My interest in skincare first started around 2-3 years ago, when I first started going through regular hormonal acne, and my skin became noticeably more sensitive to my environment and the things I would consume. Though I knew acne was a normal part of the transition to adulthood, there were days where I couldn’t help but hide under the covers and feel sorry for myself. And as much as I knew that I should have a healthier attitude towards my skin and self-image, I also knew that there was a gap in my knowledge about skincare, and that I would have to make an effort to learn more if I wanted to have great skin.

The first thing I noticed when I began to pay more attention is the correlation between junk food and breakouts. As obsessive as it was, I began to keep a log of the things that I would eat and drink throughout the day, as well as which days I had had a breakout. This log was meant to pinpoint the items that were most likely to trigger acne. I logged all items as soon as I consumed them, and after I collected enough data, I studied my log thoroughly. Although I wouldn’t recommend this method, as it can be exhausting and cause burnout with skincare, I wanted to share some of the insights that I gleaned.

The Culprits

Firstly, you should note that anything you consume that negatively affects your skin will (for the most part) take at least 24-48 hours to show you a negative effect. This means that if I pinpointed a specific food that caused acne, it wouldn’t show up on my skin until a couple days later. As far as my log, this means that if I consumed 80 grams of sugar in one day, I would usually log a breakout a couple days after.

Excessive salt was the thing that created the worst skin issues for me. Obviously, it’s impossible and unnecessary to avoid these two things entirely. But on the days that I’d had a lot of processed and salty food at the dining hall, this dehydrated me, causing my skin to produce more oil as a result. I also realized that I was eating way more sugar than I should be, even with skin issues aside. I cut down on the Gatorade, energy drinks, and desserts, which I realized were spiking my blood sugar and contributing to acne-causing inflammation. I revamped my diet to include more whole grains, vegetables, and clean protein.

Dairy also had negative effects on my skin, so I limited this as much as possible. There is currently an unclear understanding among dermatologists of why dairy causes acne, albeit widespread agreement that there is indeed a link between them.

Alcohol can be bad for your skin, as it’s dehydrating. If I had indulged a bit too much on Friday and Saturday, my skin would (almost) always pay the price on Monday. In addition to ensuring that I stuck to drinks with no or low sugar, I also made sure that I drank a glass of water for every alcoholic drink. And though there’s limited research here, I will go out on a limb and say that a (mostly) sober lifestyle will produce the best results for your skin. Substances, especially when used consistently or in excess, just don’t fit into the recipe for great skin!

Caffeine can affect your skin too – I had to work my way down from 3 cups to 1 cup of coffee a day. Though coffee itself will NOT cause acne, too much caffeine can raise your heart rate and cortisol (the body’s stress hormone) and cause a breakout. 

Speaking of cortisol, I also noticed that I experienced breakouts around extremely busy weeks, indicating that excessive stress played a role in my skin. This finding, my realization of the link between stress and skin, would go on to form the foundation of our company. 

Summary

Though it’s been an arduous process, my skin has noticeably improved over the past few years, mainly as a result of the findings of this log. When I consumed lots of processed junk food (which contains a lot of chemicals and artificial ingredients), I would break out. When I ate organic, healthy food, with chicken breast, fruits, and vegetables, my skin would have a good week. When I would have a stressful, jam-packed week, I would see the effects of this on my face. When I would commit myself to a period of pacing out my work and being mindful of my time and energy, I looked noticeably better in the mirror. All in all, being cognizant of the things I put in my body and my brain helped me out a lot. This is also why I’ve committed myself to keeping my lifestyle as natural and stress-free as possible.

This is a lot, which is why you shouldn’t make all these suggested lifestyle changes at once. As far as the food and drinks, moderate before you eliminate. Don’t cut out the things that make you happy, just start out by sacrificing the things you don’t mind sacrificing. As the months pass, you’ll find yourself making good lifestyle decisions without even thinking about it.