They say you are what you eat. You know what, I'm inclined to believe whoever "they" are. As a teen, I used to eat any and everything I wanted, and it showed. I gained weight like it was my job, and my face broke out on the daily. At first, I blamed puberty, but as I got older I started to realize my poor eating habits were to blame. So slowly but surely, I started to change my diet. The weight fell off almost immediately, but my skin was still kind of, shall we say, moody. So what gives? Well, it turns out even healthy foods can cause you to break out. So not cool!
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Like it or not, zits happen. But that doesn't mean we can't control the frequency at which they happen. While there's no single cause of acne, certain foods can cause an outbreak of epic proportions for some people. Though we used to think greasy foods were the worst offenders, we're now learning that even seemingly healthy foods, like some of those listed below, may be contributing to your acne woes. OOOH, NOOOO!
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Dairy
Milk may do your body good, but when it comes to your face…that’s a different story. The American Academy of Dermatology says there may actually be a correlation between milk consumption and acne. Grrr! So what gives? Well, dairy is chock full of pimple-producing hormones. In other words, milk is like puberty in a glass.
Coconut oil
Coconut oil does wonders for your hair and scalp, but won’t do your skin many favors–especially if you ingest it. Though it’s safe to eat, the thick and decadent oil can and will clog pores and create inflation, especially around your jawline and mouth. So not sexy. Stick to using it as a vegan baking substitute and flyaway tamer.
Peanuts
Aw, nuts! It turns out peanuts contain an androgen that may cause a spike in sebum production, which may then in turn cause you to break out. But don’t despair. Other nuts, such as almonds and cashews are safe. They won’t mess with your androgen levels, so feel free to go to town on that box of almond brittle.
Soy
Sorry to break it to you, but if you tend to break out around your jawline or boca, your vegan diet could be to blame. Soy products and tofu contain natural plant estrogens that can throw your own hormones out of whack, which may then cause you to break out.
Coffee
Believe it or not, your morning cafecito can actually kick oil production into high gear. An organic acid found in coffee beans may trigger a rise in cortisol levels, which may in tern stimulate oil-producing sebaceous glands. If you need a caffeine fix in the morning, try switching to green tea.
Sugar
Well, duh, sugar's not good for you. We already know it can lead to weight gain and diabetes, but did you know it's also "pro-inflammatory"? Argh. If you want to avoid having to walk around with an inflamed face, limit your sugar intake. Try swapping out the white stuff for stevia when you can, and always choose fresh fruit over fruit juice.
Bread
Some kinds of bread may contain a trifecta of acne-causing culprits–soy, sugar and dairy. And as if that weren't bad enough, most varieties of pan also contain wheat, which may induce inflammation. Duh!
