Skin & Nail Care

18 Things You Eat That Destroy Your Skin and Cause Acne (#13 Shocked Me)

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The Food You Eat Is Causing Your Acne Breakouts

You’re at your wit’s end trying to get rid of your acne. Despite diligently performing your ten-step skincare routine, sleeping on a silk pillowcase every night, and dreaming about the clear, radiant skin you deserve, you still wake up with blackheads, whiteheads, and even painful cysts that instantly ruin your day.

You may not have considered a sneaky cause of your breakouts: your diet. While researchers are still discovering which foods cause acne and why, there are some that are generally considered unsafe for the acne-prone.

Dietary changes likely won’t produce overnight results–you’ll need to regularly avoid problem foods in order to see an improvement in your acne. But making a serious change about what you eat could unlock beautiful, glowing skin.

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Consulting with a dietitian or nutritionist takes the guesswork out of finding your perfect acne-free diet. These experts will help you identify your trigger foods and create a meal plan that works for your lifestyle.

Forget the scorched-earth scare tactics you’ve read about–a trained practitioner knows how to reconcile the foods you can’t live without with your health goals, including the clear, radiant skin you work hard to achieve.

Your dietitian may begin by asking you about your intake of high-glycemic foods. You may have heard of the glycemic index as it refers to diabetes: eating foods with a high glycemic index sends your blood sugar soaring, which signals your body to release high levels of the hormone insulin. The resulting insulin spike can increase your skin’s production of sebum, an oily substance that can get trapped in your pores and cause acne.

High-glycemic foods aren’t just sugary items like candy; breads made with refined flour, and even some kinds of fruit rank highly on the glycemic index.

Another tried and true strategy your dietitian will suggest is to eliminate dairy products from your diet. Certain compounds in cow’s milk are linked to increased acne production in adults. The obvious culprits are milk and ice cream, but you’ll have to do some detective work to make sure there are zero dairy ingredients in other foods you eat.

Take a look at the list of foods below that may be ruining your skin, and ask your dietitian how you can keep them out of your acne-free diet plan. You may be surprised to learn that some of your favorite health foods don’t make the cut.

ACNE CAUSING FOOD #1: Refined Flour

1. If you eat bread, bagels, cereal, or crackers that list “enriched flour” as the first ingredient, you’re on the fast track to your next breakout.
  
  Enriched wheat flour, also known as white flour or refined flour, is considered extremely high on the glycemic index. In fact, one slice of white bread is the standard food against which all others are compared to determine their glycemic load.
  
  White bread has the same glycemic load is pure sugar, which makes it one of the worst foods you can eat if you want clear skin. Check the ingredient list on any of these products to make sure that the first ingredient is “whole wheat” or “whole grain” flour instead.

ACNE CAUSING FOOD #2: White Rice

1. White rice also scores high on the glycemic index. White rice is what’s leftover when a grain of rice is stripped of its protective outer coat and nutrient-rich core.
2. You can think of brown rice as the safe alternative that still has its stores of fiber, vitamins, and minerals intact. Next time you hit up your favorite Japanese spot, ask if they offer brown rice instead.

ACNE CAUSING FOOD #3: Refined Pasta

1. You may already know that pasta can expand your waistline, but did you know it can also contribute to acne? That’s because most pasta is made with refined flour, which–you guessed it–means it has a high glycemic load.
2. But food startups like Banza won’t leave you high and dry. Their chickpea-based pasta substitutes boast a comparable mouthfeel and high protein, plus a low glycemic load to boot.

ACNE CAUSING FOOD #4: Pastries

1. Popping in to your local bakery may have negative consequences for your acne-prone skin: brownies, cupcakes, and cookies are usually made with refined flour, added sugar, and milk and butter.
2. The good news is that vegan baked goods are becoming mainstream, meaning you can enjoy your favorite desserts without the dairy hit.
3. You can also make your own confections healthier by reducing the sugar and substituting whole wheat pastry flour to avoid a high-glycemic treat.

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ACNE CAUSING FOOD #5: Gluten-free Foods

1. On the subject of wheat substitutions, we have to mention high-glycemic gluten-free foods. If you’re sensitive to gluten, you may have found some great gluten-free alternatives to wheat-based bread and cookies, but they may be causing your acne.
  
  If they’re made with white rice flour or tapioca starch, two common wheat flour substitutes, it’s likely that they lack fiber and have a high glycemic load.

ACNE CAUSING FOOD #6: Salad Dressing

1. Studies have shown that the omega-3 fatty acids in leafy greens like spinach can help fight the causes of acne. But before you belly-up to a giant salad, consider what you’re drizzling on top.
  
  Salad dressings can be secret sources of dairy and added sugar, and some of the worst offenders are crowd-pleasers like ranch, caesar, and raspberry vinaigrette.
  
  Check the ingredient labels to see if your favorite dressing contains milk, cream, parmesan cheese, or sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup.
  
  The healthiest salad dressing you can eat is the one you make at home. Keep it simple with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and a touch of honey or maple syrup.

ACNE CAUSING FOOD #7: Creamy Soup

1. Your favorite creamy soups–tomato basil, butternut squash, potato–get their rich flavors from milk or heavy cream. If you still want thicker soups without the acne risk, try ones made with non-dairy alternatives, like coconut cream.
  
  Look for a vegan label on packaged soups to guarantee you’re buying dairy-free products.

