Enjoy Your Chocolate This Valentine's Day!

I wrote about the connection between various foods and Adult Acne breakouts. Naturally, the time around Valentine's Day brings up questions about the chocolate-breakout connection. Dermatologists have long poo-pooed the idea that there is a connection between the two, and I think it's because the focus was always on the chocolate -- that is, the cocoa.  There's more here than meets the eye!

Think about this: when are you most likely to eat chocolate? Around your period!  And when do you break out the most? You get the idea...

However, and this is a big however, with mounting evidence that there is indeed a connection between dairy and some acne conditions, and between sugar and increased inflammation in the body leading to worsening of existing acne conditions, chocolate is starting to be seen under a new light.

Nutrition that Might Help your Adult Acne?

With summer coming, Adult Acne sufferers know there are two types of “glow”...

There’s the glow of better health from finally getting outside and into fresh air and exercise, more fruits and veggies in one’s diet since it’s no longer uncomfortable eating cold foods, and the rosy glow that can come from sun exposure (we want to avoid that, though, don’t we!). 

The other glow is one we don’t like so much.  The glow of excess oil from increased exercise, heat, and goopy SPF lotions that clog pores.  Not to worry, though, I’ll be discussing solutions to all of those in upcoming blog posts !  In the meantime, you can check out the best SPF product in the world that I carry at my web store, which is not only guaranteed non-clogging, but is hydrating and really comfortable to wear.

How to Tell if Your Breakout is from Stress or Diet

"My skin is freaking out! How do I know whether my breakouts are from stress, diet, or 
a combination of both?"

In my experience, when someone says, "My skin is freaking out!" it usually means that they're experiencing breakouts and dryness at the same time. 

Testosterone is the hormone responsible for oil production in the skin. Oil glands are bigger in the T-zone area of the face, while in certain places (like the sides of the chin) the pores are smaller due to natural facial contours.

In the case of stress, an adrenaline rush can produce an overwhelming amount of testosterone, which in turn produces an oil rush to those T-zone pores. If your skincare routine is either pore-clogging or dehydrating, the oil can't come through onto the surface of your skin. This back-up of natural oil is what results in a nasty, irritated breakout. With non-clogging, hydrating skincare products, the skin is more pliable so less oil is held back. If you break out primarily around your mouth, chin, and forehead, stress is likely going to be the primary problem.

So what about diet?