Foods That Can Make Acne Worse

 Dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, cream cheese, etc) is a HUGE culprit – not only does it contain iodides, it also contains an insane amount of hormones, both naturally occurring and added, that contribute to acne. Many believe that dairy is beneficial because of the calcium and probiotics, but many dairy alternatives contain more calcium than milk itself and do not aggravate skin issues!

Salty foods and those high in iodides are also a big culprit in making acne worse. For example, we had a client who was clear and on maintenance. She came into our clinic very broken out which left us perplexed – I asked her about her diet and went over the different food triggers. She said, “ I actually started sprinkling kelp on my salads every day.” Kelp has the highest iodide content of any food. I demanded she discontinue the kelp and her acne cleared up again over the next few weeks.

Health foods and supplements are not immune to causing acne– vitamins almost always contain some form of iodide (it could be in the form of iodine, iodide, potassium iodide or kelp) and the majority contain biotin and B-12, both of which make acne worse. Be careful with protein shakes or bars – Whey (dairy) and soy protein (phytoestrogen) powders are terrible for problem skin – look for hemp or pea protein instead.

We want you to be informed on which foods will make your acne worse –however these foods are not the only “cause” of acne. Multiple causes need to be addressed by using the right products in the right way and completing a customized plan of action,  as determined by La Jolla Acne Specialists.