Understanding what your skin needs is crucial before you start using products. Are you one who exercises a lot, works long hours, is in a polluted city or indoors most of the time? Does your skin get easily irritated by cosmetics? These factors can affect how well a face wash might work for you.
During my virtual consultations with clients, I often hear this phrase, “I’ve had textured uneven skin for years.” While we’ll talk about products, this is only a tiny piece of the puzzle regarding your skincare needs.
Foods that are known to be good for your skin (e.g., fruits, vegetables, and lean meats) are your best bet. Certain foods have been proven to help improve the appearance of acne scars and general complexion. Unfortunately, one of the most common questions people ask me is, “Can eating peanuts cause acne?” The short answer is no! I will share the food groups that affect your skin with solutions and alternatives.
- Sugar: Acne is caused by a disturbance in the skin’s oil glands, called sebaceous glands, that secret sebum that can be clogged by insulin. This points to our first culprit: highly processed sugary drinks. Our bodies can heal themselves, but it needs the right environment. Consuming highly processed sugary drinks throws the body off balance. The solution is to opt for natural juices and smoothies.
- Consuming Dairy: Who wants to miss out on ice cream or a cold glass of Oreo milkshake? I can tell you that dermatologists have no irrefutable consensus that eliminating dairy will magically give you the complexion of a mannequin. However, many spa owners, beauty editors, and bloggers have reported minimized breakouts after cutting out cow’s milk products. Dairy is a prime culprit—and aggravator—for acne because it has a high glycemic index, meaning it spikes your blood sugar more than any other food we eat. For this reason, it’s vital to completely cut out dairy or invest in non-dairy milk such as almonds, oat, and other plant-based options.
- Consuming Alcohol in Massive Amounts: Alcohol is a diuretic that causes your body to remove fluids and makes you dehydrated. Dehydrated skin can cause redness and irritation and, in the long term, cause your skin to age more quickly. Another thing to note is that alcohol reduces the efficacy of insulin in the body, increasing your blood sugar and, as we’ve mentioned in our first point, will throw your body off balance.
If you must drink alcohol, ensure you drink a lot of water so you do not get dehydrated.
It’s no secret that what you eat significantly impacts how your skin looks and feels. That’s why now, more than ever, it’s important to remember these four words: ingest, inject, infuse, and innervate. Keeping your gut healthy can help with everything from acne and rosacea to wrinkles and dryness—so don’t forget that skincare gifts like these are a perfect way to show yourself some self-love.
By: Ohenewa Asiedu
