Clear Skin and Diet

[ostentatious]

I constantly read conflicting information about the food you eat and how it affects your skin.

What are your thoughts on the relationship between diet and skin? Have you ever eliminated or increased a certain food in your diet and noticed a difference in your skin?

I overheard a conversation in a bathroom at Uni the other week. One girl asked her friend "How did you get such clear skin?" Her friend replied, "I eat lots of fruit and vegetables and rarely eat lollies, chocolate or takeaway..."

 

[browneyedbaby]

My skin has been a prone to spots since I was about 15 and I haven't grown out of it yet (I'm 24). I never used to drink alot of water but now I do, it hasn't make the slightest bit of difference. The only things that does is a good skincare regime.

So yeah if there are some particular foods that are good for skin I'd like to know lol so I can finally stop feeling like teenager (hmm that's not entirely a bad thing actually!).

Also has anyone tried supplements that are specifically for improving skin, hair, nails etc?? Are they a waste of time?

 

[quandolak]

........

 

[Sweet16x2]

Yeah, what I've been told is that it all boils down to genetics. The people who eat healthily and have clear skin probably would anyway whether or not they ate particularly well. We are all predispositioned to have clear or spotty skin based on our genes, whether or not we eat fruit or chocolate. I think keeping the skin clean and exfoliated is far more helpful than changing diet. Now although drinking lots of water doesn't seem to improve blemishes, it is good for the skin in other ways. Dehydrated skin (not necessarily dry) will look older faster and show more fine lines. So drink up the H2O!

 

[Vicky88]

Skincare regime is a lot more influential on your skin that your diet BUT water is essential for clear skin. I rarely drink water but on the off day I do drin my 2 litres, my skin looks great the next day - just from one day of water. Foods with a lot of water i.e. fruits and veg, esp. watermelon and celery etc. will have a positive effect on your skin but probably not enough for you to notice a substantial difference. But team good diet with good skincare products and lots of water and your skin will definitely improve.

 

[Spenser]

Ramen noodles will break me out by the next day.
Other than that I haven't noticed a direct correlation between my diet and my skin.
I always try to remain hydrated and take vitamins with omega fatty acids. I figure that if the flax seed/fish oils make such a difference in my dogs' coats, then it damn well better improve my skin

.

 

[Janice]

I've had problemtic skin forever, when I was dieting & eating healthy my skin was the same. Only when I went to a Derm and started a topical prescription regime did I finally clear up and start having a "healthy" complexion. I did notice that drinking lots and lots of water appeared to help keep the skin even clearer and more fresher looking than normal.

 

[as_cute_as_pie]

i really think its all down to the person like me i drink LOADS of water its all i drink ive cut out coffee and eat OK and my skins a bit bleurgh
then my friend goes out every weekend, then goes to bed at 5 ish after being v drunk and doin the whole drug thing and her skin is near perfect she has also smoked since she was 13 and does definatley not eat healthily.

im not sure since ive started drinkin water thts about 4 pints a day

for 2 years nothings changed. maybe ill have to start the whole fruit and veg thing unless anyone has miracle suggestions

 

[Tyester]

I've noticed that clean diet = clean skin.(for me)

I WAS on some after-wash cream that was pres. strength(i think) and have since run out, and still have fairly clear skin.

 

[meaghan<3]

I had okay skin as a teenager. Now, I use Murad products ONLY on my face! My skin has cleared up SO much since I've been using Murad. On top of that I went to my dermatologist and she prescribed Benzaclin. It works like a miracle for any breakouts. If you can see a breakout starting.. just put on the Benzaclin and it's gone overnight! <333 it! If you have any questions.. i can try to answer them or consult your dermatologist.. goodluck!!

 

[choseck]

I have really bad skin, I've been seeing a dermatologist off and on for probably seven years - and I never thought that food could attribute to skin.

For the past few months I've been trying to lose weight, so obviously I've been eating better - I haven't had fast food in months and I eat lots of veggies and fruit and drink A LOT of water ( a gallon plus a day )

Basically, I haven't taken my skin medication in a couple of months and haven't gotten a pimple since. So, now I'm convinced! Sorry, that was long.

