Foods that are bad for your skin
You can follow all the skincare routines you want, but if you follow a healthy diet, you will still break out. Eating right isn’t just for a healthy body, it also promotes healthy skin. Here are the types of food that can harm your skin.
1. High-glycemic foods
High-glycemic food digests easily and shoots your blood sugar up like a rocket. This spike can make your skin start pumping out more oil, which might lead to breakouts. These foods also speed up the ageing process, causing early wrinkles and making your skin less plump and youthful.
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white bread
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pasta
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sugary cereals
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sugary snacks
2. High-fat dairy products
Dairy products, especially those high in fat, pack hormones like IGF-1, which, sadly, can make acne worse. This hormone messes with your testosterone, cranking up your sebum production and clogging your pores. Plus, stuff like whey protein found in milk can pump up your insulin growth, which again, isn’t great for keeping your skin clear. All these hormones in dairy can throw your body’s balance off and mess with your skin, stirring up more acne.
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milk
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ice cream
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whey protein
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cheese
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butter
3. Processed and fried foods
Our waistlines aren’t the only ones at risk when we eat fast food, our skin too. Usually fried or processed food packs a lot of calories along with fats and refined carbs. This combo can lead to skin troubles like inflammation, acne, and even speed up the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Plus, all that salt? Not great for our hearts and it can leave our skin feeling pretty dry, too.
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burgers
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fries
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nuggets
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chips
4. Sweetened beverages
Sweet drinks contain phosphoric acid which is not doing our skin any favours. It throws off our nutritional balance and that messes up our skin. Plus, the sugar in these drinks can spike our insulin levels leading to dry skin, and acne, and even breaks down collagen and elastin — yep, those are the things that keep our skin firm and smooth. So, expect some fine lines and wrinkles if you’re sipping on them regularly. And if you have sensitive skin, the artificial colours and flavours can make things even worse — think inflammation, redness, and irritation.
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sodas
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fruit juices
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energy drinks
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caffeinated drinks
5. Alcohol
Alcohol is good at getting rid of fluids from your body. But if you’re dealing with rosacea, watch out, because it can dry out your skin big time and might leave you with fine lines, wrinkles, and some redness. Also, alcohol loves to make your blood vessels bigger, which means more blood flow – but heads up, this can lead to breakouts and oilier skin.
Now onto something different – vitamin A. Think of it like your skin’s personal bodyguard, keeping your cells in tip-top shape and your immune system fighting strong. But alcohol messes with that, making it tough to keep that youthful glow, and might have you looking older than you are.
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beer
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wine
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spirits
6. Oily foods
Oily foods contain saturated fats and additives that are not good for our skin. Eating them excessively can cause inflammation, which is bad news whether you have acne or want to keep your skin looking young. These foods may even make your skin more oily and prone to breakouts. If you want healthier skin, consider cutting back on processed meats and replacing them with leaner options such as chicken or fish.
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bacon
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sausages
- deep fried foods
This does not imply that you cannot eat all of these things. You are permitted to enjoy life, but remember to eat these in moderation and not on a regular basis. Explore health-promoting foods and a skincare routine that can provide you with clear, healthy skin.