Hi everyone,
So "eat your skincare" is all over my feed at the moment, and if you follow me on Instagram you'll know I've gone a bit all in. Over the last couple of weeks I've made a giant fruit jelly, a courgette wrap, bone broth, winter wellness cubes and, yes, bone marrow. Girls, my fridge has never looked so busy.
All five recipes are in one place on my website → Eat your skincare recipes
Let me be honest before anyone gets carried away. A jelly is not going to iron out your wrinkles. A big review of collagen research earlier this year (the BBC covered it in February) found it can help with skin hydration and elasticity over time, but it won't stop wrinkles. And that research was on supplements, not my pudding. For me, eating my skincare just means filling my plate with proper, colourful, nourishing food and feeling better for it. That I can get behind.
The jelly that started it all
This is the one you lot went mad for. Fresh fruit (I used kiwi, plums, strawberries and grapes) packed into a dish with no gaps. Don't be shy with it. Then unflavoured beef gelatine dissolved in boiled water with a squeeze of lemon or lime, poured over and left in the fridge for around three hours.
Two tips. Grapes give it a lovely poppy crunch. And avoid pineapple, because your gelatine won't set. Before you ask: no, it doesn't taste of beef!
If you want the gelatine I use, here it is on Amazon UK. (Affiliate link, so I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.)
The courgette wrap
Thinly sliced courgette overlapped on greaseproof paper, topped with Parmigiano and cheddar, baked for around 25 minutes until golden. It comes out bendy and crunchy, and you can fill it with anything. I went for sardines. Ryan had a bite in his work clothes and announced he thought it was mince. Mince! When would I have cooked mince? Nancy pinched the courgette and cheese and dodged the sardines completely.
Liquid gold
Please don't throw your roast chicken carcass away. Mine goes in the slow cooker with rosemary, bay leaves, a good glug of apple cider vinegar and water, on low for around 15 hours. You know it's working when the bones go soft. I have a mug of it in the morning. As I said in the video: don't chuck your bones in the bin, chuck your bones in your skin.
And for the colder months
My winter wellness cubes are ginger, turmeric, red chilli, thyme, lemon and genuine Manuka honey, simmered, strained and frozen in ice cube trays. I make mine super strong. You pop one in warm water when you fancy it.
And the bone marrow? Rich, buttery and so underrated. Trust me on that one.
Living down here on the Côte d'Azur has changed the way I cook. It's slower, simpler and more about good ingredients than faff. I've been working on something that brings all of that together, called Fernwell. It's coming soon, and I can't wait to tell you more.
Get all the eat your skincare recipes on my website → fernwestonbennett.com
And the bits I actually use and love are on my shop page.
Tell me which one you're making first over on Instagram or TikTok. I read every single one. And if you'd like my newsletter in your inbox, it's free to subscribe. Subscribe here
Lots of love from the South of France,
Fern x
Food and lifestyle writing, not medical advice.