Who would’ve thought these common foods could mess with your face so badly? Prepare to be a little startled…
1. White Bread
Too many sugary carbs increase your body’s production of insulin, which, in turn, ramps up the production of hormones known as androgens – and these can mean more spots on your skin. And there’s something else gross going on…
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“Some people create mucus in the gut as a result of eating gluten, and this mucus can become unhealthy,” explains skincare therapist and director of Tocara Skin & Body Science, Caro Copeland. It has to come out somewhere – and that could be on your face. It may result in skin looking unhealthy and blackheads or pimples worsening; and possibly even pustules forming from a simple spot, she says.
2. Protein Bars
Sure, have one, just not 10. Many are highly processed, sweetened and packaged to look like health food, which can trick you into overdoing it. “The sugar will quickly get into your bloodstream, making insulin levels spike, aggravating acne, wrinkles and rashes,” says dermatologist Dr Jessica Wu, author of Feed Your Face. “Avoid whey protein too, a type of dairy product linked to acne.”
READ MORE: 3 Signs Of Dry, Thirsty Skin You Need To Look Out For
Try all-natural protein bars, like Nanuki “Boom Bars”, enriched with superfoods and free from a lot of the bad things that can sneak into regular energy bars. This one’s a moist date and cocoa bar, with a crunchy biscuit base and a raw chocolate coating – R34 at Faithful To Nature.
3. Sweetened Drinks And Lollies
Too much sugar (and alcohol) increases blood sugar levels. Sugar molecules then attach to proteins – including collagen in your skin – in a process known as glycation, explains Lisa Drayer, dietician and author of The Beauty Diet: Looking Great Has Never Been So Delicious. This causes a chain reaction that alters the structure of collagen, making it harder and inflexible. The result? Your skin is less elastic, more saggy and has more wrinkles. Not pretty.
