4 Foods To Avoid If You're Acne-Prone

For as long as we can remember, our parents have warned us away from pizza, chocolate and all junk food known to man to avoid the threat of looming pimples and acne. And while some of us made it out scot-free, others can so much as look at a bag of hot chips and end up with an angry pimple.

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According to a study from DermatoEndocrinology, “research does not prove that diet causes acne but rather influences”. So while we can take comfort in knowing a diet won’t give us acne, (we have genetics, hormones and environmental factors to thank for that), we do know that particular foods can trigger, or exacerbate the situation if you are already acne-prone.

So if you’re looking to make some tweaks for the sake of your skin, here are the four main food group culprits that could be worth reducing...

Sugar

To get a handle on fluctuating hormone levels and inflammation, a diet low in sugar and processed foods (AKA a low GI diet) will be beneficial to persistent acne.

So as hard as it may be to turn down the next birthday cake in the office, push through the 3pm sugar craving slump with a handful of blueberries and almonds and your skin will love you for it.

Dairy

Ice cream, milkshakes, CHEESE for crying out loud, all sadly fall under the ‘dairy’ umbrella.

And, while consuming a gelato may cause no qualms for the majority of people, for those with intolerances, this means heightened inflammation presenting itself in the form of acne.

According to a Roy Morgan study, the rates of lactose intolerance is on the rise, with an additional 240,000 (almost entirely female) sufferers detected within a four year period.

Plus, it is important to note that cow’s milk is often extracted from pregnant cows who have high levels of the female hormone — progesterone — which in turn, can throw off our hormonal balance, a key trigger of hormonal acne. Eeeek!

In particular, if your go-to is a skim latte, you might want to assess its impact on your skin. According to New York Dermatologist Bobby Buka, “skim milk can make acne worse. It contains bovine growth hormones that are fat-dissolvable. Since there’s no fat in skim milk, they don’t dissolve,” he revealed to Byrdie. AKA, those hormones are left in your body, ready and waiting to result in a flare up.

That being said, dairy hosts a wealth of other health benefits like keeping our bones strong. For this reason, we recommend consulting a health professional to ensure you are getting your required calcium intake before you totally cut it out.

Coffee

While it pains us to write this, our duty of care for the health of your future glowing skin forces us to give you the heads up that your morning flat white might also be contributing to your problematic skin.

The energy hit we get from caffeine is a result of heightened cortisol levels (the stress hormone) which can result in our skin's oil glands producing a little extra shine than normal. Extra oil = congestion.

Plus, if your coffee is impacting your sleep, this will contribute to an unwanted spike of cortisol and jeopardise a breakouts ability to heal.

Processed foods

Hey, we love a pizza night just as much as the next guy. But if decreasing sebum production and balancing your blood sugar levels is the goal, steer clear of greasy, fast food that is higher in sugar content than it is nutritional value.

Next time you’re organising dinner, instead seek out foods rich in omega 3s for their properties in skin healing and decreasing inflammation. Salmon, walnuts, avocado and chia seeds are all stellar options.

Main image credit: Getty

Have you ever noticed your diet impacting your skin?

115 Member Comments

Shop A Everyday 6 Mar 2021 4:51 PM

Good to always minimikse the processed foods

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Susmat 6 Mar 2021 12:52 PM

Coffee is the surprise one here for me AND I expected chocolate to be one of them but maybe it comes under 'dairy'

sootyblack_14 6 Mar 2021 12:02 PM

Bit of a no brainer... But good to be reminded...

onlyoni 5 Mar 2021 5:36 PM

Thank goodness I'm not acne prone.

Karen326 5 Mar 2021 5:27 PM

I use oat milk instead of cow's milk at home in tea, coffee & cereal, and that seemed to be enough to stop the painful acne cysts on my jaw and chin. I still have a bit of mild acne all the time though, it's only the painful jaw cysts that are gone.

Sally10 5 Mar 2021 4:57 PM

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alexaben 1 Mar 2021 9:10 PM

i have much acne on my body i use many product but still same

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Bartsky 22 Feb 2021 4:54 PM

I agree. Sugar is definitely a trigger for me. I have cut down my dairy intake and when I start eating it, I break out

Elunia 21 Feb 2021 10:24 PM

My trigger is not listed here which is seafood (ie prawns, lobster etc).

I have acne practically all the time but when I eat seafood I get heaps of cystic pimples along with my usual pimples.

Rose_P 21 Feb 2021 2:46 PM

Thankfully I’ve never had too many issues with acne.

Miramarmari 20 Feb 2021 1:47 PM

Yes they all contribute to that dreaded acne!

lianatriesmakeup 19 Feb 2021 9:21 AM

chocolate has always been a bad one for me!

clearcrystalwater 18 Feb 2021 11:51 AM

I tested the sugar one - I don't usually worry about it but I do usually tend to avoid it as much as I can. So I ate a bag of Kombucha lollies with my husband (I think I had more) and I did get a little zit on my chin - right in the middle. So that proves the sugar test! I actually enjoyed doing this sugar test on myself. : )

Saffy86 15 Feb 2021 3:17 PM

I definitely agree with the chocolate when I have too much I always without fail break out.

Izzy09 15 Feb 2021 1:22 PM

All my favourite foods

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bettina44 15 Feb 2021 3:22 AM

all my favourite foods, no wonder I break out whoops!

Karma Llama 13 Feb 2021 10:01 PM

Some good tips there.

Chrystalage 13 Feb 2021 7:53 PM

I don't eat those foods anyway but not because of acne.

GeeJ 13 Feb 2021 1:11 AM

Sadly, all the foods I love are on this list.

Hayley644 12 Feb 2021 9:16 PM

Hormones affect my skin more than my diet.

Okatko 12 Feb 2021 9:00 PM

According to that I guess I’m going to be forever besieged by the dreaded things.

Tee631 11 Feb 2021 10:34 PM

Can I add in pressure and studying

clearcrystalwater 11 Feb 2021 9:32 PM

That is all sooo true! Yep I've noticed how diet can directly effect my skin! Not only my skin but other health throughout my entire body. No dairy for moi!

Sootyhere 11 Feb 2021 7:50 PM

Thanks. Agree with sugar causing outbreaks.

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