5 Foods that might be causing your breakouts

Coming Clean: 5 Foods that might be causing your breakouts

Dione Chen

28 Jun 2016

updated the Tuesday, June 28, 2016

1/5
Dairy
By dairy, we're referring only to products originating from cow's milk. This may come as a surprise to some, since milk is often lauded as a healthy drink, being a main source of calcium for many people. However, it may also be the main source for your acne issues. Much of the milk that we purchase from the regular grocery store originates from pregnant cows, and contains lots of hormones that trigger sebum production, the foundation of all pimples. Some alternatives to this may be consuming dairy from other animals like goats, or organic substitutes such as almond and soy milk.
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Sugar
When the levels of sugar in your blood rises, your body produces the hormone insulin to absorb all the glucose that's been introduced into the system. High insulin levels have been found to trigger oil production and inflammatory responses in the skin, resulting in a face full of acne for many people. This doesn't mean you'll have to forgo all the sugary foods that the sweet tooth in you loves. The key is to keep your insulin levels stable, either by resorting to natural sugars in ingredients like honey or fruit, or eating small meals throughout the day, which will prevent large glucose spikes that large meals give. Take note that the sugar levels in your body are also affected by high GI (glycemic index) foods, so you'll want to choose whole grains over white bread instead.
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Junk food
Junk food has had a bad reputation since its beginning for good reasons - it brings literally no benefits to the wellbeing of your body, apart from the feeling of joy you get from its exciting flavours, which we believe can easily be replaced using healthier alternatives. Junk food, including your typical french fries, burgers and potato chips, are terribly greasy food options that raise the overall inflammation levels in the body. Don't say we didn't warn you.
4/5
Peanuts
If you suffer from acne, you might want to reconsider your nut intake. Peanuts contain hormones that may possibly increase sebum production in your body, resulting in an oilier face and a higher amount of blemishes (yes, not only acne!). Although the effects of peanuts and its related products such as peanut butter are not conclusive, you'd probably want to steer clear of this snack for a while and turn to healthier alternatives such as almonds or walnuts, which don't contain such hormones.
5/5
Coffee
Coffee is indeed a double-edged sword. One moment, we're hearing lots of benefits this substance can bring, and the next, we hear our family and friends telling us to avoid it. Most of the time, coffee does great when applied topically as a scrub or to depuff tired eyes, but may not fare as well when consumed as it may dehydrate your body and raise cortisol levels. Cortisol is a stress hormone that has been found to increase sebum and inflammatory levels, so try switching to tea for a week and see if that works for you. If you're a coffee lover... well, let's hope coffee isn't the culprit behind your awful breakouts!

You don’t just need to know what to eat for healthy skin, but what not to eat as well.

Acne is a real problem, not only during puberty, but also years after that, on a totally random day when you’re preparing to go out to meet your best girl friends, and you spot a huge, ugly zit forming on your nose. Makeup can only get you so far to conceal those cursed blemishes on your face, but when topical creams cease to work, what else can you do to stop your skin from breaking out?

There have been several scientific studies on whether the food you eat can indeed reduce or worsen the condition of the skin. Surprisingly, researchers haven’t been able to come to a conclusive standpoint on what kind of foods make or break the cut. However, there are thankfully a few theories and results that show certain people react to particular trigger foods, and these findings may be able to save your skin too.

In our gallery are 5 of the most common culprits that others have discovered play a huge role in the cause of their acne outbreaks. We recommend avoiding one type of food for about a week, then checking to see if it is indeed the root of the matter. Spread the word, and let us know what works for you! For all you know, what helps you might just benefit others as well.

Dione Chen

Photos: Getty Images

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