Could these foods be causing acne for you?
Image credit here.
If you’re a long-time reader of TBV, you know that acne is still my number one skin problem. I’ve done lots of research on products, read articles online, and guess what? I still have clogged pores and pimples (especially during that time of the month).
My parents used to tell me not to eat candy, online articles say give up dairy, and beauty bloggers recommend certain products to use. With advice about acne coming from every direction, what’s true and what’s not?
So I enlisted the help of Kimmy, esthetician and owner of AES Beauty in San Francisco, to talk about what foods to avoid to get rid of acne. On Kimmy’s website, the first consultation includes food coaching, but she reiterates that acne can be caused by a number of things and she approaches acne as a whole rather than pinpointing it to one reason. However, the main potential food triggers that could cause acne are:
dairy
soy
peanuts
excess iodine
I’ve tried a vegan diet and unfortunately, not having dairy did not have any positive changes with my skin. Soy, peanuts, and iodine are new ingredients for me to avoid, so I haven’t tried giving those up yet. Kimmy explains, “there are certain foods that can trigger and exacerbate the genetic condition that causes acne but this is only true for some people. Everyone’s acne is different in terms of severity, the location of it on the face or body, the type of acne, and what it is triggered by and in what amounts.” She continues, “avoiding these foods will not necessarily improve your acne if you are being exposed to other triggers like products and lifestyle factors.”
So what now? I say, give it shot! Like the food sensitivity test from EverlyWell, I will have to see which foods affect me. If eliminating dairy, soy, peanuts, and iodine from your diet does not improve your acne, it might be worth talking to a dermatologist or an esthetician like Kimmy from AES Beauty.