 

[Parishoon]

i notice that when i eat "junky" foods, my whole body basically gets outta whack, so i try to stick to lots of fruits & veggies, no white sugar/HFC, & drink tons & tons of water & usually run.
I still drink coffee, but black w/o creme or sugar.
I still get times when it's horrid, esp when i change environments

 

[pinkdaisy226]

I agree with the argument that it's all genetics... some people are just lucky and others, not so much. Sad...

 

[frances92307]

Quote:

Originally Posted by as_cute_as_pie i really think its all down to the person like me i drink LOADS of water its all i drink ive cut out coffee and eat OK and my skins a bit bleurgh then my friend goes out every weekend, then goes to bed at 5 ish after being v drunk and doin the whole drug thing and her skin is near perfect she has also smoked since she was 13 and does definatley not eat healthily.

Trust me by the time she is my age (almost 34) she'll look totally trashed, regardless of genetics. Most of my classmates that partied hard look twice my age. I took care of myself and I have barely aged the last 10 years. I do drink lots of water, eat healthy, and workout.

 

[Shawna]

I've got to agree with genetics on this one. I have clear skin, and have always had clear skin. I always get compliments on how I have beautiful skin. My mom gets the same compliments. I never had acne as a teenager, or even as an adult. I eat garbage all the time. I love potato chips, natchos, licorice, well, pretty much anything that is bad. I do drink lots of water, but that's just because it is my favorite thing to drink. I also have super dry skin. I figure my skin just doesn't produce enough oil to clog my pores. I think the unfortunate thing is that some people are oil producers and others are not. I think the best thing is to have a good skin care regime, and stick with it as others here have said.

 

[Miss World]

I've always believed that you are as healthy and "glowing" as your inside ^_^ eat good, drink enough, and you'll be just fine. When you mess up, your body decides how to react to it, and thus, the probability of breakouts, or worse, allergies.

I guess you should decide what is good for you and what is not.. and if you REALLY take good care of yourself and still have breakouts, you have to check with a dermatologist, just to get things straight. Teenagers are a different story because of the hormones, but the same goes for us women... just think of how your hormones are affected everytime you get your period.. and that is practicaly the ONLY time i might get a zit or two...a couple of years ago i got the worst case derma-related issues.. so I started using an awesome caviar cream from Dalton.. and my skin has never been dry (I've always had dry skin), just the oposite, its hydrated, improved, the elasticaty is now perfect.. and I only used it for a couple of months and then used other brands ..

and if you are interested in pills, there is this brand called imedeen .. my friend uses them because she's just tooo lazy to actually do anything for her skin, but its working for her.. not my thing though.. you'll need to use it atlesat 3 months to see any change, and the changes are slow..


sorry for talkin this much ^_^

 

[cindyrella]

Everytime I'm on a diet (which means eating healthy: lots of fruit and vegetables and very little fat and sugar) my skin always clears up immediately. I really look better when I eat healthy!

 

[Ayustar]

I cut out all carbs, and I mean all! I upped my fat intake and my skin is so much better. I still get one or two spots during that time of the month but that is different.

 

[Wattage]

I definitely notice a connection between my diet and my skin. When I am exercising regularly, drinking 3 + litres of water a day and eating lots of fruit and veg, my skin is practically perfect. It's when I don't get enough sleep, take bad care of my skin, eat crap and neglect exercise, then my skin gets bad. It's an amazing difference between the two extremes!

 

[hulagirl]

I think that genetics plays a key role for those with clear skin....but for those of us with bad skin, i think there are also external factors that influence the state of our skin, like humidity, diet, skincare, etc. For example, I know that I can attribute my bad skin to my dad...but I can attribute my *worse* skin to my night out, or not washing off my makeup, etc.

About diet specifically....Dr. Perricone has a book out about acne, and claims that "inflammatory" foods are the culprit. These can include white starches, hot sauce, wine...all the things that we love, of course! I think this idea is very similar to the idea that Dr. Weil (the guy behind the new Origins mushroom line) also supports. In fact, I was thinking of maybe trying that new mushroom serum from origins, just because of the fact that the serum combats the same "inflammation" that Perricone talks about.

Definitely check out my posting about "For acne sufferers who've tried everything...." because I talk about this new skincare regime I'm using that I absolutely love. The only thing that's reduced my acne WITHOUT overdrying my skin!