Food for better skin

hmg90
hmg90 Posts: 314 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I've always had bad skin - my type is combination skin. Had terrible acne when younger and went on Roaccutane. It took care of the worst, but I still get zits, lots of clogged pores and even dry areas. There is redness, extremely oily areas without having used any moisturizer. Have tried so many skincare products and am currently using something on prescription. There are black dots everywhere.

So on the food part - what has helped others here? I have cut out sugar, so I don't eat candy at all. Still it hasn't helped.

I hear some have had benefits from cutting out dairy or what, do some have that experience here?

I'm 23 btw.
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Replies

  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    It might be hormonal. Some have luck with bc helping their skin. Sometimes I need a prescription antibiotic gel. OTC products don't seem to help much. I use organic coconut oil to remove makeup and as a moisturizer. It doesn't make my skin oily.
  • aquarabbit
    aquarabbit Posts: 1,622 Member
    What are you using right now for skincare? I saw a great improvement in my skin when I really upped my veggies (especially leafy greens!). I actually use a lot of food for skincare too. Outside and in!
  • fruttibiscotti
    fruttibiscotti Posts: 986 Member
    What worked for me is my LCHF diet, low carb high fat. I used to have dry skin, needing to use all sorts of creams all day long. Even the real expensive stuff from France and Switzerland. Also, skin on my face used to be rough, bumpy and break out at times. Now, after going LCHF, I no longer use creams...I just use them when I miss the perfumed smell. I realize now that I had not had sufficient fat in my diet, and it caused my skin to get very dry. This is what helped of me, I hope you find what works for you. Good luck.
  • mhasita
    mhasita Posts: 93 Member
    there is a theory that some food allergies / intolerances cause the skin to react in that way.

    gluten/lactose are common intolerances, so maybe try to restrict gradually some of those things to see if you notice any changes.
  • kolbif
    kolbif Posts: 83
    I've always heard salmon (high in omega fats) is awesome for your skin. If you like salmon, that is! If not, definitely take a fish-oil pill.

    Or avocados? Those are supposed to be good for your skin, too.

    And, as always, drink plenty of water. Flush out all the toxins and stay hydrated.
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    I think eggs and/or coffee cause my bad skin....also gluten and dairy, but I eat those very infrequently.
  • hardworker92
    hardworker92 Posts: 54
    up the vegetable and have close to 2-3L of water per day and drink ONLY water and tea . Youll see a huge improvement
  • MsJulielicious
    MsJulielicious Posts: 708 Member
    I had terrible skin for awhile. The specific bc I was on turned out to be the culprit.
    I switched to a different type and problem solved.
    It may be hormonal?
    Do you have access to a Dr. you can consult about this issue?
    I also found that using only cetaphil wash and moisturizer helped so much. You said combination skin. Same here. I don't break out using this and my skin stays moisturized
    I tried all sorts of diets changes, but nothing really helped as hormonal bc was the cause.
  • PennyCrow
    PennyCrow Posts: 11 Member
    I had bad skin for most of my life. I have spent thousands of dollars on dermatologist trying to get it resolved. A few years ago I cut out dairy and have seen a tremendous difference in my skin. I also drink a lot of water. I know if I want to "treat" myself to ice cream that I will have a zit within hours. Sometimes it is worth it.... most times it is not. I can now go without make up and feel comfortable in my own skin. I do use foundation most days because of the sun screen, and NOT because I'm trying to hide something. During my transition, I used Proactive which I swear by, but now I rely on no dairy. If I have the dairy, I use Proactive. Good luck!
  • fattymcrunnerpants
    fattymcrunnerpants Posts: 311 Member
    Drinking only water and dropping gluten helped me a lot
  • JamieBeth19
    JamieBeth19 Posts: 47 Member
    I've always had bad skin - my type is combination skin. Had terrible acne when younger and went on Roaccutane. It took care of the worst, but I still get zits, lots of clogged pores and even dry areas. There is redness, extremely oily areas without having used any moisturizer. Have tried so many skincare products and am currently using something on prescription. There are black dots everywhere.

    So on the food part - what has helped others here? I have cut out sugar, so I don't eat candy at all. Still it hasn't helped.

