These 15 Snacks are Ruining Your Skin

No surprise here, right? We already know that eating too much candy can wreak havoc on our teeth, but also the high sugar content in candy will wreak havoc on your face (and the rest of your skin and body for that matter). The biggest offending quality about processed sugar is that it breaks down collagen production, and collagen is an abundant protein found in our body that makes our skin look youthful and plump. Sugar also weakens our immune system, and isn't great for our health — doing nothing to help us with the current pandemic we all find ourselves facing right now. So even though munching on a bag of candy seems like a very appealing idea, know that you will only receive a fleeting moment of happiness at the cost of your skin.

Remember when everyone started switching from cow’s milk to soy milk as a healthier alternative? Well guess what, all that soy you’re consuming (think soy lattes, tofu, veggie hotdogs) is creating a perfect internal petri-dish in your body and the experiment results will most definitely show up on your face. Most commonly related to hormonal acne, when you ingest too much soy into your body it plays around with your body’s natural hormonal levels. Soy actually inhibits the estrogen hormone and pumps up the androgen hormone, creating an imbalance and actually resulting in acne on the skin. The key here is not to overdo it, and finding the right balance of eating and drinking soy products is what will help your skin.

If you are drinking cow’s milk in your regular diet, be aware of studies that links this type of milk and dairy to the inflammation of acne. While there is not conclusive evidence linked between cow’s milk and acne breakouts, many people and celebrities have noticed skin improvements once they’ve limited their cow’s milk intake.

Blanched bread or “white bread” is the type of bread that has been stripped of most of its nutritional value. You know the type of bread most of us in North America grew up with, and loved to have peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on. Due to the lack of nutrients, these types of carbs create an insulin spike in our bodies and creates inflammation inside our body — which affects our skin. Instead try whole wheat bread, and aim to go for varieties infused with grains and seeds to give your body that extra healthy boost! These are the best foods to keep you thriving indoors.

Say it ain’t so! But alas, it’s true. While many of us can find reason to have an alcoholic drink or two into on the regular (virtual Zoom drink or to unwind while binge-watching your favourite show) — what you need to know is that alcohol is dehydrating. In this context, dehydration means the fluid in your skin, the very thing that makes you look bright and plump, is being depleted from your body. No good! And before you know it, your skin is looking worse for wear, which is never a good look.

Salami, or other cured meats (such as bacon, prosciutto), is a food that is high in sodium. Eating salty food regularly is hard on the body to process. So, if you wake up looking a bit on the puffy side, you might notice the bags under your eyes more pronounced, consider what you ate the day before and try to limit meats that have such a high concentration of salt.

While coffee is not necessarily bad for your skin, with its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant goodness, it’s usually the way we drink our coffee that is bad. It’s the milks (soy or not) and sugars that we add to our coffee that in turn may cause stress for our skin. It’s also the time that we drink our coffee that will dictate how it affects our body. If you're grabbing a local coffee later in the day or at night, the caffeine may have you up until the wee hours preventing you from not getting enough rest for your body. Sleep is a real aid for our systems as we recuperate ourselves, and our skin, to get a relaxed and youthful appearance in the morning. Also, over-drinking coffee is another way we could be negatively affecting our skin. While one cup of coffee in the morning is generally recommended, drinking multiple cups of java is not ideal and caffeine will ultimately dehydrate you.

The smell of freshly made microwave popcorn is overwhelmingly good, and it’s hard to resist a snack that’s so accessible, crunchy and satisfying. But the real deal is that microwave popcorn usually comes packaged in a gamut of chemicals – from the hydrogenated oil in the “real butter” taste to the very package lining that it is sealed in. Hydrogenated oils are a primary source of trans-fat in all sort of processed food, much like microwave popcorn, and actually lead to different negative health issues. Putting something bad into your body will affect the appearance and quality of your skin. A much better alternative is to make popcorn straight from the kernel on a stove top or through a popcorn machine next time you're getting ready to watch a sweet rom com.

While eating cheese will give you a healthy dose of calcium, and be good for the overall health of your body’s bones, eating too much cheese can be bad for your skin. For the same reason’s behind cow’s milk, the dairy found in cheese can imbalance the hormones in your body which could cause breakouts on the skins ranging from acne (mild or severe), eczema flare ups or rosacea. The key here is balancing what you eat, so if you can’t resist a good cheese make sure you counter this food by also eating lots of veggies and drinking lots of water.

Crunchy, satisfying and salty — chips are the ultimate stress-eating snack (in my humble opinion). But how long does that satisfaction feeling actually last? All the salt, oil and saturated fat that you are ingesting with a bag of chips have zero nutritional value for your body and will most definitely show up on your face sooner or later (probably sooner). So if you’re thinking of meeting your latest Tinder match on a Zoom date soon, you might want to take a deep breath, know that the stress will pass, and make that tray of baked kale chips to satisfy your craving.

Not everyone has an insatiable sweet tooth, but if you do and can’t help but chomp down on a sweet and delectable piece of cake, don’t be surprised when you might see some spots show up on your face. Cake, also known as refined carbohydrates, is full of processed sugars and processed flours and the way our bodies break down these ingredients is by turning it into sugars in our bodies. Too much sugar levels in our bodies, means the excess will show up on our skin in ways we wouldn’t want. If you’re wondering why you’ve been breaking out a bit more while quarantined at home, try eliminating any cake or processed desserts from your next grocery list and see how your body responds.

Hot dogs that are filled with lots of processed meat. Much like cured meats, processed meats are high in sodium and preservatives and not the best health food for our bodies or skin. Hot dogs may be a quick and convenient meal to make, and an inexpensive one, but it’s actually our hurting our bodies and skin in the long run. If you’re feeling for a hot dog, the better choice to turn to is to try the sausages from your local butcher (and skip the freezer aisle altogether).

Now that many of us find ourselves in a work-from-home environment, we’ve already foregone the formality of dressing up for the workday, why not do without dishes for lunch as well? Why even make lunch when you can eat peanut butter from the jar? Just be weary of not eating the whole jar, as eating too much peanut butter will lead to an abundance of omega-6 fatty acid. That’s not ideal, because you need a balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids for optimal health benefits. And while omega fatty acids are good for your body, having too much omega-6 can lead to inflammation, and lead to skin problems.

Fried foods, often found in fast food and takeout, are full of oils and saturated fats that essentially clog up the insides of your body when eaten. When your body’s arteries are clogged, that means that your body is actually processing at a slower rate and this all leads to poor circulation. When you wake up puffy and looking swollen, think about curbing your fried food intake. Go outside for a walk or a run, the fresh air will be good for your body and mind. And remember to drink water!

If you want to keep your glowing complexion, you might want to skip ice cream after dinner. When you indulge in lots of ice cream, your body goes through a sugar spike. The temporary satisfaction of eating a food that’s so delicious and sugary has much longer negative effects than we realize in the moment. Having too much sugars in our system leads to not only an acne breakout, but also an overall lack of radiance and a pronunciation of wrinkles.