Oily skin is a problem often handed down through generations within one’s family. While dietary changes are not known to cure oily skin or its complications, emphasizing certain foods in your diet may help to improve your complexion to a great extent.
Below is a list of 5 food items that you should avoid, followed by what you should include if you have oily skin.
Foods You Should Eat to Avoid Oily Skin:
1. Banana
If you have oily skin, then consuming banana daily can be very beneficial. Bananas contain potassium, phosphates, and Vitamin E, which helps your skin to glow.
Banana is another strong detoxifying agent. It can help in regulating the pores, while also preventing the dirt from entering into your skin and causing oily build-up.
2. Cucumbers
Cucumbers have excellent antioxidant properties ehich helps rehydrate your body. Cucumber is made up of 95% water; therefore, it eliminates toxins by flushing them out of your body. For best results, you can eat them raw.
3. Grapefruit
Grapefruit is a citrus fruit with a very distinctive flavour,and it packs a punch when it comes to fighting oily skin. It is rich in vitamin C as, loaded with antioxidants, can help to support your production of collagen, and increase your skin’s natural pH balance, fighting acne.
You can eat this fruit or apply it into your skin to help fight against free-radical damage. It is naturally astringent, therefore, it can help to absorb excess oil, while its high water content can help to keep your skin hydrated and protected from external pathogens.
4. Kale
Dense in nutrients, while low in calories, the skin boosting properties of kale are starter to gain wider attention, with many beauty products now containing extracts of this leafy green vegetable. It is definitely earning its reputation, though, thanks to its content of vitamin A, vitamin C, and copper.
Great for reducing inflammation, promoting healthy cell growth, and protecting against free-radical damage, just 1 cup of kale provides up to 48% of your vitamin A intake. This is is very important, especially if you have oily skin, because low levels of vitamin A can impact your production of sebum oil for the worse.
5. Lentils and Pulses
Lentils are known to have lots of nutrition in them. They help in controlling the production of oil that keeps the skin clear.
Pulses also do a great job in helping maintain the balance of oil. They are known to provide proteins and nutrients, and also consist amino acids that do not break into sugar, which can aggravate oil secretions.
6. Water
Drinking water all through the day hydrates your body and makes your skin feel and look healthy. Replace carbonated and sweetened beverages with water.
Also, avoid drinking flavored and sweet coffee beverages; instead, try unsweetened green tea, which is loaded in skin-protecting antioxidants.
7. Walnuts
Walnuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids that can help to strengthen your skin’s natural barrier, thereby keeping out pathogens and toxins.
These healthy fats can even reduce inflammation, therefore, decreasing your chances of developing pimples and spots. If you are suffering from spot-prone oily skin, walnuts also contain dietary fibre that can help to remove parasites and support your digestive system.
Foods to Avoid to Prevent Oily Skin:
1. Dairy Products
The milk that your mother may have forced you to drink as a child may actually be harmful to your skin, probably more so if you have an oily one.
Although, the effects of dairy products on oily skin are perhaps not as impactful, these can still accelerate the aging process and worsen acne issues. It is high time you find your calcium in other products such as tofu and green leafy vegetables.
2. Fatty Meats
Fatty meats such as lamb, beef, and sausage contain rich amounts of saturated fat. A fat form linked with heart disease, obesity, and inflammation.
More than the meat, it is the preparation that affects your health, therefore, try using low-fat cooking methods such as broiling, baking, and poaching.
3. Refined Grains
Because refined grains lose nutrients and fiber during processing, they have a high glycemic index, or impact on your blood sugar.
In a study that was published in the “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition” in July 2007, 43 acne-prone males whose age ranges from 15 to 25 consumed a diet containing carbohydrates without regard to glycemic index or a diet that emphasized low-glycemic carbohydrate sources for 12 weeks. Through the study’s end, the low-glycemic group have shown significantly more improvements in their acne symptoms than the control group.
To lower your glycemic load, you can replace refined-grain products such as pretzels, white bread, and instant rice with whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, and popcorn.
4. Salty Snacks
A diet high in sodium damages skin health through increasing inflammation. Salty snack foods such as French fries, potato chips, and crackers, often contain an inflammatory fat form known as trans-fat. Also, trans-fats may worsen the effects of oily skin.
5. Sugary Sweets
Sugary foods typically contains high glycemic index and leave less room in your diet for foods that promote skin health. Lela Altman, who is a naturopathic doctor with Bastyr Center for Natural Health, recommends a clean diet rich in vegetables, fruits, and fiber and limited in refined sugars, such as corn syrup and cane sugar, as a natural way to minimize acne.
Cut back on sugary items such as cakes, candy, pastries and cookies. Reach for naturally sweet fiber sources such as yams, berries, apples and mangoes instead. Fruit smoothies and sparkling water with lemon provide healthy alternatives for soft drinks.
Related Articles:
- Foods for Oily Skin: What You Should Eat and Avoid
- 5 Simple Steps to Have an Oil-Free Skin
- 5 Best Homemade Banana Face Masks for All Skin Types
Sources:
Livestrong
Avogel
Food.ndtv
photo credit: pixabay