    I hear some have had benefits from cutting out dairy or what, do some have that experience here?

    I'm 23 btw.

    Love the topic! Thanks for posting :)
  • charliex2202
    charliex2202 Posts: 4,281 Member
    For me increasing my water has made a major difference to my skin, I have never had bad skin just the occasional spot but my over all complexion is brighter, i have also found that chocolate can cause out breaks of spots cheese in moderation is ok but too much dairy wont help....
  • BrendaLee
    BrendaLee Posts: 4,463 Member
    When I had acne, the only thing that ever helped was birth control pills (Ortho Tri-cyclen). The same is true for my daughter now. On them, clear skin. Off them, a face full of acne.
  • cactuswax
    cactuswax Posts: 77 Member
    I agree with those who mentioned hormones... I've had all kinds of diets, and the biggest difference was made by switching my birth control. If you haven't already, mention it to your general doc and try things out.

    I also have combination skin, and besides taking hormones or BC, drink plenty of water, eat more healthy fats (avocados!) and fewer carbs. Cut dairy out as much as you can... that's changed so many aspects of my life (no more heartburn, healthier overall skin, better digestion etc). And do it all consistently.
  • MorgueBabe
    MorgueBabe Posts: 1,188 Member
    Drinking water and eating (or taking lots) of Omegas
    Also look into this thing called Oil Cleansing Method (you clean your face with Olive and Castor Oil!) I swear by it.
    And for my my under eye circles got a less dark when I cut out all dairy.
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
    I don't have acne, but psoriasis. The injections became too expensive so I turned to what I can do. I found a lot of research about how diet impacts skin. Most dairy, protein and grains process in the body as acidic. An overly acidic diet can contribute to psoriasis and eczema. Was true for me. I cut out dairy (getting my calcium from other sources) almost entirely and focused on whey and soy protein (they do no process as acidic). I have eggs/egg whites (a little acidic) most days and little animal protein. Quinoa is pretty neutral. I use olive oil instead of butter/margarine. It really helped me. I wouldn't need the medication now.

    It's about balance as far as ph, but in looking at my diet, it was really acidic. Reigning that in has made a difference for me. I am very careful to make sure I don't lose out on any nutrients.

    I drink a ton of water/green tea and do not use beauty products that contain "paraben" preservatives.

    Neem oil is a product good for those with psoriasis/eczema in my opinion.
  • pps7
    pps7 Posts: 46
    Go see a dermatologist. There is no data to support the idea that diet causes acne.
    There are good effective treatments out there. For me it's hormonal and it's pretty well controlled on bcp and retin A as long as wash my face before I go to bed.
  • JoJo__Fit
    JoJo__Fit Posts: 258 Member
    Drinking a gallon of water, eating more veggies and lean protein helped me a lot. Not to mention going to see my dermo every 4-6 weeks for extractions
  • Carnivor0us
    Carnivor0us Posts: 1,752 Member
    Cut out grains (along with sugar) for a month and see what happens.
  • shining_light
    shining_light Posts: 384 Member
    Go see a dermatologist. There is no data to support the idea that diet causes acne.
    There are good effective treatments out there. For me it's hormonal and it's pretty well controlled on bcp and retin A as long as wash my face before I go to bed.

    This. I used to work as a skincare consultant and this is what we told people. Hormones in food can be to blame(meat and dairy), but it's not all that common.

    The only "hormonal" thing that triggers acne is that hormones can increase or decrease oil production. Using a product that will control oil without drying out your skin is the best way to control acne when acne flares up due to hormone changes.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    I've always heard salmon (high in omega fats) is awesome for your skin. If you like salmon, that is! If not, definitely take a fish-oil pill.

    Or avocados? Those are supposed to be good for your skin, too.

    And, as always, drink plenty of water. Flush out all the toxins and stay hydrated.

