Your skin is one of the most important sense organs in your body. Healthy skin is good for your health, and it also makes you look excellent. Skincare is something that we should all be concerned about. That's why some people focus more on skincare for teenagers, while others look into improving adult skincare.  

However, there’s an extensive relationship between skin health and nutrition that needs to be maintained carefully. To that end, there are some foods that you will need to keep away from if you want to maintain healthy skin. Here are a few of them:

Refined carbohydrates  

Perhaps the most significant nemesis for your skin will be refined carbs. These are mostly processed flour and sugar, and they do quite a lot to affect your skin. 

To start, these cards have little to no nutritional value. Then, they feed the bacteria in your gut. These harmful bacteria end up feeding and growing, and they end up feeding on the good bacteria in your body too. 

Acne is a bacterial condition, so when you have breakouts, it merely means you have more bad bacteria in your system than good ones. This is why a lot of routines that focus on skincare for teenagers focus a lot on balancing the bacteria levels in the body first.

Refined carbohydrates also cause you to produce more oil – which goes on to clog your skin pores. 

Consuming more refined carbs causes your body to release insulin, which keeps your blood sugar in check. Refined sugars digest quickly, so your body will need to release significant insulin amounts to combat the sugar intake. When insulin is produced more quickly, your skin also produces oil (sebum), which clogs press and forms pimples.

Junk and fast food 

This isn’t to say that you can’t go to an eatery and have fun with your friends. The only point here is that you shouldn’t make it too much of a habit.

A lot of fast food items are deep-fried and contain a significant amount of vegetable oils (peanut oil, canola oil, etc.) While you might think vegetable oils are healthy, they can make several skin conditions worse because they have a high content of omega-6 essential fatty acids. 

Now, it’ worth keeping in mind that omega-6s are essential to our health. We need a specific amount for proper growth and cognitive function development. However, omega-6s are also pro-inflammatory, and when you have too many of those (as well as lesser amounts of omega-3s), you will have a problem. 

A lot of fast food vegetable oils are also very sensitive to light and heat, so they turn bad when they get exposed to high temperatures. When these fats are dropped in the deep fryer, they get oxidized and form free radicals. 

The free radicals will destroy your cells and even accelerate the signs of aging in your body. This is why most people who teach skincare for teenagers try to get them off the fast food first.

Dairy products

You will think that dairy products are rich in protein. A lot of them are, but there are also some dangers for you to keep in mind. 

The first problem with dairy is the fact that they can increase inflammation by a great deal. So, issues like rashes, acne, and eczema will be on the rise. 

It’s also worth pointing out that a lot of conventional dairy products contain a lot of growth hormones. These hormones disrupt the natural hormonal balance of the body. This disruption can also lead to issues like acne. 

Also, it goes without saying, but it should be said still – if you’re lactose intolerant, then you shouldn’t be anywhere near dairy products.

Soy

For a long time, a lot of people who wanted to wean off the dairy products used to choose soy as a healthy alternative. Sadly, however, a lot of soy producers now throw in a lot of genetically-engineered components in their products.

There’s also the fact that soy contains a lot of phytoestrogens, which try to mimic the function of estrogen when it’s absorbed into the body.  Just like the growth hormones that many dairy products contain, phytoestrogens can disrupt the healthy hormonal balance of the body.

Remember that a lot of estrogens will only lead to acne.

Wheat  

Dwarf wheat is the typical type of wheat that we all eat today. It comes with a different chemical composition than what you used to see years back. Again, thanks to genetic engineering, today can pass as wheat has a high content of phytic acid and gluten. Both make the wheat ore difficult to digest, and they can also contribute to gluten sensitivities.

We all rely on some significant beauty products to keep us looking and smelling nice. Whether we make the products by ourselves or we purchase them, we know that these products are the result of substances that have been expertly combined in them.

However, there are some of these substances that have also been found to have heightened risks for humans. They’re classified as very dangerous, and it’s important that we either stay away from then completely or use them in smaller quantities.

Here are a few of these materials:

DMDM Hydantoin

It might sound like something out of a sci-fi movie, but DMDM Hydantoin is a form of formaldehyde-releasing preservative that has found a place in skincare and personal care items for years now. Its use in body lotion has been documented pretty extensively.

This preservative will irritate your eyes and skin severely, and there is already evidence that fonrmaldehyde is a carcinogen too. If there is any impurity in the DMDM Hydantoin that your moisturizer has, then there’s a very significant chance that you have formaldehyde in there.

There are a lot of preservatives and natural products that you can use instead to keep your body lotion long-lasting. This one doesn’t have to be in it.

Fragrance + Parfum

Yes, everyone wants natural skin care products that smell like butter and ice cream rolled into one. However, when you begin to see a significant amount of “parfum” and “fragrance” in your natural skin care produce, then you might be in for a problem.  

A lot of the time, manufacturers of natural skin care products add these to their stuff, even though it is a rather toxic mix that should be avoided. A lot of the time, these include something called diethyl phthalate – an endocrine disruptor that can be very toxic to your organ system. 

A lot of synthetic fragrances also emit VOCs, which will cause a disruption in indoor airflow and can even cause some respiratory problems like asthma.

Parabens

Just about every form of all natural body butter and skin care product has parabens. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that it is a good thing to have with you.  

