The worst foods for oily skin

Discover the top three foods to ditch if you want to enjoy a shine-free face Does your skin often appear shiny and greasy? Maybe it’s accompanied by those dual foes – enlarged pores and acne? Then chances are that you have oily skin.¹ It’s caused by an excess of sebum – an oily substance released by the sebaceous glands to hang onto water in the skin.² And while genetics and hormones are two of the main oily skin causes, diet is also thought to play an important part.^3,4 Here are the foods to steer from if you want a healthier, clearer complexion.

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Refined grains

Processed carbohydrates, such as white bread, breakfast cereals and white rice, are foods to avoid if you have oily skin.^5,6A 2014 review published in the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology found that these foods have a high glycaemic index, which means that they are broken down very quickly by your body. This triggers an increase in glucose in the blood and so a rise in the level of the hormone insulin – and it’s this hormone that researchers think plays a key role in excess sebum production.^7,8

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Skimmed milk

Some studies show a possible connection between milk and acne – and skimmed milk in particular. A 2016 review by researchers at the Medical University of Warsaw found that there are several reasons for this.⁹ For a start, there are biological changes during the production of skimmed milk, and this, when coupled with a possible hormonal imbalance in the milk, means this type of milk is more likely to clog pores than whole milk. There’s also another concern – dairy producers may add whey proteins to skimmed milk to keep its consistency, and the researchers think this could also contribute to oily skin.¹⁰

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Vegetable oils

The type of oil you use in your cooking could also be important, according to a 2009 study, published in the journal Dermato-Endocrinology. Researchers found that omega-6 fatty acids – a type of polyunsaturated fat found in vegetable oils – can have an inflammatory effect, and are linked with the development of acne.¹¹

Advice is for information only and should not replace medical care. Please check with your GP before trying any remedies.

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Sources

1. Arbuckle R, et al. Patient experiences with oily skin: The qualitative development of content for two new patient reported outcome questionnaires. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2577631/
2. Endly DC and Miller RA. Oily skin: A review of treatment options. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5605215/
3. Medical News Today. Top six home treatments for oily skin. Available from: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321090.php
4. Katta R, and Desai SP. Diet and dermatology: The role of dietary intervention in skin disease. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4106357/
5. NHS Choices. Eat Well: Starchy foods and carbohydrates. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/starchy-foods-and-carbohydrates/
6. As Source 4
7. NHS Choices. What is the glycaemic index (GI)? Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/chq/pages/1862.aspx?categoryid=51
8. As Source 4
9. Kucharska A, Szmurło A and Sińska B. Significance of diet in treated and untreated acne vulgaris. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4884775/
10. As above
11. Pappas A. The relationship of diet and acne. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2836431/