While skincare is important, we are what we eat and diet plays a major role in the health of our skin. Whether you struggle with rosacea or acne (or both!), there are some key foods that you need to be avoiding.
We asked an expert and now we know which four inflammatory foods are no-go’s for us from here on out.
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Cassandra Bankson, original “skinfluencer” and medical aesthetician, gave us the low down on which inflammatory foods we need to start avoiding ASAP. Brace yourself for a slightly less fun fridge, but clearer and calmer skin!
Bankson shared, “Dairy has been shown to exacerbate acne in those who are sensitive to it. A study found that any intake of dairy was associated with a higher odds ratio of acne compared to people who didn’t consume it.” Because milk has high levels of IGF-1, a hormone created so that baby cows can grow bigger and faster, the dairy industry gives cows more IGF-1.
Bankson explained, “We know that acne is an IGF-1 dependent condition of the skin and that an increase of sebum, the oil our skin makes, leads to more acne.”
There is more and more evidence supporting that if you struggle with acne, you may want to try removing dairy from your diet altogether.
On the other hand, rosacea is a vascular condition and Bankson explained that like acne, rosacea can also be triggered by specific foods: “Spicy foods, alcohol, and yes, dairy.” A no-no for rosacea are histamines, such as those found in foods, because, Bankson says, they: "Cause blood vessels to expand, and the blood vessels that are often seen in rosacea, such as telangiectasia, or those tiny little red and purple veins, that can also can trigger rosacea breakouts.”
Bankson notes that each person’s rosacea can be triggered by different things, “So the best thing to do is make sure that you are tracking or keeping watch of what foods, beverages, or even temperatures exacerbate your rosacea most.” But to be safe, avoid dairy, spicy foods, alcohol, and histamines.
