6 Worst-Ever Foods for Your Skin
Lotions, potions, scrubs, and masks—you've got a medicine cabinet full of them, yet wrinkles and pimples don't seem to be deterred in the slightest. You're not alone, as there are many of us out there desperate for clear, younger-looking skin. But the truth is that you're looking in the wrong place.
It's time to look deep inside—inside your fridge that is. We've rounded up the truly worst of the worst. These six foods below might not be derailing your weight loss efforts, but they may just be destroying your skin. Here are the worst-ever foods for your skin you'll want to avoid if you're trying to clear, brighten, and tighten up your skin. And while you're making these health changes, check out the 21 Best Healthy Cooking Hacks of All Time.
Coffee
All it takes is 2 or 3 cups of coffee a day to stimulate your pituitary gland, which in turn causes an adrenocortical response; ie. the production of cortisol. Not only is cortisol, otherwise known as the "stress hormone," famous for its proclivity for packing on pounds around the midsection, but it also accelerates the aging process by thinning out your skin. Instead, shed belly flab—rapidly—with one of these teas that melt fat.
Seafood
Shellfish like shrimp and lobster are loaded with iodine. Sure, you need a little bit of iodine in your diet to keep your thyroid singing and ward off those pesky goiters, but too much iodine can cause breakouts. Limit your seafood consumption to a couple of times a week and your skin should be in the clear. (And if you're still eating tilapia, you need to kick that habit to the curb for other reasons.)
Artificial Coloring
Yellow, Blue, and Red may add a beautiful hue to your food, but they're anything but healthy. Artificial colorings, mostly made in laboratories, can create inflammation in the body. That inflammation that can manifest on your skin as breakouts, premature aging, or even hives in the form of an allergic reaction.
Alcohol
You may have looked great at the bar last Friday, but by Saturday morning you were looking a little worse for wear. Alcohol is dehydrating, which is great for skinny jeans, but bad for crow's feet. When your skin is dehydrated it makes fine lines and wrinkles look more pronounced.
Sugar
Put down the Sour Patch Kids. Too much sugar (and high carbohydrate foods that break down into sugar) can lead to decreased collagen and elastin. The result: your skin will become less elastic, leading to premature sagging. Remember that yogurts are packed with sugar. Blast fat and enjoy a creamy treat by choosing one of the Best Yogurts for Weight Loss.
Skim Milk
Back in 2005, The Harvard Nurse's Study found a connection between skim milk and acne. While there are hormones in all cow's milk that may trigger breakouts, the study found that skim milk drinkers suffer most from unsightly blemishes—possibly because there are higher amount of bioavailable hormones in skim that haven't been absorbed by fat. Those hormones can stimulate our Sebaceous glands, moving our oil production into high gear.
