The never-ending war waged against terrible, blotchy, painful acne is a frustrating one. It can hurt your self-confidence, and it can spiral into a miserable cycle: Your skin's covered in pimples, so you slap makeup on, which only makes your skin break out more, and so on and so forth. If you're sick of throwing product after product on your face to no avail, it might be time to turn your attention to the foods you're nourishing your body with. For example, though it'd be a big switch if you're a meat-eater, a vegan diet may help your acne. At the very least, making a conscious decision to eat more whole foods and less processed ones is a great place to start.
Here's the argument for ditching dairy and meats in favor of what may potentially be an acne-fighting vegan diet: Your body's oil production — aka the stuff within your skin glands — is determined by your hormone regulation, and since dairy and meat tend to be packed with a bunch of foreign hormones, it can send your own hormones totally out of whack. For this reason, cutting dairy and meat products out of your life might allow your body to regulate its hormonal output without any external interruptions, and your acne could disappear as a result.
Of course, every body is different, and there's no one-size-fits-all guarantee. But the more you pay attention to what you're eating, the more likely you are to zone in on what's affecting your body. If you're curious and want to give it a try, here are six vegan-friendly snacks that may just help you manage your acne.
Regular cow's milk is literally jammed with hormones. Think of it this way: That milk is what mother cows use to nourish their calves, so the level of fats and hormones are through the roof, and completely unnecessary for adult humans. Similarly, soy milk is made of products that are difficult for us to digest.
Almond milk (or any other type of nut-based milk) is an excellent, healthy, hormone-free alternative to regular milk.
Cucumbers have a high water content, which helps to hydrate and plump up your skin as a result. Consider adding them to your salad, or munching on them as a quick, easy snack.
Watermelon has a similarly high water content to cucumbers, which is great for hydrating and smoothing your skin.
When eating fruits, though, the best thing you can do is look for the products that are local and in season, since those are the ones with the least genetic modification or pesticides (and they'll be cheaper!).
Apples are filled with vitamin C, not to mention elastin and collagen, which will help you maintain a healthy glow in your skin.
Also, fun fact: It's easier to find locally grown apples than other non-indigenous types of fruit in the United States, so you're more likely to have access to local, organic apples than, say, fruits like pineapple.
A common mistake people often make with vegan diets is eating a ton of bread and fruit, and not enough whole grains and vegetables.
One surefire way to approach your acne battle is to cut out processed sugar, white flour, and other types of processed grains, choosing instead to eat whole grains — like quinoa, brown rice, and oats, for example — as much as you can.
Vegan diets aren't always synonymous with plant-based diets, although they arguably should be. The best, healthiest way to cut out dairy and meat is to supplement those food groups with tons of veggies, nuts, and whole grains.
Many people with cystic acne have seen massive improvements in their skin by switching to a diet heavy on vegetables, beans, potatoes, and similar food products. So, who knows, it might just work for you, too.
