How To Conquer Adult Acne

We talk about health, weight management and wellbeing a lot in this blog but there are a few topics that still feel, well, a little taboo to talk about as grown-ups. One of these is adult acne.
The clever guys from Precision Nutrition recently did a lot of research into just which foods, vitamins and minerals really help or hinder acne… and being pretty friendly with the topic myself, their findings really resonated with me.
Here, I list the top foods to include and avoid in your diet if clear skin is your goal – and also a few cosmetic tips to keep your skin clear and boost your confidence.
So here we go...
What can make acne worse?

• Low levels of antioxidant vitamins and minerals (so eat a colourful diet)
• Food that is highly processed and cooked at high temperatures
• Food that creates an insulin spike (sugary or refined foods)
• Dairy
• Gluten, particularly from wheat
• Whey protein
• Stress & poor gut health

What can make acne better?

• Whole plant foods
• Eating less or eating smaller portions at each sitting
• Cocoa (so raw, dark chocolate is great!)
• Omega-3 fats from oily fish and some seeds such as flax and chia
• Pre/Probiotics
• Fresh spices and herbs, particularly cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, basil, garlic
• Green tea
• Walnuts & almonds
• Dark green and purple vegetables/fruits
• Free range eggs
• Tomatoes
• Resveratrol from grapes, red wine, mulberries, peanuts
• Vitamin B5
• Zinc & Selenium from seafood, wild game, brazil nuts.

The bottom line

• Whole, unprocessed foods are best
• Cut down on sugar
• If you’re going to eat dairy, go fermented (yoghurt) over standard (milk)
• Try cutting out wheat and gluten
• Take a probiotic and eat prebiotic goods
• Eat loads of fresh vegetables and fruit
• Sip on green tea
• Eat a colourful diet (and I’m not talking about mixed lollies here!)

What about what you put ON your face?

• If you’re an acne sufferer, the best thing you’ll ever do is see a skin specialist and have them prescribe you a good quality Vitamin A product to apply topically. It’s like magic!
• When it comes to makeup, mineral powders are your best bet. I find a lot of them make your pores stand out though, so make sure you get a good one. The best we’ve uncovered are from the Jane Iredale range.
• Avoid products containing Lanolins, Isopropyl Myristate (or any ingredients containing part of these two words), or too much artificial colour 

Hope all this helps girls 'n' guys.............................................................................................................