Did you know that what you eat, has a major impact on your skin health? Even the American Academy of Dermatology agrees certain food can lead to breakouts. When you are acne prone, eating certain foods can trigger inflammation and increased oil production. The end result…acne and breakouts.
If you’re on the road to clear skin, the first step is steering clear of acne-causing foods. However, in the world of “Dr. Google,” it’s hard to determine what’s fact or fiction. And what’s even more annoying, sometimes it’s just hard to pinpoint what foods are aggravating our acne.
Maybe you feel like I once did. There was a time where I KNEW something was triggering those pesky breakouts. And not just a little breakout –> big, angry, painful, itchy, monster cysts. Yes, you read that right. I’m sure you can relate. But even though I knew something was triggering the breakouts, I just didn’t know what. When you are eating 20+ foods a day with an ingredient list a mile long, pinpointing is straight-up hard. And sometimes, paying for food sensitivity testing is just not in the cards right now.
Talk about frustrating!
So if you’re looking for a FREE place to start, these are the 5 foods that actually sabotage your skin:
- Cow’s Milk – milk, yogurt, ice cream, cream, coffee creamer, etc.
- Whey Protein – protein powders, protein bars, protein shakes, etc.
- Added Sugar – baked goods, candy, juice, soft drinks, sweet tea, sweetened coffee, cereals, etc.
- Gluten – pasta, breads, pastries, crackers, cereals, gravies, beer, some soups, granola, etc.
- Alcohol – liquor, wine, beer, hard soda, cocktails, etc.
**Note – Alcohol doesn’t directly cause acne. However, alcohol may impact your hormones, hydration status, digestion, liver, and immune system. Thus, inducing breakouts.
If you’re not ready to go all in on these five, start with just one. I recommend COMPLETELY ditching that item for at least 2-3 weeks. Take note of any improvements or changes over that time. Taking a before and after pictures can be super helpful. If skin improves, try to steer clear of that skin-sabotager. No change? Try another potential trigger and repeat.
Ready to go all in? Eliminate all five triggers for at least 2-3 weeks. During this phase, take note of skin changes. After the elimination stage is over, you have the option to try and reintroduce triggers to understand if one or all impact your skin. Each individual food should be added back for 2-3 days at a time. Again, note skin changes.
If you do NOT experience negative skin changes during the period where you reintroduce a food, assume that food safe. However, if you DO have negative skin changes, you have likely identified a trigger food and should steer clear of that food.
Have you pin-pointed your food triggers? How did you discover the link? Share, share! Comment below or share with the SLN community on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. In the meantime, click here to get a FREE copy of our pore clogging ingredient list!
