Eating Chocolate Or Greasy Foods Causes Oily Skin & Acne

The truth is that an oily substance called sebum causes acne. It's made and secreted by the skin. In fact, there's no evidence that any specific food causes acne.

You’ve probably heard this myth since you were a teenager: if you pig out on chocolate, French fries, or other junk foods, you’ll be promptly rewarded with an unsightly breakout. The old logic was that because oily skin tends to be more prone to imperfections, eating greasy foods will worsen your skin’s oil problems. In reality, oil in your diet doesn’t equate to higher production of sebum (your skin’s natural oil).

Don’t go throwing a parade through your nearest drive-thru just yet, though. What you eat still affects your skin. You are what you eat, and certain foods can trigger emotional and hormonal responses that may negatively affect how your skin looks. This is especially true for those that believe they have food sensitivities or allergies. Research has shown that there are some foods that could aggravate problem-prone skin. If that describes you, try staying away from the foods and beverages listed below for a while to see if your skin troubles subside.

Refined sugars and processed grains. Simple carbohydrates are known to cause spikes in insulin, which messes with the hormones responsible for skin-cell growth and sebum production. More cell turnover combined with more oil can be a recipe for skin disaster.

Breakouts are typically connected to inflammation, and for people that have any level of sensitivity to it, dairy can really flare things up. While research is conflicted, milk, cream, and ice cream appear to have more negative impacts on the skin, while yogurt and hard cheeses tend to cause fewer issues.

You’re not going to want to toast to this: alcohol is a nightmare for the skin. Not only is it hard on the liver, the organ responsible for detoxifying your body, but it also dehydrates the body and the skin. Most cocktail mixers come with hefty added doses of sugar, which will cause the dreaded insulin spikes. And in case you thought red wine was exempt because of its noted health benefits, for a lot of people it can cause flushing of the face. If you’re going to imbibe, try not to go overboard, and drink plenty of water. Your skin will thank you the next morning and in the long run.

It turns out that some of the advice your mother and grandmother gave you about skincare aren’t backed by science or reality. The good news is this golden age of skincare provides more options than ever to make the best choices possible for your unique skin.

love and Hugs

Emalene xx

Do you love a Challenge!

Change the future for your skin in just 7 days

Want to make an investment that pays serious long-term dividends? Change one thing in your life each day for the next seven days, and it could dramatically change how well your skin will age. In time, you’ll look 10 years younger than your contemporaries who have kept up their old habits. Here’s what to do.

Day 1: Start using broad-spectrum (UVA/UVB) sun protection. Instead of your regular moisturiser, switch to one with an SPF formula and use it every single morning, all year-round summer and winter. I always use my IMAGE SPF 30 Tinted Moisturiser daily and without fail. Whether I plan to spend time outside or not, rain or shine. Aiming high with sun protection does not always mean its the best, since studies have shown that we rarely use enough product to reach the SPF factor stated on the package anyway. What you need to look for is a physical Sun cream that has a high content of Titanium Dioxide in it. And sun beds? Don’t even go there…

Day 2: Get the antioxidant habit. Apply a good antioxidant serum to your face, neck, chest and hands every morning before you apply sun protection. Vitamin C is always a good place to start. Vitamin C is a wonder ingredient – and not just for fending off colds. it is one of the few proven anti-ageing skincare ingredients (it encourages collagen production), can improve visible signs of sun damage and scarring, and helps defend skin against environmental damage caused by free radicals. Check out Image Vital C range, its simply the best!

Day 3: Change your diet. So while your skincare routine plays a part in your skin’s condition, a nutrient-packed diet can work wonders to maintain healthy skin from the inside out. What actually helps though?

To start make sure you include lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, variety is the key.

Antioxidants

Omega 3

Zinc

Are 3 key micro-nutrients I make sure are in my diet!

You can download my 10 Timeless Tips Guide to find out more about diet and nutrition for the skin.

Day 4: Drink 2 litres of water daily. Remember your skin is an organ. In fact, it’s the largest organ in your body, and it’s mostly made up of water. Without water, your skin can’t function at its best. If your skin doesn’t get enough water, not only will it become dry, tight, and flaky, but it will also become even more prone to aging.

The truth is that your body loses large quantities of water every day, so if you don’t replace it by drinking more water, your skin will suffer the consequences. It’s easy to see the visible difference that hydration can make for your skin when you increase you daily quota!

Day 5: Start using a vitamin A ‘repair’ cream. Retinols and Retin-A are both retinoids. They are both derived from vitamin A. Think of it this way: retinols and Retin-A are types of retinoids, just as apple and key lime are types of pies.

So now you know that retinol and Retin-A are both types of retinoids, however Retinol is a natural form of vitamin A.

Retin-A is actually the brand name for the medication tretinoin. Retin-A is a synthetic form of vitamin A.

Its always best to get professional advice before purchasing. Link up with one of our Virtual Therapist to find out more.

Day 6: Make sure you have enough sleep and reduce your stress levels! Sleep deprivation and stress raise your levels of cortisol – a hormone known to have negative effects on collagen metabolism. Did you know too, that increased cortisol levels due to chronic sleep loss can lead to insulin resistance, a risk factor for obesity and diabetes? Set your clock and aim for 8 hours a night Zzzzzzzzzz

Day 7: Exfoliation Is A Lot Like Cleaning Out Your Closet! Slightly messy, sometimes emotional, and potentially irritating, but when all's said and done, both are necessary labours. Exfoliants on the market today currently run in two lanes: physical and chemical. They both technically do the same thing slough off dead skin, but they do so in very different ways. You want to make sure you're doing it right, because proper exfoliation allows your serums, moisturizers, etc to sink into your skin a whole lot better. Which means you're getting more for your hard-earned money. Check in with our Virtual Therapist to find out what is best for you.

It only takes a week to change the future of your skin. Start now – and prepare to look fabulous for your age!

Hugs and Kisses

Emalene xxx

Ageing is more than just lines and wrinkles!

A

s we age, we develop ‘dynamic lines’ (i.e. lines caused by repeated movement of mimic muscles such as frown lines and crow’s feet) and ‘static lines’ (i.e. lines which develop independent of mimic movement such as the nose-to-mouth lines).

With age, our skin tone become less even and we may develop brown patches and ‘freckly’ sun spots. This is a clear sign of chronic sun damage (you never develop them in sun-protected skin areas such as the buttocks!).

With age we loose volume in our face and one of the first areas our fat ‘padding’ goes, are our upper cheeks. So with age, our cheeks become flatter and our face looses its youthful heart shape.

As we age, our skin’s collagen and elastin content declines, which leads to reduced skin elasticity, crepiness and fine criss-cross lines.

The combination of a) loss of volume, b) reduced skin elasticity and c) gravity leads to skin sagging (for example visible on lower cheeks and jowls).

Especially after the menopause with declining oestrogen levels, our skin will become noticeably drier and thinner. It also heals more slowly and bruises more easily.

Babies and young children have a very fine and smooth skin surface with virtually invisible pores and extremely fine facial hair. However, with increasing age our skin surface appears less refined, develops enlarged pores, a duller skin surface and courser, darker hair on chin, jawline and above upper lip.

We also loose volume in our lips with age, which leads to less youthful appearing lips with development of vertical lines on and around the lips (a bit like a plum loosing water and turning into a prune).

So that’s the low-down of common signs of skin ageing, many of which are commonly overlooked when planning skin rejuvenation measures. However, in order to achieve a harmonious look, one needs to address all potential problem areas and plan a variety of different treatments over time.

Check out our programming solutions with one of our Virtual Therapist.

Hugs & kisses x