What you eat affects many aspects of your health including your skin.
If you are an avid reader of the Face Plus Medispa blogs you will know that we strongly believe skin health and diet go hand in hand, this is often overlooked.
Your complexion becomes oily when the sebaceous glands secrete more sebum than they need to and this leads to enlarged pores.
Oily skin is difficult to control but changing your diet and reducing your consumption of unhealthy foods, you will see positive improvements to your skin.
Here are the foods you should avoid if you have oily skin:
Dairy products
Milk, butter, cheese and milk chocolate contain high levels of hormones which can lead to an increased production of oil and blocked pores. What to blocked pores leads to? Large pores!
Dairy is also lined with acne and other skin conditions.
If dairy has been your main source of calcium up your intake of leafy greens and almonds to get your recommended daily dose!
If you need a little chocolate in your like, we suggest you opt for a good quality dark chocolate, this should not have an adverse effect on your skin.
Refined carbohydrates
Refined grains lose important nutrients and fibre when they are processed. This has an impact on your blood sugar and can lead to an increased production of oil.
What are refines carbs? White bread, white rice, white pasta and cereals fall into this category. Foods you should opt for instead? Brown whole meal bread, brown rice, whole meal pasta, quinoa and oats. Look for foods that are not as processed with higher levels of fibre.
You want to keep your blood sugar levels more stable, which means your energy levels are steadier too.
Saturated fats and trans fats
Saturated fats are the most harmful fats as it can increase the level of cholesterol in your blood and increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Saturated fats also increase inflammation in the skin and lead to excess oil being produced.
Saturated fats are most commonly found in deep fried foods and mass produced fast food goods. Trans fats also have negative effects on your skin. A trans fat is formed when oil goes through a hardening process called hydrogenation. Trans fats are found in processed foods.
When selecting meats opt for lean poultry, oily fish like salmon and unseasoned nuts. When cooking use healthy fats such as olive oil.
Sugar
If you don’t know how bad sugar is for your skin, then you’ve been living under a rock in mars!
When the sugar spikes your blood sugar levels the body responds by producing more insulin, which encourages the glands to produce more oil and heightens the risk of developing acne and larger pores.
Limit your consumption of refined sugars and consume natural sugars in moderation. Be wary of processed foods that claim to be low in sugar as they will often contain for sodium/salt or fat to compensate!
All of the food items that we have mentioned should be avoided or consumed in moderation. In addition, we suggest your curb the sodium and alcohol as they both dehydrate the skin.
Results from diet changes won’t be visible immediately but you should start to see a different in about 4 to 6 weeks.
One thing you need more of? WATER!! Read the importance of water here and here, so important, we wrote two blogs about it!
Read our other food related blogs:
Foods MEN should avoid can be found here
Dry skin? Try these foods
Want glowing skin? Read our top five tips here
Plump up the skin and boost collagen by including these foods in your diet
To make an appointment with our wellness expert or dermal therapists:
Wellness expert, Bondi Beach: 02 8897 0077
Dermal Therapists: 02 8897 0000
Email: [email protected]
