Do you get as frustrated as I do when you eat French fries and the next day or two you see a large zit sitting on your face, eager to say hi? If yes, then welcome.
I know acne can be annoying, and you know what hurts the most? when you’re so consistent with your skin care routine, and yet your skin doesn’t seem to care. I really get in those moments where I have conversations with my skin like ‘hey what’s good? I just had facials done and bought amazing skin care products just for you. You’re going to behave right? I’m sure you will. Good girl!’ and of course, my skin does the exact opposite of what I wanted it to do, and in little time my face is filled with breakouts.. again.
One thing I recently asked myself is; I’m trying many skin care products, but do I watch what I eat?
You are what you eat.
What we digest and put in our bellies, will definitely show on our faces and our skin. I learnt this the hard way when I discovered certain foods actually triggered my acne. This is the major reason why my breakouts kept reoccurring. Most times (especially with acne prone skin) the breakouts don’t go because you aren’t eating the right thing for your skin. There are lots of things to consider on this journey of being acne free and the top rule is to always watch what you eat.
Grab a seat and munch on a fruit because in this article, I’ll be highlighting the different types of food you should avoid if you have acne prone skin:
(1) Sugar:
Let’s face facts, sugar is literally present in almost every food we eat and it can be so exhausting when your acne is triggered by sugar and refined foods. Sugar is an inflammatory food with a high glycemic index, eating too many foods with this can lead to inflammation and raise the blood sugar cells in our body, which in turn affects the skin and can show up as pimples. Studies have revealed that following a low-glycemic diet or one that is low in simple sugars, can help prevent and improve acne.
One of my proudest moments this year was when I decided to cut off taking soda completely. I used to be one of those people who could not go a day without consuming a bottle of Coke, Fanta, and the likes. I noticed days after taking soda drinks my face just had this rough feeling, so I decided to cut it off temporarily at first, to know how my skin will feel like and the results were great. Overtime, the rough patches on my skin began to reduce. Overall, I saw great results so I figured why not cut it off permanently? clearly it was doing me more harm than good, so I said good riddance!
High glycemic foods include; bread, cereals made with white flour, white rice, noodles, sodas and sweetened beverages. This is serious wahala for us Nigerians because these are foods we eat everyday, so cutting these meals from your diet can’t be easy, you just have to stay consistent and healthy.
You can first start off by reducing your level of consumption. If you eat these foods regularly, cut down your intake slowly and watch how your skin will turn out. I’m not saying you’ll see results instantly, but overtime your skin will improve.
Read: Beauty On A Budget: How To Afford A Killer Skincare Routine
Eating a lot of refined carbohydrates may increase blood sugar and insulin levels and contribute to the development of pimples. So if you’re prone to acne, it’s best to reduce the amount of sugar you consume.
(2) Diary Products:
I need to be honest with you guys, personally this decision has been the hardest for me. I love ice cream so cutting it down made me sad, but pretty hurts abi? I need to maintain this black girl glow, so diary products just have to take the back seat. Milk is known to raise the insulin levels in your body. Insulin is a hormone that helps move blood sugar known as glucose from the bloodstream to your cells. Dairy cows are said to be treated with artificial hormones that affect their milk supply. Theories state that this may throw your hormones off balance when you consume milk products, as this could stir an acne flare.
If you notice your acne is being affected by diary products, it is best to cut it off totally and see how your skin reacts to the adjustment. I saw major improvements on my skin when I cut down my intake on diary products. It was like magic! But, I have to put it out there that this works for me and it might not work for everyone. While quitting dairy may help stop stubborn breakouts, it may not prove to be an effective cure for everyone because the relation between acne and milk isn’t exactly scientifically proven yet. There is certainly no harm in trial though.
(3) Fried/Oily Meals:
As soon as I eat that delicious cheesy burger, all it takes is a day for the end result to pop up on my face like ‘suprise bitch!’
Meals such as burgers, hot dogs, French fries and many more can increase acne risk. This happens to me a lot after eating fried foods, and this is because of the excess oil used in making them. It’s not the easiest thing to just immediately stop eating your favorite meals, but if its causing more harm than good to your skin and body, its very worth it. Oily foods in general are not even advised for people who are prone to acne because it causes more inflammation on the skin. This happens to me whenever I eat plantain. Some times I purposely leave the kitchen when someone is frying it on the stove, because all it takes is a minute before I’m stuffing some in my mouth. A girl loves plantain, don’t judge me please.
Besides, I know you don’t like under a rock. Without reading this article, you already know fried meals are bad. For both your skin, body and overall health.
(4) Chocolates/Junk Food:
Some people get acne when they eat chocolates but for me this has never been the case. So, it really varies on you and how sensitive you are to certain types of food. Either way though, frequent intakes of chocolates and junk food like crisps, biscuits is bad for you.
It is also stated in most theories that Chocolates can trigger the immune system to react in a negative way to the two bacteria’s that cause acne. Besides, sugar is also present which is a triggering cause of acne like I mentioned earlier. It can also ball down to ingredients used in making these foods. In most cases after eating chocolate and getting acne, it could be an allergy reaction.
P:S – You might be sensitive to certain food: Other times, you might be getting acne because you’re sensitive to a particular food or an ingredient. The best thing to do is, watch the food you eat and see how your skin reacts to them.
You can also consult a dermatologist or a dietician to plan the kind of meal you should be eating.
Be patient with yourself, Acne is a process. Do not be in a rush and remember its not only caused by the food we eat, most times it’s the other factors. This is just a guide incase your acne might be triggered by meals you may not even know. I hope this was helpful!
