Foods That Make Acne Flare Up
About 45 million Americans suffer from acne each year, according to Tim Mitchell and Allison Dudley, authors of the book “Acne: The At Your Fingertips Guide.” Acne is a common skin condition, characterized by red, scaly skin, nodules, pimples, whiteheads, pinheads, blackheads and cysts 1. When bacteria, oil and dead skin cells accumulate on the surface of your skin, it can block your skin pores and trigger an acne flare. While the exact cause varies from person to person, oil, inflammation, blocked pores and bacteria may contribute to its development. It is important to avoid certain foods because they can irritate your skin and cause an acne flare-up.
Spicy Foods
If you have acne, limit or avoid spicy foods because they can cause your acne to flare up.
Fatty Foods
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A diet high in saturated and partially hydrogenated fats can cause your face to break out. Foods rich in saturated fats include:
- packaged cookies
- fries
- fried chicken
- fish sticks
- chips
- crackers
Refined Sugar
Avoid acne breakouts by reducing or avoiding foods produced with refined sugar.
Shellfish
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If you are prone to acne, avoid shellfish because it can cause your acne to flare up. Shellfish, such as:
- shrimp
- lobster
- crab
- crayfish
- mussel
- clams
- contain large amounts of iodine
- a trace mineral often associated with acne breakouts
High iodine levels can inflame your skin, clog your pores and cause
- the appearance of red splotchy skin
- according to Judith Brown
- author of the book “Every Woman's Guide to Nutrition.” Other foods rich in iodine include cheese
- milk
- idolized salt
- kelp
- boiled eggs
- fish sticks
- cod
- cooked navy beans
- skinless baked potatoes
- baked turkey breasts [5](# 'inline-reference::“Every Woman's Guide to Nutrition”; Judith E
Brown; 1990').
Processed Foods
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References
- “Acne: The At Your Fingertips Guide”; Tim Mitchell and Allison Dudley; 2002
- “Ayurveda Encyclopedia: Natural Secrets to Healing, Prevention, and Longevity”; Swami Sadashiva Tirtha; 2007
- “Burgerstein's Handbook of Nutrition: Micronutrients in the Prevention and Therapy of Disease”; Michael Zimmerman; 2001
- “Nature's Pharmacy for Children: Drug-Free Alternatives for More Than 200 Childhood Ailments”; Lendon H. Smith, Lynne Paige Walker and Ellen H. Brown; 2002
- “Every Woman's Guide to Nutrition”; Judith E. Brown; 1990
- Sutaria AH, Masood S, Schlessinger J. Acne Vulgaris. [Updated 2019 Dec 13]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2019 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459173/
- Kraft J, Freiman A. Management of acne. CMAJ. 2011;183(7):E430-5. doi:10.1503/cmaj.090374
- Sutaria AH, Masood S, Schlessinger J. Acne Vulgaris. [Updated 2019 Dec 13]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2019 Jan-.
- American Academy of Dermatology. WHAT CAN CLEAR SEVERE ACNE?
- Cleveland Clinic. Rosacea (Adult Acne). Last reviewed October 10, 2019.
- American Academy of Dermatology. IS SPORTS EQUIPMENT CAUSING YOUR ACNE?
- American Academy of Dermatology. I HAVE ACNE! IS IT OKAY TO WEAR MAKEUP?
- Zaenglein AL, Pathy AL, Schlosser BJ, Alikhan A, Baldwin HE, et. al. "Guidelines of Care for the Management of Acne Vulgaris." Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology; 2016. 74(5):945-73.
Writer Bio
R. Y. Langham served as a senior writer for "The Herald" magazine from 1996-99. Langham holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Fisk University, a Master of Science in marriage and family therapy from Trevecca Nazarene University and a Ph.D in family psychology from Capella University. Dr. R.Y. Langham published her first psychological thriller in September 2011. It can be purchased on Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble.com and Lulu.com.