As the age-old saying goes, ‘You Are What You Eat,’ and there’s little denying that. There’s only one secret in the skincare guide about eating right when it comes to having a fit body, healthy hair, and vibrant skin.

If you eat food that takes well to your body, you look beautiful and feel fabulous both inside and out. From fruits for skin and vegetables to the kind of pulses or grains you consume, these are considered good food for skin.

Many women complain of breakouts after having foods that are either too sweet or packaged items. The packaged items have several preservatives that do no good to your skin.

What Is Skin Health?

Healthy skin is a clear indicator of good health. The skin is the largest organ in our body and our first line of defence from the external elements. External factors like sun exposure, pollution, chemicals in water and cosmetics, etc., affect the skin’s health. But, it is what you eat that manifests on your skin.

Healthy skin should be smooth to touch, warm, and supple. Any breakouts, dryness, or roughness on the skin’s surface is a telltale sign of something amiss. The body uses your skin to transmit symptoms affecting various organs, hormonal variations, digestive issues, and even mental issues like stress.

How Does What You Eat Really Affect Your Skin?

The notion that eating oily foods leads to oily skin is not valid. Multiple factors support and also harm skin health. Numerous studies have found that foods that cause inflammation are detrimental to skin health. Consumption of highly processed food, sugar, dairy products, packaged meals, and refined carbs lead to skin issues and premature ageing. Also, foods high in glycemic index cause acne breakouts and other skin issues due to increased insulin secretion. Dairy products have been known to alter hormone levels resulting in a decline in skin health.

What Foods To Avoid If You Want Clear Skin?

Adding a lot of dairy to your diet can never be a good option for people wanting to steer clear of skin issues. Dairy products can increase oil production, blocking pores and causing acne on your face. There’s terrible news for caffeine lovers as well – if you’re someone whose life depends on coffee, make yourself aware that coffee is extremely drying to your skin.

1. Deep Fried Food

What is the secret to the yummiest snacks available in an instant at your favourite food chains? Deep-frying. This technique can be a perfect example of something that’s a boon for the industry but a bane for its consumers. While on the one hand, you skip the meal prep time and savour the food that pleases your taste buds. On the other hand, the same food has contributed heavily to the increase in the world’s obesity index. On top of this, deep-fried foods contains saturated fats and refined carbs that lead to excess oil production in your skin. Lastly, such low quality, high-calorie food can also worsen your complexion, cause acne, and promote other skin conditions.

2. Cheese

Cheese, a superfood and everyone’s favourite, is one of the few things that the doctor and the dietitian can put on the menu. However, an excess of dairy food in your system can directly affect your body’s oil levels and block pores. This may also result in the growth of blocked pores and blackheads, and thus breakouts become common. So, any chance you get, you might want to pick an apple over that bowl of mac n cheese and even your favourite pizza with loaded cheese.

3. Trans Fat

The government has put a cap on the amount of trans fats allowed in our diets. This is because of its extremely unhealthy nature. Still, much of this deadly nutrient has found its way to our kitchen shelves in one form or another. Responsible for conditions like high cholesterol, increased risk of heart diseases, and increased inflammation of the skin – foods rich in trans fat should be miles away from your dining table.

4. Soda

Your favourite glass of aerated beverage adds nothing to your diet. According to various studies, consuming a glass of any aerated beverage is as good as drinking a glass full of water infused with up to 7 tablespoons of sugar. Yet, it has long been a part of popular culture. To a point where everything from pizza to popcorn – seems incomplete without it. Can you believe that we have internalised a product that is of zero nutritional value in our diet? In fact, soda does you no good, but it does plenty of harm.

And this can especially destroy your skin, making it lackluster, more susceptible to acne, and speeding up wrinkle production.

5. Gluten

Over the years, the gluten-free diet has become a more common thing. From small bakeries to big conglomerates, people have started paying attention to the needs of those who want to eliminate gluten from their diet, all for a good reason. Since it’s a fairly new concept, many suffering from the condition aren’t even aware of it. Usually, people who don’t take gluten kindly always suffer from acne and inflammation. If you think you have acne-prone skin, it is advisable to go gluten-free for a few days to measure results. Living a gluten-free lifestyle helps in leading a healthier life as well.

