How Different Foods Negatively Affect The Skin - Part 2

In our previous article, we discussed how dairy, gluten, sugar and alcohol affect the skin negatively (you can find it here). Since then many readers and customers have asked us how we do it as it’s extremely difficult——well, when you see how eliminating those food from your diet give you much better skin and actually make you feel better physically without all the bloating, gas, and pain, that’s your motivation right there.

Here comes the even harder part, as today we are going to discuss four more groups of food that are known to cause skin (and gut) problems. And yes, we do avoid them as well personally.

Nightshades

Many people may not have heard of the term “nightshades”, but it refers to the group of vegetables that include potatoes (this means chips and fries also), tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, etc. They are healthy food for good reasons, yet, in one study, more than 60% of people with eczema had their eczema cleared up when they avoided nightshades, and another study from 2017 found that 52% of psoriasis sufferers saw an improvement by removing nightshades from their diet.

But why is that? These plants contain naturally-occurring phytochemicals, or alkaloids, that protect them from pests and insects, and can’t be washed off; in other words they are meant to be toxic in some ways. Now, healthy guts can cope just fine with alkaloids, but those with autoimmune skin issues or compromised digestive systems can be sensitive to them, as they provoke gut irritation and make their way out into the bloodstream, causing an inflammatory response, in a way very much similar to dairy and gluten.

So how do you know if you are sensitive to nightshades? Symptoms can include gas, bloating, headaches, rashes, skin inflammations, joint pain and even insomnia, amongst others.

What To Do: Try to eliminate nightshades from your diet for at least two to three weeks and observe if your skin condition improves. Then try to slowly reintroduce it to your diet, and see if they cause any discomfort like bloating or skin reactions. If so, you know you have to cut them off completely. Also use skincare products that hare incredible soothing effects to calm down inflammations, while giving the skin vitamins, omegas, nutrients and antioxidants.

Product Recommendation
ANFISA SKIN
LILOU Radiant Hydra Balm  <- Click to shop

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Eggs

While eggs are filled with proteins and nutrients that our bodies need, they can also be full of hormones, antibiotics, and pesticides. This is because factory-farmed eggs are also fed with GMO corn and soy, and treated with toxic fluoride-based drugs to kill chicken mites. This can lead to hormonal imbalance and inflammation that trigger issues like eczema, rosacea, dermatitis and acne.

On the other hand, allergies and intolerances to eggs are actually more common than you think. Egg whites contain a substance called lysozyme, which has the primary function of protecting the protein found in egg whites, and the body can’t break these lysozyme down. This leads to undigested protein entering the gut and potentially leaking through into the bloodstream causing an inflammatory response, which, again, exacerbate dermatitis-related issues and acne, especially if you already have leaky gut syndrome or a fragile gut.

What To Do: Eggs are everywhere, from your breakfast, toast, and bread, to cake, pasta and pizza. Try to limit the amount of egg if you eat, and choose organic egg whenever possible. If you have a bad gut, or have inflammatory skin conditions, cut it off completely. Also, try to balance the skin's natural microbiome and soothe inflammations with a mask with probiotic live cultures and prebiotic.

Product Recommendation
MARIE REYNOLDS LONDON
Restore  <- Click to shop

Product Recommendation
MARIE REYNOLDS LONDON
Butter Balm  <- Click to shop

 
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Soy

There is a lot of evidence that proves soy affects androgen levels, which are related to hormonal acne. Soy, which is found in soy sauce, tofu, miso, soy milk, and probably every single Chinese dish, is loaded with isoflavonoids and phytoestrogens that is similar to our own estrogen. Consuming soy can thus alter our hormonal balance by replacing our biologically-produced estrogen and up the androgen——and the overproduction of androgen, is one of the worst culprits when it comes to acne by causing our glands to produce more oil. Also, with this extra estrogen soy, our livers would become taxed and no longer able to perform its detoxing duties, resulting in hormonal acne breakouts and skin inflammations.

Soy also emits protective substances called lectins, which are associated with inflammation of the gut, and the inhibition of vitamins, minerals and protein absorption. This could then subsequently lead to skin inflammation issues like eczema, rosacea, dermatitis, rashes and irritations.

Just like nightshades, symptoms can include acne, rashes, skin inflammations, gas, bloating, headaches, etc. Say if you often feel extra full after a few plates of sushi dipped in soy sauce, some tofu or a cup of soy milk, you are most likely sensitive to it.

What To Do: Soy is one of the hardest food to completely eliminate in Asia, but do try to avoid tofu, miso and soaking your sushi in soy sauce. At home, you may want to cook with Tamari instead, which has the flavour of soy sauce but does not contain soy or gluten. As for skincare products, opt for one that contains a wide array of antioxidants, nutrients, proteins, and lipids to regenerate and rejuvenate skin cells, and soothe inflammations and acne.

Product Recommendation
OUMERE
Serum Bioluminelle™  <- Click to shop

  
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Coffee

While some people get grumpy without having their morning coffee, the truth is, it is not the best thing for your skin. For one, similar to alcohol, caffeine is a dehydrator, and the more you drink coffee, the more dehydrated your skin will look. Secondly, caffeine leads to a heightened stress response in the body, which means more cortisol. This often results in an increased amount of oil produced by the sebaceous glands, making you more prone to breakouts.

And guess what, how you drink your coffee makes a difference too, as dairy and sugar can increase inflammations that trigger eczema, rosacea and various dermatitis, as well as breakdown collagen, and accelerate the glycation process, resulting in wrinkles and sagging skin (for details, click here).

What To Do: If you really can’t live without coffee, go for black coffee maximum one cup a day and drop the milk and sugar. Also, replenish the skin with plenty of hydration and use collagen-building retinol, peptides and anti-inflammatories.

Product Recommendation
KLUR
Stellar Restoration Corrective Complex  <- Click to shop

Product Recommendation
MARIE REYNOLDS LONDON
Skin Quencher  <- Click to shop

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