. The texture will be slightly different from a juicer’s, but the flavor and nutrients are very close.
Peel the orange, lemon and cucumber, as their skins can be bitter or waxy. Halve and peel the orange before juicing. Carrots and apple can go in unpeeled if they are well washed, and thin-skinned ginger only needs a rinse. The card here calls for a peeled cucumber, lemon and orange.
Fresh juice is best consumed right away, but it will keep for up to 24 hours in an airtight glass jar in the fridge. Fill the jar to the top to limit air contact, and the lemon’s acidity helps slow oxidation. Expect some natural separation, so shake it before drinking.
Yes, this juice is completely vegan. It is made only from apple, orange, carrots, cucumber, ginger and lemon, with water and an optional healthy sweetener of your choice. There are no animal products of any kind.
A fresh vegetable juice can be part of a diet that is good for your skin, and a glass of this one is a source of vitamins A and C. It is not a cure on its own: drink it with a meal and look at your overall diet, especially sugary foods and milk.
No juice has been shown to clear acne. Small trials found that a low-glycemic diet reduced acne, so a mostly-vegetable juice drunk with a meal fits better than sweet fruit juices. For deep or persistent acne, see a dermatologist.
For the Spots That Still Show Up
Food is the long game, and spots still appear in the meantime. That is why my husband and I made OMMA pimple patches: hydrocolloid patches for a whitehead that has come up, and microdart patches for a tender bump under the skin. Both keep your fingers off the spot; the studies on them are still small, and results vary from person to person. More in my guide to foods that cause pimples.
OMMA Microdart Acne Patch
For the tender bump under the skin that has no head yet: 420 self-dissolving microdarts, worn overnight.
Shop at OMMA
OMMA Hydrocolloid Pimple Patches
For a whitehead that has already come up: the gel absorbs the fluid and the thin patch keeps your fingers off it.
Shop at OMMA
OMMA Pimple Patch Kit
Both patches in one box, for the days when you get both kinds of spots.
Shop at OMMASources
- Smith RN et al. A low-glycemic-load diet improves symptoms in acne vulgaris patients: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr, 2007. PubMed 17616769
- Kwon HH et al. Clinical and histological effect of a low glycaemic load diet in treatment of acne vulgaris in Korean patients: a randomized, controlled trial. Acta Derm Venereol, 2012. PubMed 22678562
- Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012, authorised health claims for vitamin A and vitamin C. legislation.gov.uk
- USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy (carrot juice 170491, oranges 169097, lemon juice 167747, cucumber 169225), for the vitamin estimates.
Thank you! I am going to try it tonight!!
This is very useful information. Thank you for sharing
Hi Ruxandra, can I use grapefruit instead of orange?
Sure!
Apart from turning ‘orange’, what happens if we consume a glass daily? Is it okay? Or should it just be a one week a month kind of diet?
Hi i read the comments and am gonna try it, thanks for yhe recipe
Awesome! Let me know how it turns out for you! ^__^
What the sizes of carrot and cucumber I should have? Small or medium?
Doesn’t really matter. Adjust the quantities by taste. The ratio is important.
Thank you for the recipe and also for the tips! Loved this juice! Also tried your ABC juice from your eBook. Awesome!
You’re welcome! Thanks for buying my ebook! Your support means a lot to me. 🙂
Hi
i have a problem. whenever i drink carrot juice, my stomach get upset. i took it usually on empty stomach.
can anybody suggest what should be added with carrot in order to avoid bad stomach effect
Eat some fat with the juice like half an avocado or a handful of nuts. I think you need something else in your stomach to absorb all that vitamin A!!
How many times can we drink in a week?
Not too much. If you drink too much carrot juice you will turn orange. 🙂
Hi Ruxandra,
Such a good recipe. Am a pure vegetarian. I would like to make my skin glowing and fresh.
is it good have same juice daily.
Hi will this juice helps in getting rid of pimple marks also ?
Do you drain the extracts before drinking?
Yes, I strain the juice.
Hi,
Do our skin gets white if consumed this juice everyday?
More like orange! :)) Don’t drink this daily for more than 7 days in a row.
This recipe looks good! I was a fan of juicing veggies and fruits a year ago and my staples were 1 apple, 4 carrots, 1 cucumber, 6 tomatoes, and kale/celery/lettuce, and lemons. I juiced them all in the morning, drunk it at least 1 hr before a light breakfast. The result was fab – I had glowing skin; I lost a bit of weight coz the juice made me feel full most of d time (especially if u make it ur snack in the aftie); no more dysmennorrhea; and I seldom felt ill.
Thank you, Rose! Great juice recipe! I never added tomatoes to my juices, don’t know why, but I think the result would be delicious! Eating more fruits and veggies really makes a difference. I can’t even remember the last time I had the flu!
Woow I lyk the recipe and am gonna try it thank you so much
Thank you! Happy to hear you liked the recipe!
Hi! This looks like a delicious recipe, do you drink this everyday? my only concern is drinking too my carrots will turn you orange.
Hi, Miko! No! If you drink/eat carrots every day, you will turn orange. I do a “detox” week every three months. That’s when I usually drink this juice. In the rest of the time, I just try to eat as healthy as possible.
How many glass of this juice I need to drink daily?
3-4 would be ideal. 🙂
Thank you Gourmandelle:) Great work (Y)
Good blog post. I definitely love this site. Continue the good work!
Hi..can this drink be stored in the refrigerator??
Sure! 🙂
‘Someone who has read a few books on nutrition, healthy eating and natural anti-cancer therapies CANNOT still encourage a meat-based diet! Maybe only if they’re ignorant and don’t give a damn about their body.
I don’t criticize meat-eaters, I was like that too once. I respect their decision as long as they respect mine. ‘
Ummm ACTUALLY that sounds pretty darn critical and contradictory to me…..just something to think on before committing to a point of view vegetarian or not.
That said, how long does it take to see results for your recipe and I have the option of getting a Breville. Are you familiar with the brand?
Hi Shandra! I actually own a Breville blender and it’s pretty awesome. Perfect for smoothies. I drink this juice often. Of course it doesn’t work on its own and you’ll need to have an overall balanced diet in order to see the effects, but it surely helps. I’d say even after one week of drinking it daily you will see your skin getting clearer.
You don’t need to peel ginger unless the skin is very tough (which is the sign of old ginger). I frequently make a soup of orange juice, carrots, onion and ginger and never peel the ginger. I’ve read that many of its nutrients are in and under the peel.
Hi Alison! Yes, that’s a great tip! I actually stopped peeling ginger for a while now. I just add it in the juicer and everything turns out just fine.
Hi Gourmandelle ,
Thank you for sharing the recipe. Seems it is a tasty drink. I have one doubt that should I take this in empty stomach ? Normally I usually have a cup of red tea before anything else. Please suggest.
Pampa
Hi Pampa! Glad you like it! I cannot tell you if it’s ok to drink on an empty stomach or not. This depends on your stomach I guess! :)) For me it’s no problem, but for some it may be.
I’ve never used ginger. Does it have to be washed or peeled?
Hi Gaye! You peel it and then rinse it a bit. I usually grate it or juice it.
Hi, dear Gourmandelle
I am nor think I ‘ll be a vegetarian ; I de have friends that have decided to embark the veg lifestyle and I salute their decision. At the same time, I’ d appreciated their not trying to talk me into it.
This being said, The got a q: what juicer do u use?
Hi Jana!
Exactly! I don’t force my opinions on anybody and thus I expect the same from others 🙂
I use a Philips HR 1855. I’m pretty satisfied with it. Works great, but I’d like to buy a cold-pressing juicer in the near future. It’s healthier.