ACNE CAUSING FOOD #8: Soda

1. This one may seem obvious to you: soda has lots of sugar, which can cause your insulin levels to spike, leading to acne.
2. Switching to sugar-free soda doesn’t mean you’re in the clear. Artificial sweeteners can mess with your gut bacteria, altering hormone levels in a way that may lead to more acne flare-ups.

ACNE CAUSING FOOD #9: Kombucha

1. Touted by health gurus and nutritionists alike as a gut-restoring super drink, this fizzy, fermented tea beverage can actually worsen your acne due to its often high sugar content.Adding sugar to the kombucha brew is a necessary part of the fermentation process, but punchy flavors like mango and cola require using more sugar than the good bacteria in the brew can metabolize.
2. When choosing a kombucha, look for the sugar content on the nutrition label, and avoid any flavors that come in at over 5 grams of sugar per serving.

ACNE CAUSING FOOD #10: Juice

1. We all have that one friend who goes on a juice cleanse as a way to “purify” themselves after an unhealthy food bender. Not only can this be expensive, it is also extremely risky if you are acne-prone, even if the juice is made only from vegetables.
2. When we eat whole vegetables, we consume high levels of fiber, which helps counteract the glycemic effect of the sugars that occur naturally in fruits and veggies.
3. Juicing a stick of celery strips away all that natural fiber, leaving us with a drink that’s mostly water, vitamins, and lots of sugar. A better option is to steer clear of juice entirely and just eat whole fruits and veggies.

ACNE CAUSING FOOD #11: Coffee Drinks

1. When mid-afternoon rolls around and you need a pick-me-up, instead of heading to the Starbucks drive through, try brewing your own cup of coffee.
2. One caramel macchiato a day could mean the difference between clear skin and a painful breakout, as fancy coffee drinks tend to be loaded with flavored syrups and whole dairy milk.
3. Be aware of how much sugar is going into your coffee by adding it yourself, in small portions. There are many great non-dairy creamer options made from vegan ingredients ranging from almonds to oats.

ACNE CAUSING FOOD #12: Cocktails

1. At the end of a long week, sometimes all you want to do is head to happy hour and kick back with a few frozen margaritas. If you’ve read this far, you may know where this is going: the added sugar in the margarita could worsen your acne.
2. Further, the tequila itself could also be the culprit. Alcohol has been shown to affect your immune system, increase oxidative stress in your body, and alter hormone levels, each of which may contribute to skin issues.

ACNE CAUSING FOOD #13: Greek Yogurt

1. Here is another food often suggested to dieters as a must-have component of a healthy diet. Not only does it offer a high dose of protein, it contains live bacteria which help promote gastrointestinal health. Shock Alert: However, it is made from dairy milk, which is a major contributor to acne in adults.

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ACNE CAUSING FOOD #14: Dried Fruit

1. Dried fruit may seem harmless to munch on as a snack. But think of the last time you sat down with a bag of Craisins or turkish apricots–did you stop at a small handful?
  
  It can be very easy to eat dried fruit in quantities beyond that of a single serving (rougly ¼ cup). Because dried fruit lacks the water found in its fresh counterparts, you may feel less full eating after 10 raisins than you would after eating 10 grapes.
2. Practice portion control with dried fruit to ensure you aren’t sending your blood sugar sky-high, and be sure to choose options that contain no added sweeteners or coatings like yogurt or chocolate.

ACNE CAUSING FOOD #15: Eggs

Natalie Portman famously claimed that giving up eggs helped clear her acne. Who are we to dispute her radiant visage?

Your dietitian can help you determine if eggs trigger your acne by recommending an elimination diet, whereby you avoid certain foods and observe changes in your skin. Maybe eggs are all that stand in the way between you and your red-carpet-ready face.

ACNE CAUSING FOOD #16: Whey Protein Bars

1. Scientists think that exercise can be beneficial for those who suffer with acne. And if you’ve ever ventured into the world of fitness, you may know that whey is the most common protein supplement on the market, and bodybuilders and weekend warriors alike rely on it for its muscle-building power.
  
  What you may not know is that whey comes from cow’s milk and presents a clear and present danger to your pores. In small studies, participants experienced worsened acne after adding whey to their diets, while those who eliminated whey noticed clearer skin.
2. The next time you need a post-workout snack, look for vegan protein supplements, or try eating whole food sources of protein, like almonds or quinoa.

ACNE CAUSING FOOD #17: Flavored Instant Oatmeal Packs

1. When you’re running late in the morning, it can be so easy to pop a pre-flavored packet of oatmeal in the microwave as you’re heading out the door.
  
  Your skin wants you to know that within this quick fix is a hidden sugar bomb. A single packet of Quaker Strawberries & Cream instant oats contains 7 grams of added sugar. This may not sound so bad until you consider that the amount of oats per packet is less than a suggested serving of plain instant oatmeal.
  
  This means you could find your stomach growling again before lunch. If you counteract this by eating two packets, that’s a whopping 14 grams of sugar–over half the daily recommended intake of sugar for adults–all before 10 am.

ACNE CAUSING FOOD #18: Secret Sugar Sources

1. Dextrose, cane juice crystals, sucanat, turbinado, invert sugar…ever see two, three, or more of these on the ingredient list of your favorite snack? They may sound like exotic health foods, but they are really just alternate names for added sugar.

1. These show up routinely on granola bars, cereals, and crackers that may otherwise be labeled as healthy or natural. To make sure snacktime won’t lead to a breakout, choose foods that contain only one or two sources of sugar.

SO…

How many of these acne-causing foods do you eat regularly? If you noticed more than one, get a dietitian or nutritionist to help you can make substitutions that will help get your skin to the level of radiance you dream about.