Foods and Drinks That Can Cause A Flare Up In Your Skin

In today’s day and age, it seems like the world has gone a little mad when it comes to the insane amounts of sugar and processed ingredients the average person is consuming on a daily basis.

Many of us don’t think too much about that regular burger and fries, or that daily chocolate bar. The truth, however, is that not only are these greasy foods and sugary drinks increasing your risk for all sorts of health problems, from high blood pressure to diabetes, they negatively affect your skin too. It doesn’t matter what excellent ingredients you are using on your skin externally, if you aren’t treating your insides to the same kind of love.

Of course indulging in an ice-cream sundae once in awhile isn’t going to cause any problems; the key is simply moderation.

We have put together a few of the worst foods and drinks in terms of how they aggravate and cause a flare up in your skin.

Sugar

Sugar is one of the most addictive substances in the world, and it’s affect on the brain has even been compared to cocaine! It’s no wonder we keep finding ourselves drawn back to this sweet ingredient.

Sugar is added to almost every food nowadays, even tomato sauce, so it can be hard to avoid it. We highly recommend reading labels before you place anything in your cart.

Sugar causes dryness of the skin, as it literally sucks water out of your cells. It also breaks down collagen and elastin over time, meaning regular milkshakes and slices of cake can actually cause you to age faster!

Coffee

Many of us can’t start our day without our cup of Joe, but when too many cups of this caffeinated beverage are consumed, the effects are clearly noticeable.

In small doses, coffee can increase mental alertness and boost your mood, but in large doses it causes the jitters, not to mention a dry and dull complexion thanks to its dehydrating effects.

Salt

Like sugar, salt is added to almost every food. Of course salt is needed to flavour foods, but always opt for pure sea salt and don’t overdo it!

Iodized salt, also known as table salt, can speed up the aging process and even cause a flare up in acne breakouts, as it causes a swelling in skin tissues.

Red Meat

You might want to stick to chicken or seafood at your next barbeque, because red meat causes inflammation in the body and can result in a splotchy and unhealthy complexion.

A compound in red meat called Carnitine, which is an additive often found in energy drinks, hardens blood vessels, speeding up the aging process, as well as putting you at a greater risk for cardiovascular disease.

Alcohol

We all love our glasses of red, especially at this time of year, but overindulge in the good stuff, and you won’t only feel terrible, your skin won’t look too great either.

Alcohol dehydrates your cells, which results in that hangover headache, as well as dull, dry and unhappy looking skin. Be sure to drink water alongside alcohol to counteract its drying effects.

These are the foods and drinks you want to either avoid, or enjoy in small doses to keep your skin healthy, happy and ageless!