If you find any of the following in your skin care product, then you’re seeing parabens - butylparaben, isobutylparaben, methylparaben, propylparaben, or ethylparaben. Their job is to prevent the growth of bacteria or any other microorganism in your product, but there have also been studies linking them to breast cancer and the disruption of hormone growth.

For now, a lot of all natural body utter manufacturers have found a healthier and much better way of ridding their products of fungus – using citric acid and vitamin E. They have a shorter life span, but given that they’re a healthier option overall, you’ll be better served by those.

Retinyl Palmitate

Retinyl palmitate is a form of vitamin A derivative that is usually used in products like lotions, creams, and even sunscreen.  

While the product comes with some anti-aging properties, studies have also linked them with the growth of tumors after exposure to light, the National Toxicology Program has found this out, after mice exposed to the product developed some shocking tumors at the time.  

If your lotions will contain this, make sure you use them at night alone.

Triethanolamine

It’s difficult to pronounce, but it’s still a part of many skin care products nonetheless.  It is a strongly alkaline substance that the products use to balance their pH levels. So far, mascara users have found special use for triethanolamine.

However, experts have confirmed that this product should only be used for short-term applications. The Dermatology Review found that it’s a respiratory and skin irritant that can also cause some significant problems in the immune system.

While the product is biodegradable and safe for microorganisms and animals, it is still harmful to humans nonetheless. Waste water that contains this substance can change the pH of streams and lakes, thus causing some danger to aquatic life.

Synthetic colors

If you look at an all natural body butter or a natural skin care product and you find the label FD&C or D&C, then you know that the product has artificial colors. The letters usually come before a number and a color, and they are synthetic colors that come from coal tar and petroleum resources.  

Many sources have linked synthetic colors to skin irritations, as well as ADHD in children. it is also considered a human carcinogen and has been banned by the European Union.

Understanding the type of skin you have is important in choosing a skincare regimen to follow. Given that there are various types with their characteristics, this can be a tad challenging. Here’s a quick rundown to help keep you informed:

Normal skin 

As expected, people who have the natural skin type won’t readily describe their skin as being oily or dry. While it’s possible for some oiliness and dryness to be present, these are usually very rare, and resolving them is very easy.

People with normal skin have small pores that can easily be seen. There isn’t much in the way of shine on this skin, but it also doesn’t flake or crack easily as well. you see few wrinkles or lines on normal skin, and with very few in the way of marked blemishes, you get skin that has an even tone.

It should, however, be noted that normal skin can have a few blemishes here and then. However, like dryness and oiliness, following a few simple skincare tips can help you get rid of them easily. This is to point out that normal skin isn’t perfect in any way; at the end of the day, there are bound to be a few blemishes here and there.

Also, people with normal skin will need to keep in mind that skin characteristics change with time as well. So, the fact that you don’t have any skin problems now doesn’t necessarily mean that things will continue this way forever. As life events such as menopause and pregnancy become more prominent, some skin blemishes might arise. You could also experience things like acne if you experience a change in hormone levels or make use of a skincare product that your body isn’t accustomed to.

A regular skincare regimen will also be required by people with normal skin to ensure that their skin characteristics are properly maintained.

Dry skin 

People who have dry skin tend to feel a bit of tightness in their skin. In most instances, there are also appearances of flaking and skin patches. Pores are generally invisible, and issues such as regular irritation and premature wrinkles are also very prominent.

What causes dry skin?

There are several factors that could lead to dry skin. Some people simply get it from their parents, as the amount of sebum produced in the oil glands is usually affected by hereditary traits. Others believe that skin dryness is a product of a lack of moisture.

Moisturizer for dry skin

People who have dry skin will get quite a lot of help from moisturizers. It’s also important that you stick to a skincare regimen. People with dry skin tend to benefit from using lotions, since these contain more oil and can moisturize even better. The higher a moisturizer’s oil count, the better it is for treating dry skin.

However, make sure you test every moisturizer on your skin before adding it to ensure that you don’t get any allergic reactions to it.  

Oily skin

You know you have oily skin when your face and skin shine quite a lot. Another important trait of the oily skin is the easy breakout of acne.

What causes oily skin?

A lot of the time, oily skin arises due to both hormonal changes and genetic factors in an individual. People who have oily skin due to genetics have a high amount of sebum, which helps to soften and hydrate the skin. However, when the hormone levels in the body change, there’s usually a spike in the production of androgens- a male hormone that we all have.

When androgens are produced, sebum production is on the increase as well. however, when the oil is produced to an excess, the skin’s pores are expanded, and the result is blockages that turn to acne and pimples.   

Taking care of oily skin

A lot of people believe that skin care for oily skin starts with the use of products that can “dry out” the skin. However, this could end up not getting the job done. Some drying agents could actually trigger the production of more oils, thus exacerbating the problem. 

Instead, make sure that you exfoliate your skin lightly. As oil builds, dead skin cells can get trapped in your pores and lead to blemishes and acne. So, et products with gentle exfoliators that gently take off dead skin cells and free up your pores.

Combination skin

When you have combination skin, you usually find two or more different skin types on your face. This means that certain portions will be dry and flaky, while others will have an excess of oil. It’s easy to mistake this as having one end of the spectrum, but when you find your skin being in portions, then you have combination skin. 

Combination skin is actually the most popular amongst all skin types. However, identifying and treating it is also very challenging. You’ll need to find the right skincare regimen that will exfoliate your skin, while also being mild enough not to irritate it.