THE INGREDIENTS IN YOUR DINNER THAT MAY BE HELPING YOUR SKIN (AND WHAT MIGHT BE HARMING IT!)

We’ve all heard the old phrase “You are what you eat!” and that has never been more true than when it comes to skincare. Frequently skincare companies will tell you that you need to buy their expensive toner, moisturizer or whatever else to have gorgeous, radiant skin and it’s easy to get sucked in by that. Now, skincare is important and quality ingredients should absolutely be at the forefront of your mind but equally as important to what we’re putting ON our body is what we’re putting INTO it!

It’s easy to overlook your diet as a culprit for your breakouts or your dry skin flare ups but you’d be surprised at how medicinal the right diet can be and how much damage the wrong one can do. For example, sugary pops, chips, crackers, cookies, white bread, pasta and potatoes are all high glycemic, which means they spike your blood sugar. When this happens, your insulin goes up. 

Insulin spikes increase the amount of skin oils and helps contribute to the clogging of follicles. When the skin cells don’t shed properly, the follicle can become infected and pimples appear! Like magic, but the kind nobody really wants.

 Some people have issues with dairy. The natural hormones found in dairy can be inflammatory and cause you to have breakouts, so if you suspect that may be the case then perhaps try to cut back on the cheese and milk. There are many plant based milks on the market now so you should be able to find something you’ll love just as much. 

Now that we’ve talked about the things to avoid, let’s chat about what you should be adding into your diet! Fruits and vegetables are a great place to start, especially ones loaded with Vitamin A (sweet potatoes, carrots, cantaloupes), Vitamin C (tomatoes, papayas, grapefruits), and Vitamin E (spinach, broccoli, avocado). These all support great skin health!

Foods with zinc help to calm irritated breakouts, so try adding in wheat germ, Brazil nuts and almonds. Selenium helps with damage from free radicals (causing premature aging!) so brown rice, eggs and garlic are great additions to your diet and Omega 3 helps inhibit inflammatory molecules so try adding in sunflower seeds, walnuts and flaxseed oil.

There are plenty of foods out there that support skin health and regardless of your diet, you should be able to find at least a few to add in if you’re having issues with your skin. Staying away from sugar and processed carbs is a great start and you’ll really just have to tweak it as you go. 

It’s highly individual, but if you really look hard at what you’re putting into your body you’ll be able to achieve beauty, inside and out! If you are someone who is not only experiencing skin issues, but also symptoms that you can’t seem to find answers for, let me know. I have a list of phenomenal professionals that I connect you with.