The best glow drinks are the ones you’ll actually make: bright fruit, a little ginger, plenty of water and something colorful in the glass. For a homemade drink for glowing skin, start with the cucumber aloe cooler or the strawberry hibiscus cooler when it’s warm out. When you want something with more bite, go for the carrot ginger juice or the pineapple ginger turmeric drink. Matcha has caffeine. In fall, the ginger and turmeric drinks are lovely warmed gently on the stove and sipped from a mug.
Below are nine drinks with exact amounts, each built from a published recipe by a named cook or brand.
1. Cucumber Aloe Drink
Original recipe: Sunset Magazine / Felicia Cocotzin Ruiz.
- 4 cups water
- 1 large cucumber, peeled and chopped
- 1 cup fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1/2 cup food-grade aloe vera gel sold for consumption
- Honey or maple syrup, optional
Blend water, cucumber , lime, turmeric , chia and food-grade aloe until smooth. Sweeten to taste and serve over ice. Use prepared food-grade gel. Don’t use aloe latex or homemade whole-leaf extract.
2. Carrot Ginger Juice
Original recipe: Dietitian Debbie Dishes.
- 3 large carrots, peeled
- 1 apple, cored
- 3/4 cup water
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1/2-inch piece fresh ginger
Juice the produce, or blend with water and strain through cheesecloth. Serve over ice.
3. Strawberry Hibiscus Cooler
Original recipe: Recipes to Nourish.
- 5 cups water
- 5 hibiscus-lemongrass tea bags
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 cups frozen strawberries
- 3 cups ice
- 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries for garnish
Steep the tea bags in boiled water for 15 minutes. Blend two cups of tea with frozen strawberries and honey, then mix with remaining tea. Chill and serve over ice with fresh berries.
4. Iced Coconut Matcha Latte
Original recipe: Natalie’s Health.
- 1 teaspoon matcha
- 1/4 cup hot water
- 1/4 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- Ice
- Maple syrup or honey, optional
Whisk matcha into hot water. Fill a glass with ice and the two milks, then pour the matcha over them. Sweeten to taste.
5. Berry Beet Juice
Original recipe: Blender Happy.
- 1/2 cup ice
- 1 medium beet, chopped
- 1/2 cup raspberries
- 1/2 cup strawberries, hulled
- 1/2 cup water
Blend all ingredients for about 45 seconds and serve.
6. Pineapple Ginger Turmeric Tonic
Original recipe: Tupperware Brand.
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 3/4 cup coconut water
- 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- Small pinch black pepper
- Juice of 1/2 lime
- 1 teaspoon honey or agave, optional
- Ice
Stir pineapple juice and coconut water . Mix spices, lime and optional sweetener into a paste, add it to the liquids and shake with ice.
7. Watermelon Mint Juice
Original recipe: The Dizzy Cook.
- 4 cups chopped watermelon
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves
- 1 teaspoon honey, optional
- Juice of 1 lime, optional
Blend briefly, strain if you like, and serve chilled.
8. Lemon Chia Water
Original recipe: Alphafoodie.
- 2 cups water or coconut water
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
Mix and let the chia soak for 10 to 15 minutes before drinking.
9. Citrus Collagen Spritz
Original recipe: Garden of Life.
- 1 scoop Garden of Life Grass Fed Collagen Peptides, per product label
- 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
- 2 teaspoons chopped ginger
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 5 to 8 fresh mint leaves
- 1/2 cup sparkling water
- Ice
Stir collagen into orange juice with ginger and maple. Gently muddle the mint, then add ice and sparkling water.
For the aloe drink, use only gel sold as food-grade for consumption. The collagen spritz uses the Garden of Life product named in the published recipe, so follow its label if you make it.
