Having beautiful, healthy skin means understanding what is detrimental to it, as well as how to take care of it. Explore the
table below to find out what to avoid to maintain your healthiest skin naturally.
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Alcohol
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Alcohol dilates small blood vessels in skin, increasing blood flow near skin's surface.
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- Causes skin to look wrinkled
- Skin turns red and flush
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Limit yourself to one alcoholic beverage per day
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Caffeine
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Causes water loss from your body and skin
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Causes skin to lack plumpness
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- Limit caffeine to 300 milligrams per day (about 2 large cups of caffeinated coffee or 3 small)
- Drink plenty of water
- Green tea has less caffeine than coffee and contains antioxidants that protect against skin cancer
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Cold weather
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Exposure to cold winds and low temperatures can dry out your skin
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Skin becomes dehydrated leading to dryness, wrinkles and roughness
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- Use a good moisturizer that protects against cold and heated rooms which can be very drying
- Consider using a humidifier to help keep your skin more comfortable
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Eating Disorders (Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia)
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Starving the body of important nutrients, vitamins and minerals doesn't allow for proper cell turnover and growth
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- Thin, dry, cold skin
- Gray colored or pale skin
- Nails become brittle
- Hair becomes thin, dry and dull
- Hair falls out more easily and turns gray
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Never starve yourself…ensure you are getting the proper number of
calories to keep your metabolism high and your body properly nourished
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Saturated Fats (Butter)
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May prematurely age skin
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Skin ages and becomes more wrinkled
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Avoid saturated fats in your diet. To learn more about saturated fats, click here.
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Sleep Deprivation
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Too little sleep drains your body of needed rest and doesn't allow skin to rest and regenerate
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- Makes you look and feel tired.
- Causes dark circles and bags under eyes
- Sagging skin
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- Adults function best with 8-9 hours of sleep each night
- Reduce caffeine during the day (with none in the evening)
- Avoid eating at least 2 hours before bedtime
- Maintain a sleep routine where you go to bed and wake up at same time each night and day
- If you have chronic trouble sleeping, consult your physician
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Smoking
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- Smoking causes blood vessels to constrict, resulting in decreased blood flow to skin
- Depletes body of Vitamin C, which is key for keeping skin plump and moist
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- Capillaries can become permanently damaged, causing a flushed appearance and visibly broken capillaries at the surface
- Increased dryness and skin dehydration due to a diuretic effect
- Skin looks gray
- Contributes to wrinkles, including crows feet
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Don't smoke
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Stress
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Stress and worry cause frowning, and over time muscles in the face actually conform to that movement
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- Be aware of your stress level throughout the day. Keeping stress in check, will help you keep frown lines and wrinkles to a minimum, keeping you looking and feeling younger.
- Vary facial expressions during the day.
- Incorporate relaxation/de-stressing methods such as meditation, yoga, gentle exercise or other relaxation techniques into your lifestyle
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Sun Exposure
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Sun breaks down skin's structural tissues (collagen and elastin)
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- Skin looks mottled
- Freckles become more permanent brown sun spots
- Skin becomes dried out, leathery, wrinkled and saggy
- Increased risk of skin cancer
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- Use a sunscreen all year long (even on cloudy days) of at least SPF 15 that blocks both UVA/UVB (UVB causes sunburn and skin cancer and UVA causes premature aging)
- Consider physical vs. chemical blocks like mineral based zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. These reflect light away instead of absorbing it into the skin. Further, they are natural, making them preferable for people with skin allergies
- Apply sunscreen generously and reapply after swimming, perspiring and at least every 2 hours (even water-resistant sunscreens need reapplication.)
- See your physician or dermatologist to assess sun damage you may have, and to rule out possible skin cancers. They may be able to prescribe medication to reduce existing sun damage.
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Refined sugar and carbohydrates (white breads) - Low protein diet
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- Diets high in sugar and refined carbohydrates (white breads) cause high levels of sugar in the bloodstream cause sugars to attach to protein fibers in collagen producing compounds which has a negative effect on the skin
- Spike insulin in blood, increasing production of hormones called androgens which causes secretion of excess amounts of oil
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- Skin becomes less resilient and contributes to wrinkles and sagging
- Contributes to acne
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- Limit intake of refined carbohydrates and sugary foods
- Get at least three ounces (21 grams) of protein per meal or at least 20 % of total calories from protein sources to ensure stable levels of insulin. Click here to learn more about proteins.
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Very Low Fat Diets
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- Healthy fats help maintain oil barrier of skin, protecting body from fluid loss and infection. That said, it is possible that harmful fats, such as saturated fat, may cause negative effects in skin
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- Eczema
- Dermatitis (inflammation of skin)
- Acne
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