Foods to Avoid for Clear Skin

You may already know that whatever you eat has a profound impact on your health. Skin health is not an exception in this case as you can either benefit or harm yourself from the foods you eat. Scientists are still researching more on the impact of foods on skin, and they have already found some food triggers that may cause skin conditions such as acne. If you are conscious enough about your skin health, this article is for you. It will help you understand which food items to avoid to get clear and healthy skin. 

Here, we are going to give you an insight into the food items that you should avoid to get clear skin:

Food With High-Glycemic Content

How much carbohydrate-rich food you have, and how much potential it has to cause a spike in blood sugar level, are defining factors for glycemic index. 

You must know which food items give a spike in sugar levels, which in turn, increases the chances of inflammation. As a result, the chances of acne problems increase and it becomes difficult to control it.

These food items include potatoes (not sweet potatoes), white bread, cornflakes, puffed rice cakes, etc which can cause fluctuation in your blood sugar levels.  These are foods to avoid for clear skin.

You should look for some healthy alternatives with low glycemic index such as broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, beans, leafy greens, radishes, brussel sprouts, etc. Adding spices and roasting them makes them way more delicious and easy to add into your daily meals.

Dairy Products

Whenever we talk about acne, dairy products seem to be an enemy. They regulate high hormone levels which as a result produce more oil and cause blocked pores. 

This list includes ice cream, cheese, butter, milk, cream, etc, these are the items you are supposed to avoid if you are struggling with acne. 

You may have non-dairy alternatives available in the market such as soy milk, and cashew milk as a milk alternative. Almond-milk yogurt, coconut-milk yogurt, and hemp yogurt as a yogurt alternative can be used. Soft cheese and hard cheese substitutes are available as cheese alternatives. 

A good exception to this rule is Greek Yogurt, as Greek Yogurt is full of probiotics that can greatly improve your gut health, making clear skin a lot easier to achieve!

Whey-Protein Supplements

Whey protein, derived from cow’s milk, is used as a protein supplement by athletes for muscle recovery. Whey protein regulates the production of growth hormones such as IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1) which helps in muscle growth, however, it also triggers the sebaceous gland, responsible for sebum production, resulting in clogged pores. While a lot of whey protein powders on the market seem to cause breakouts, this is mainly due to the fact that there are many artificial chemicals, flavorings, and dyes in them that can disrupt someone’s gut and hormone health. With these chemicals affecting someone’s internal health , they can experience breakouts using these protein powders overtime. However, switching to a clean protein powder such as Just Ingredients Protein Powder or Santa Cruz Paleo Protein Powder can keep you focused on your fitness goals as well as achieving clear skin. 

Bone broth protein provides amino acids and collagen and is a great alternative to whey protein supplements. You can drink bone broth in the morning, add it to soups, or to your rice as you cook it. These alternatives can meet your health demands in place of whey protein. 

Certain Beverages

Alcohol consumption contributes differently to worsening skin conditions such as breakouts or acne. 

Alcohol is a diuretic that regulates excessive urination, causes dehydration, and also flushes out important nutrients as well. Moreover, alcohol is inflammatory, and combined with high sugar content, the extent of inflammatory properties increases which results in acne and also increases blood sugar levels. 

Alcohol also fluctuates hormone levels which may also trigger acne. Therefore, to get clear skin, you should avoid alcoholic beverages as best as you can, ideally completely.

Coffee

Coffee has an important place in many people’s lives, more specifically in the morning, which gives them an adrenaline rush. But, unfortunately, this is not the option for you if you have acne-prone skin. 

Even if you are not having acne and consuming it too much without water replenishment, you are prone to breakouts. It promotes the production of the stress hormone, cortisol, which leads to excessive oil production and ends up in breakouts. It also causes acidity and if combined with dairy products becomes a big risk for you. 

You can make your coffee acne-friendly if you follow some tips such as you can add some healthy fats to it, and some natural sweeteners (Manuka honey) that can play an anti-inflammatory role and prevent acne. 

Chocolate

Chocolate is suspected to give you breakouts, as it has a high ratio of refined sugar. The chemistry of chocolate, which can describe its direct impact on acne, is not clear yet. However, scientists have found that it causes peeling of the outermost skin layer and makes it vulnerable to bacterial colonization, hence leading to acne formation.  

Moreover, dark chocolate have less ratio of refined sugar and more anti-oxidants, this is helpful alternative if you are fighting breakouts. 

High-Fat Foods

Fats are an important part of an everyday diet, but, some fats can lead to inflammation and are known as “bad fat”. Typically, these fats are found in processed food items and it’s better to avoid them. For example, 

• Processed meats including sausages, hot dogs, and bacon 
• Fried food items, such as doughnuts, fried chicken, and fried rice
• Sweet such as cake, candy, cookies
• Chips such as tortillas, corn, and potato chips
• Margarine, shortening, hydrogenated oil

All these have a high content of bad fats and cause inflammation leading to acne problems. Therefore, bad quality high-fat foods you should avoid for clear skin, if you are struggling with acne or other skin conditions. Healthy fats to help with hormone regulation leading to clear skin include: avocado, nuts (almonds, cashews, walnuts), olive oil, salmon, chia and flaxseeds.

Conclusion

Clear skin is achievable with making small significant changes overtime such as swapping out foods that irritate your skin to foods that benefit your skin. It’s all about growing in knowledge and learning what works best for you. It can feel overwhelming to see a whole list of foods to avoid, however you can adjust your diet overtime, making your new eating habits enjoyable and sustainable. Research recipes, continue to educate yourself and learn more about this topic and you will see the results overtime! For healthy, delicious recipes to help clear your skin, check out our homepage and subscribe to our email list!