Drink up (a pina colada!) for beautiful skin

My skin hates me at the moment 🙁 But with six weeks of continuous travelling, layers of makeup melting into every pore in the summer heat, three hours of sleep a night (if I am lucky) and loads of junk food, even I have to admit that it has good reason to pout and rebel.

What I do hate though is its way of showing displeasure – zits like I haven’t had since the age of 14 in places where I never had them even when I was 14, blotchy patches that make any kind of cover-up crease and crumble, skin that looks grey and lifeless. Ugh!

So, it’s time to make amends and when the legendary Dr. Perricone started talking of a recipe that combines pina colada delectableness with loads of skin soothing benefits, how could I resist? A quick trip to the market and 10 minutes in the kitchen later, I can honestly vouch for its deliciousness.

The skin benefits, I assume, will take a little more time to show up but when they do, Dr. Perricone promises hydration, an Omega buzz that ups detoxification, boosts blood circulation and raises energy levels, and medium-chain fatty acids that make the complexion glow. In the long term, this coconut-almond-and-avocado pina colada is also supposed to help lose weight, lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. And yup, you can enjoy this healthy cocktail virgin (or not – I definitely did nothing of the sort!).

Ingredients

• Half a cup of unsweetened almond milk
• 1 cup pineapple pieces
• 1 small piece of avocado (about 1/5 of a large avocado or ¼ of a small one)
• 1 tablespoon shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• Dash of vanilla extract
• 2-4 ice cubes
• Half a cup of water
• Rum to taste (optional)

Directions