    Co signing omega fats. Omega 3 pill supplements really calm my skin and I recently found one with vitamin D in Walgreens, yas!! Note that the serving size for many of these is TWO pills, not one. Other than that lots of veggies and water always seem to have a positive impact on my skin. With the skin being calmed from the inside, the key is then to not irritate it from the outside. No harsh cleansers, scrubs, etc were necessary and those seemed to irritate my skin. So just go for fragrance free cleansers and SPF moisturizers whenever possible. Good luck!
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
    fats. fats are the secret to good skin.

    if you eat too few your skin can get dry and patchy. i know when you have an oily area and zits it's common to have the urge to "really clean" your skin but your skin needs natural oils. many many many skin care products make formulations for combination skin and moisturizers for oily skin particularly and for acne. I know you've tried them all but TRYING is longer than a sample size.

    I'd suggest a dermatologist and/or an allergist if you really think food is causing your problem. I've had allergic facial reactions in the past so I'm not going to discount that, but I would just think that if you are allergic to an ingredient common in facial products you might hone in on it and know what to avoid. it's not that common but it could be why you are going thru a slew of products and not finding "the one".
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    Go see a dermatologist. There is no data to support the idea that diet causes acne.
    There are good effective treatments out there. For me it's hormonal and it's pretty well controlled on bcp and retin A as long as wash my face before I go to bed.

    I saw a dermatologist for 2-3 years. I was one step from roaccutane...my skin barely improved despite the medications I was on and the harsh creams I was using. I didn't want to use roaccutane as I've heard way too many negative stories about it. Dietary changes seem to have made a bigger impact!
  • alishadperez
    alishadperez Posts: 1
    After I had my son (7 years ago) my face was a mess! NOTHING, not even food helped. I use Apple Cider Vinegar as a toner after using the most gentle face wash (dilute it with purified water, maybe 75% water) and it has worked wonders. I go out without makeup now. I would try that first. Changing my diet did nothing.
    I've always had bad skin - my type is combination skin. Had terrible acne when younger and went on Roaccutane. It took care of the worst, but I still get zits, lots of clogged pores and even dry areas. There is redness, extremely oily areas without having used any moisturizer. Have tried so many skincare products and am currently using something on prescription. There are black dots everywhere.

    So on the food part - what has helped others here? I have cut out sugar, so I don't eat candy at all. Still it hasn't helped.

    I hear some have had benefits from cutting out dairy or what, do some have that experience here?

    I'm 23 btw.
  • ils_1231
    ils_1231 Posts: 249 Member
    I never had bad skin and then turned 25 and everything went crazy. This isn't a food tip, but have you ever tried head and shoulders shampoo? It might be too harsh for your face, but it's ultimately what helped my back.
  • BlackPup
    BlackPup Posts: 242 Member
    Zinc supplements can help.
  • Carnivor0us
    Carnivor0us Posts: 1,752 Member
    On top of dietary changes, I would perhaps recommend a nice Castile soap for your body, face and hair. Pure olive oil soap is very gentle. Savon de Marseille is particularly good.
  • primpixie
    primpixie Posts: 39
    Do you do the whole tone, cleanse and moisturise routine? Then don't. This strips the skin of it's essential oils and makes things worse. Just use a light moisturiser until your skin balances itself out. It won't be perfect because of your skin type and the problems you have had in the past. And never use soap. I use a light moisturiser on a piece of cotton wool, and use this to cleanse. If there are any rough patches I apply to that area only.
    Drinking water can help your skin to hydrate from the inside out, helping to level out oiliness.
    It's great that you don't eat candies, sugar can age and dehydrate your skin.
    I'm sorry but I do not know about if going on a gluten free diet can help; you could try it and see if it has any benefit.
    I wish you all the best
    PP
  • shining_light
    shining_light Posts: 384 Member
    I never had bad skin and then turned 25 and everything went crazy. This isn't a food tip, but have you ever tried head and shoulders shampoo? It might be too harsh for your face, but it's ultimately what helped my back.

    Women's skin goes through "cycles" every five or so years. It's very, very common for a woman to hit her mid-20s and start having breakouts like never before.

    Something most people don't know is that dandruff and acne can often be treated the same way because both of them have the same root cause(flaking skin). Glad you brought that up.
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
    This came across my email this morning, thought it might be right up your alley! :)

    From Women's Health, "Foods for Clear Skin" - http://bit.ly/1cC6Tu2

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