Нaving acne as a teenager, I wish I had known of the many foods that ruin your skin, because I was eating most of them! I know that each of us have different triggers that can cause breakouts, but what I didn’t realize was how certain foods that ruin your skin can not only cause acne, but other skin problems too. The older I get, I’ll admit I am getting more concerned with the quality and softness of my skin. Though wrinkles don’t scare me, I’m sure not welcoming any either! Certain foods can help your skin look youthful, clear and vibrant, while others can make it dull, dry, give you acne and give you wrinkles. Check out these foods that ruin your skin so you can stay clear of some of the worst offenders.
Milk
Most dairy foods, with the exception of no sugar added yogurt, tend to cause breakouts for people. Dairy is highly acidic and rich in natural hormones. Depending on how these hormones react in your body with your own hormones, you could experience an imbalance of hormones, which leads to breakouts. Some people don’t even tolerate yogurt. I have found yogurt to be the only dairy food that doesn’t give me breakouts, along with grass-fed whey protein. If you eat dairy and have acne, try eliminating dairy for one week. If your breakouts get better, the dairy could be the culprit, but if not, it could be something else you are eating.
Sugar
Sugar in refined or added form is one of the worst, if not the worst, foods that ruin your skin. Sugar breaks down collagen in the skin at dramatic rates. Collagen is the protein that keeps your skin plump, smooth, and free of wrinkles. Inflammation is caused by sugar due to it being highly acidic, and it can cause acne quickly. Sugar also raises the blood sugar, which creates a spike in insulin, your blood sugar hormone, which leads to breakouts. If you find your skin looking lifeless or see that it has breakouts, then be sure to cut back on the sweets you’re eating. I can’t even have fruits too high in sugar.
Fast Food
This one should be obvious, but fast food is full of ingredients that ruin your skin. These include trans fats, saturated fats, hormone laced meats, food dyes, chemicals, MSG, tons of salt, sugar, food stabilizers, and more. Just look at the ingredients of your favorite fast food meal on the chain’s website. Most are almost your entire daily allotment's worth of calories, salt, sugar, or all of the above. Many also contain more than 50 ingredients for just one item!
Poor Quality Supplements
While taking supplements is super important for your body, if you are suddenly having problems with your skin -- after taking supplements, it could be because the supplements that you are taking are low quality or they are just not a right fit for your body. You've got to do a lot of research before you start to take supplements!
Alcohol
Though alcohol isn’t technically a food, I’ve included it because it is a huge problem for the skin. Alcohol severely dries out your face, which can lead to breakouts, wrinkles, dull-looking skin and more. Alcohol is extremely dehydrating and also acidic. Many fancy alcoholic beverages are also high in sugar which, as you know, is a problem itself. Avoid alcohol or opt for red wine once a week for better skin.
Red meat
Red meat is so important in your diet, however, if you eat way too much of it, especially if it is packed with fat, it is going to cause breakouts all over! Just watch your red meat intake and watch how much you consume throughout the week and your skin will clear up in no time at all!
Artificial sweeteners
If you've had a lot of problems with your skin lately and you are seeing a lot of bumps and acne -- and have switched from sugar over to sweeteners, that could be one of the reasons! Because sweeteners are artificial, there are a lot of different chemicals that are used and truthfully, they can ruin your skin!
