Foods to Avoid

Unfortunately there is no definitive list of foods that cause acne. Everyone is unique, there are however foods known to cause inflammatory responses in the body.

Knowledge of foods that cause inflammation in the body (and therefore the skin) should be avoided when possible:

Sugar

We know! And, it’s in everything. Avoid soda, fruit juice, pastries, condiments such as ketchup, salad dressing, most sauces (etc). You should become familiar with the labels on your food sources. Ingredients like fructose, sucrose, maltose,  dextrose, cane syrup – are all sugar derivatives. If you want something sweet eat a piece of fruit.

White Processed Foods

Very few sources of food found in nature are white. White foods have been over processed by the food industry. Pasta, bread, boxed cereals, table sugar have all been refined and therefore take very little time to break down in our digestive systems leading to an inflammatory response in the body. Eat whole foods that look like where they came from. 

Red meat

Meat is medically proven to cause inflammation. Not just of the skin – it has been linked to cancer, heart disease, obesity and a host of other inflammatory diseases. This includes beef, lamb, venison, veal, pork and other varieties like bacon, sausage, lunch meats, salami etc. If you eat red meat try to reduce consumption and eat only organic grass fed meats. They are less likely to be treated with hormones that can exacerbate acne. As a rule, if you consume meat you should balance the consumption by the intake of fresh plant based foods.  Each meal should consist of at least 80-90% whole foods. White meat or oily fish (like salmon) should be substituted for red meat when available. 

Dairy

Humans are the only species that consume the milk of another species. It’s not natural (unless you're a baby cow) and you don’t need it to thrive. We know it's hard to avoid, like sugar it comes in many forms. Dairy can contain hormones that can alter our endocrine systems and further contribute to acne. This includes cheese and cheese byproducts like whey protein powders. If you eat/drink dairy look for organic options or substitutes like almond or oat milks.

Fried foods/bad fats

Avoid margarines, corn oil, sunflower oil, cottonseed oil, grapeseed oil, trans fats and hydrogenated ingredients. Anything that needs to be deep fried or is a solid form at room temperature should be avoided .  Use olive, avocado or macadamia oils when needed.

**Drink lot's of water and use non-acnegenic products to best care for skin that is acne/breakout prone.