During the painfully awkward life phase of coming of age as a teen, our skin was always a major point of conversation. It was practically an unavoidable topic, especially for those of us who’ve dealt with the worst—from hideously protruding pimples cropping up on our faces to excess oil that gave an unwanted shine to our T-zones. And, often, at the sight of our peak-of-puberty skin, our mothers, aunts, and older sisters were generous with their advice, telling us “Eat this!” and “Don’t eat that!” Unfortunately, many foods on the supposed chopping block were the very things we loved to munch on and indulge in: greasy fried chicken, crispy and oily potato chips, and all the sweet treats. Can you relate?
Fast forward to decades later, with clearer skin and more consistent skincare routines, we continue to find ourselves with the occasional flare-ups or that feeling of being more bloated than usual. And, it’s almost automatic for us to think, “Was there anything I ate or drank last night?” When a rare breakout happens, it’s easy to blame it on the Korean fried chicken office lunch we had the other day. And when we wake up with a slightly puffy face, it’s “obviously” the fault of the beer and snacks from the night before.
In today’s day and age, it’s also not uncommon to come across beauty and wellness influencers preaching the same thing our elders did: Clean food equals clear skin. It’s a principle that makes sense, for sure, but it also makes us think: To what extent should we eat clean and does it really mean saying goodbye to, say, chocolates and chips, for good?
The answer is yes… and no.
Going Beyond Skin Deep
“The condition of the skin often reflects one’s overall well-being,” says board-certified dermatologist and photodermatology fellow at the East Avenue Medical Center Dr. Patricia Ramirez-Ecarma. And because our health shows through our skin, diet, and nutrition—which are “crucial in upholding good health”—definitely affects our skin. However, we have to think of this in terms beyond our skin’s surface-level cosmetic health.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking of skincare as a matter of appearance. Many of us who grew up before the age of smartphones, social media, and selfies, rarely bothered with our skincare, seeing it simply as a vanity project–or something we’d rather deal with later on. But, as Dr. Ramirez-Ecarma also points out, it’s helpful to think of caring for our skin as caring for our health. That’s why food and nutrition are so important. The impact of food and diet on our skin is influenced by individual factors such as gut health and the degree of sensitivity that both you and your skin have to the foods you consume. —Dr. Patricia Ramirez-Ecarma
Different foods become, as registered nutritionist-dietician (and wildly popular content creator) Jo Sebastian puts it, the “building blocks” of our skin. Carbohydrates typically fuel our skin’s day-to-day functions, while proteins and lipids help with the building of the epidermis, the construction of collagen and keratin, and so on.
“There are so many nutrients that we need for the strength and the overall characteristics of our skin, for wound healing, skin aging, for dry skin from photodamage,” explains Sebastian. “And all of these things can be impacted, or at least improved, by what we eat.”
Checking Our Gut Health
On an even deeper level, Dr. Ramirez-Ecarma cites that numerous studies make the link between our gastrointestinal (GI) system and our skin. The gut microbiome, or the system of microorganisms in our GI tract, can affect inflammation and the severity of skin conditions including acne, eczema, and psoriasis, among many others.
“By promoting a healthy gut microbiome, it may be possible to mitigate inflammation and improve skin health,” says Dr. Ramirez-Ecarma. “Adopting healthier dietary habits such as maintaining adequate hydration, consuming antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, following a low glycemic index diet, and incorporating probiotics can also be beneficial for promoting skin health.”
So, yes, there are foods we can eat to help our skin glow with health. For antioxidants, we can ado on our intake of berries, dark leafy greens, and even dark chocolate. Sebastian also suggests food with unsaturated fats such as salmon, sardines, olive oil, nuts, and seeds. She also says to opt for carbohydrates with a low glycemic index, which means that these have little to no effect on blood sugar levels. This includes whole grains, beans, legumes, fruits, and even some dairy products. Unless you’re allergic to certain foods, or are physically intolerant toward them and feel significantly impacted by them, there’s nothing to avoid.—Jo Sebastian
However, it’s important to emphasize that no food is an instant miracle worker and that effects may vary from person to person. “[The impact of food and diet on our skin] is influenced by individual factors such as gut health and the degree of sensitivity that both you and your skin have to the foods you consume,” Dr. Ramirez-Ecarma elaborates. “This means that what works well for one person may not have the same effect for another, highlighting the importance of personalized dietary choices and understanding how they specifically affect your skin’s health and appearance.”
Add, Don’t Subtract
Thinking about nourishing our skin as building is helpful because it all really boils down to building better eating habits. This doesn’t necessarily mean eliminating entire food groups from our diet. Sebastian says that unless you’re allergic to certain foods, or are physically intolerant toward them and feel significantly impacted by them, there’s nothing to avoid.
“We can be more focused on what nutrients we should be adding,” she says. “Because we focus so much on what we should stop eating, we forget that what we’re actually looking for is nutrients to support our skin health—rather than just food to remove.”
So those things you’ve heard about oily and fried foods leading to oily skin, and sugary foods leading to breakouts? According to Dr. Ramirez-Ecarma, these are myths. There’s no scientific evidence that makes these direct connections. However, she does note, “The results of several studies appear to support the hypothesis that the Western diet (rich in animal products and fatty and sugary foods) is associated with the presence of acne in adulthood.”
But she also adds that our diet isn’t the only factor to look at when it comes to figuring out what’s wrong with our skin.
At the end of the day, our skin health isn’t solely due to our gut health, our diet, and how we eat. Put simply, we can’t automatically assume, for example, that a breakout after eating a peanut was caused by the peanut—even if a situation in the past seemed to say so. Sebastian says, “It’s usually not so direct in that sense.” There are multiple factors that affect our skin and could contribute to something like a breakout.
Per Ramirez-Ecarma, these factors include aging, genetics, hormonal changes, skincare routines, sun exposure, and other lifestyle elements such as stress levels and sleep quality. In other words, it—once again—all depends on each of our own individual situations. While there are many factors that influence our skin’s condition, gut health and our dietary choices play a significant role in its overall health.
Eating Your Way To Anti-Aging: Can You Eat Collagen?
Whether you’re a beauty savant or still beginning to put together your skincare routine, you’ve probably heard of the not-so-secret, maybe-magical component to keep your skin looking youthful: collagen. The collagen market is a billion-dollar industry projected to grow even more by 2030. Some people get collagen creams and face masks, but others ingest it in the form of pills, powder, and food supplements.
However, ingesting collagen may not be as effective as you might think. A 2023 study from Harvard Medical School found that there isn’t enough science to back direct collagen consumption making a difference in our skin, hair, or nails. “Our bodies cannot absorb collagen in its whole form,” the study says. “To enter the bloodstream, it must be broken down into peptides so it can be absorbed through the gut.” In lieu of eating collagen, we can consider foods that encourage the body to create more of these peptides (or chains of amino acids) that make up collagen.
Citrus fruits, berries, and red bell peppers
Vitamin C plays a very important role in the production of pro-collagen, which is the body’s precursor to collagen. It also helps bond amino acids that create the peptides needed for collagen absorption.
High-protein foods (eggs, meat, fish, legumes, dairy, soy)
High-protein foods contain the three essential amino acids that make up collagen: glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline.
Nuts and whole grains
Nuts and whole grains are rich not only with all types of amino acids but also with zinc. Zinc helps in the breaking down and rebuilding of collagen.
