Tuesday 27 January 2015

Eat Your Way to Clear Skin!


As you know, I have had huge problems with acne in the past. To clear this up, I had to combine medication with cream treatments with, would you believe it, better eating. It makes sense when you think about it, what you put inside your body is bound to reflect on the outside. This doesn't mean you have to deprive yourself, but just try adding some of the foods below to your everyday diet and see if it makes a difference!
  1. Drink Water - I know this doesn't technically count as a food, but I can't stress the importance of drinking water enough. It hydrates your body and skin and flushes out toxins. It is usually recommended you drink around 2l of water a day. I used to struggle with fitting it in, but try to get into a routine of drinking water whenever you can; with a meal, while you're working and whenever you need a drink, and you will find it comes pretty naturally. Try to cut out any sort of fizzy drink and switch to water, as they are loaded with sugar and other nasties. Don't just think you'll be okay because you drink diet drinks; sometimes they can be even worse for your health and they can still inflame your skin!
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  2. Cut down on junk, processed and sugary food - I'm not saying you should cut this food out all-together, but try to limit the amount you consume. Sugar quickly gets into your bloodstream and spikes your insulin levels, which can cause breakouts. Instead, get your energy by eating low-GI or "slow release" carbohydrates such as beans, pulses, porridge and wholegrains.
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  3. Avoid dairy - There have been quite a few scientific studies which show associations with dairy and acne, so if possible you might like to try avoiding it and seeing the results. The hormone levels in milk may increase sebum production, which leads to acne. Personally, I drink almond milk and dislike cheese, so the only dairy I consume is yoghurt. Sine I made this change I have seen a reduction in my blemishes, but it could also be down to the other things I was doing to clear my skin.
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  4. Get your 5-a-day - Vegetables and fruit contain powerful antioxidants and vitamins which are essential for clear, radiant skin. I would recommend eating a range of fruit & veg, try to eat a "rainbow" of different colours as they all have different properties. Sweet potatoes, kale, spinach, berries and oranges are all full of essential vitamins and also taste yummy too!
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  5. Don't cut out fat - Many people assume that fat causes acne, as acne is often caused by excess sebum and oil clogging your pores. However, foods such as avocados, nuts and olive oil provide essential "healthy" fats which keep your skin smooth and soft. Your skin needs some moisture otherwise your body will think it is dry and will start producing even more sebum!
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  6. Include Zinc - Zinc is involved in the normal functioning of sebaceous glands in the skin (which produce oil) and helps to repair existing skin damage. Foods high in Zinc include fish, lean red meat, wholegrains, poultry, nuts, beans (especially kidney beans), seeds and shellfish.

I hope these tips help you, please let me know in the comments if you plan to make any changes or are already seeing good results in your skin from eating well! Obviously for the best results you'll need to combine this with an appropriate regular skincare routine. I really enjoy writing about skincare as it is a topic very close to my own heart; when I had really bad skin I didn't have anywhere to go for reliable and experienced advice, and nobody understood how frustrating and upsetting it was. Let me know if you like my skincare posts and what you'd like to see in the future!

17 comments:

  1. Love this post! Water is definitely important! Great tips x bonitarochelle.co.uk

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    1. Thank you! I loved your last post - I'm a bit of a lipstick obsessive myself! x

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  2. Great tips ! Now i need to do them whick it's hard haha ^_^

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    1. Thank you! I know it's difficult but it's definitely worth it!

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  3. I nominate you for the Versatile Blogger Award.You can check out my post and the rules here http://bubblybeauty135.blogspot.gr/2015/01/the-versatile-blogger-award.html <3

    xoxo
    BubblyBeauty

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  4. Great tips! I definitely agree with drinking water and cutting down on dairy - two things I've noticed that really helped my skin out :)
    Also, really love your blog url play on words!
    Saadiya x

    || That Girl; Saadiya ||

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    1. Thanks for the feedback! I'm so glad you like the name, I was worried people wouldn't find it as funny as I did! x

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  5. I could neveeeeer cut out dairy! I like cheese too much haha. I always drink water and never pick fizzy drinks when I'm out eating. The gas in the drinks make my stomach hurt too. Lovely post!

    Jenny - www.jnylng.com

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    1. I can't bring myself to cut out yoghurt! Thank you lovely x

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  6. I definitely need to drink more water. it clears my skin up in like a day.
    great tips
    amira
    http://holychicxox.blogspot.co.uk/
    xox

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    1. It's the best thing you can do for your skin! x

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  7. Great tips! I definitely get lots of water everyday, and some green tea as well.

    http://arnellavanilla.com/category/home/

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  8. great post, I'm having a lot of trouble with my skin right now so this is really helpful. I've been trying to have smoothies everyday to up my intake of fruit and veg! would love if you could check out my fashion blog? :)

    Istylethereforeiiwear

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    1. I'm so glad these tips were helpful! Thanks for commenting, of course I will :) x

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  9. Reading this post has made me feel soooo guilty about how unhealthily I have been eating recently, I am going straight home and making an all fruit smoothie now!

    The Velvet Black // UK Style & Beauty Blog

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    1. Don't feel guilty, sometimes we need to treat ourselves!! Everything in moderation x

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