my skin!

[magicdice]

other than the obvious, what can i cut out of my diet that may improve the condition of my skin? it's just teenage spots & whatever but i desperately need to remedy this

[Dom Tuk]

I dont know what you mean by the obvious but reduce food fried in fat/oil. no need to take it out completely. drink loads of water and ensure that bowel movements are regular. Also tie your hair back. Hair is a trap for dust/skin cells/bacteria etc. Hair falling on the face can transfer that to your face and can result in increased infections/spots.

[magicdice]

i've never eaten much fatty food anyway, but in my vengeance-against-awful-skin thing i've almost completely cut it out. also cut out chocolate other than plain chocolate as this tastes too good to lose, i'm drinking at least my 2 litres of water a day, lots of fruit juice etc etc (feels like i'm dieting to lose weight!) and taken my usual skin-care habits up a notch, but it's STILL not helping!

[natalie_1982]

Not sure how fruit juice will help as most are full of additives and preservatives, as well as sweetners, I think you'd be better off eating fresh fruit and vegetables, or blending them and making your own juice/ smoothies.

 

I think generally just having a healthy diet (low fat, high in fibre, lots fruit and veg, 2 litres of water a day) andnot smoking or overdoing it on alcohol shouldhelp a lot

[natalie_1982]

Oooh, fruit, veg and nuts that are high in natural fats and oils like walnuts, mango, avacado, olive, etc are good for skin and hair- just don't over do it and make your skin/ hair greasy.

[natalie_1982]

Sorry to keep posting so many answers when I could put it all in one but I go back tomy work and some more things come to me!

 

You say you have taken your skin care habits up a notch, if you mean using cleansers like Oxy10, Clean&Cleat, etc then I personally wouldn't bother. Use a good basic ph balanced soap (Simple, Dove, Johnson's, etc) that isn't overly processed or scented and maintain a healthy life style.

[LordyGeordie]

to be honest cutting stuff out of your diet won't make a massive bit of difference as teenage acne occurs naturally because of hormones etc. what will hjelp though is getting lots of vitamins from fruit etc

[magicdice]

haha, no, i'm a clinique girl all the way, anything else is a waste of time really - plus a mud mask of some sort 2 or 3 times a week.

i'm not sure how smoking & alcohol would make any difference to my skin in terms of spots... i'm on five or six fruit/veg a day already though

[natalie_1982]

Smoking ages the skin dramatically, gives you lines and dull looking grey skin.

 

Alcohol also makes your skin grey, and by putting any toxins in your body will age your skin.

 

I use Clinique 3-step, but I think it's more important to eat healthily than spend over �50 on cleansing products each time.  Although it does make your skin feel nice (I have to treat myself now and then!)

[natalie_1982]

And you should only use masks weekly.

[natalie_1982]

And don't wear heavy make up, especially foundation, concealer, etc.

[tracymort]

If i were you i'd try taking a a good quality acidophillus supplemen, i like quest or solgart (friendly bacteria). skin probs can often indicate poor gut health. Zinc can help too and probably some Essential Fatty Acid supplements. Cutting down on sugar and yeast and possibly dairy too. if you are worried about calcium there are loads of other foods rich in it. Fish with soft bones (ones you eat) and kale for example.

[ahar]

chocolate alone doesn't give you spots. neither does fat. but it will be easier to keep your skin clear if you eat healthily in general, fruits with lots of vit c will help (like oranges and other cirtus fruits). drinking lots of water also. i try not to touch my face unless absolutley necessary, as the parts of my face i touch most tend to get spots.if its bad doc can help.

[Barbarafb]

All of the above, ie sensible eating, exercise, lots of water, etc must help maintain otherwise good health and therefore skin.  However it doesn't necessarily treat problem skin.  I am 58 but my skin still thinks its a teenager!  I also use Clinique - fantastic for our type of skin.  I only discovered it three years ago and everyone tells me how well I look, not realising that its the improvement in the skin that is doing the trick and what a confidence booster. 

I am not a great believer in exclusion diets but I was advised to cut out dairy products - all of them - for a trial period.  Honestly, I noticed a difference in my skin within 24 hours!  Oh, no, I hear you say - that was my reaction too.  However, after a period of enjoying improving skin, I slowly reintroduced dairy products.  You can probably get away with yoghurt and cheese but I would advise still keeping away from lots of milk.  During the exclusion period I religiously substituted with soya milk and yoghurt - available in Holland & Barrett among others.  After a while I was told about Rice Milk which is just fantastic.  There are various types, ie: extra calcium version, flavours, etc.  I get it in Sainbury's.  You have to ask for it if it is not obvious.  It is usually in the "free from" or healthy food range.  I really don't notice it is not cow's milk.  It's just as good on breakfast cereal or in cooking.  At first I thought it inconvenient when eating out or visiting friends but what I find now is that you can get away with a little of the nasty stuff, and just make up for it when you eat at home.  It really is no big deal.

I hope you will be encouraged to give it a try.  The best of luck to you and I would be very happy to hear how you get on.