Healthy Foods To Eat For Healthy Skin

1. Biotin Gummies

Our bodies need specific nutrients from foods for proper functioning everyday. While carbs, proteins, and fats form a strong circle around your diet, vitamins and minerals include the hard centre. Thus, they are a necessity for every human being. A deficiency in vitamins affects your insides and your outsides significantly. From brittle nails and weak hair to skin problems like discolouration, acne, and even dryness. The easiest way to prevent this is by investing in a bottle of biotin gummies or Vitamin C gummies that you can pop on the go and keep yourself healthy and radiant. These multi-vitamin gummies can be an answer to all your hair and skin-related issues.

2. Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is the most sought-after plant when it comes to skin-related issues. This wonder food for skin can be an addition to your diet in the form of a juice and a part of your hair/skincare guide in the form of an aloe vera gel. Rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, Aloe Vera helps protect your skin. The essential compounds in aloe vera also neutralize the effects of UV radiation from the sun, repair your skin, and prevent fine lines and wrinkles.

3. Amla Juice

Make Amla juice your best food for skin when dealing with acne or acne marks. Incorporate Amla Juice into a face pack that you can regularly apply to help lighten the scars. Rich in Vitamin C, Amla Juice may also help bring back radiating skin by reducing dullness and dark spots on your skin. Drinking amla juice daily can also help with digestion, and we all know that a happy stomach always equals happy skin!

4. Tulsi Giloy Juice

Detoxification is a sure shot way to improve your skin. Thus, a juice such as the Tulsi Giloy Juice helps in improving your liver health and promoting clear, acne-free skin. It replenishes, repairs, and rejuvenates your skin cell to give you a youthful glow. Tulsi is also known to provide blemish-free skin. Adding a few drops of freshly squeezed lemon to the Tulsi Giloy Juice can help get rid of the acne. On top of this, Tulsi is known to have many antimicrobial, anti-fungal, and other medicinal properties that help keep infections at bay.

Summing It Up

What you ingest in your body is what the body manifests on your skin and hair. Sticking to a diet rich in nutrients, vitamins, and fibre will positively reflect your skin. Avoid inflammation-causing foods like processed foods, refined carbs, and junk foods. Stay hydrated to keep your skin feeling and look a lot younger.

FAQs

Q1. How does food affect the skin?

Foods with a high glycemic index boost insulin secretion in your blood, which causes your skin to age prematurely. Professed foods, refined carbs, sugary foods, and foods that cause inflammation cause skin degradation leading to wrinkles, dark spots, fine lines, and skin issues like acne. Dairy products can lead to hormonal imbalances that show up on your skin.

Q2. How does fried food affect your skin?

Fried food might not directly lead to oily skin or acne breakouts. But, regular consumption of processed, oily food can deteriorate the skin’s dermis and epidermis, causing it to lose its firmness and suppleness.

Q3. How does fast food affect your skin?

We all know that fast food (or junk food as we call it) causes many health problems. But we cannot ignore the effect of fast food on the skin. The chief culprit for skin issues is the amount of carbs in fast food. These carbs are the primary reason for skin breakouts like acne.

Q4. How can I get healthy skin?

Avoid hot showers, replace chemical-intensive cosmetics with natural alternatives, avoid processed foods containing refined carbs and sugar, hydrate well, follow a nutrient-rich diet, manage stress levels, limit sun exposure, and get ample sleep to avoid premature ageing of the skin.

Q5. What makes skin healthy?

Whatever makes your body healthy makes your skin healthy. Avoiding oily, carb-heavy junk foods high in processed and saturated fats, eating organic vegetables and fruits for skin containing fibre, antioxidants, and essential skin nutrients, detoxing regularly, hydrating at regular intervals, and finding healthy sleep routines can do so wonders to your skin.

Q6. How do you get clear skin?

Consume a fibre-rich, nutrient-dense diet, detox with food and herbs, avoid prolonged sun exposure, avoid popping pimples, reduce the usage of harsh cosmetics, limit outside food, stay hydrated, be active physically and mentally, and find time for quality sleep.

Q7. What foods clear the skin?

Foods with a good balance of fibre and nutrients like antioxidants, vitamins A and E, and zinc are great for your skin. Whole wheat, legumes, dark green veggies, brown rice, tomatoes, etc., are great additions to a skin-friendly diet.

Q8. What foods improve the skin?

Foods with a good balance of fibre and nutrients like antioxidants, vitamins A and E, zinc, and low glycemic index are great for your skin. Whole wheat, legumes, dark green veggies, brown rice, tomatoes, etc., are great additions to a skin-friendly diet.