Foods that help with hormonal acne

It’s not just that fibre that helps—some vegetables also contain special compounds that promote hormonal balance [6].

The cruciferous family of vegetables is brimming with these special compounds. This family includes old favourites such as kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower and rocket (or arugula).

If you suffer from ‘hormonal acne’—or breakouts that typically appear around your period—incorporating cruciferous vegetables into your diet is a great idea. Aim for two to three heaped handfuls daily.

2) Wholegrains

Wholegrains such as brown rice, oats and rye help acne because they have a low ‘glycaemic index’ (GI). That’s just a fancy way of saying they don’t make your blood-sugar levels shoot up.

As regular readers will know, balanced blood sugar is critical for clear skin. This is because blood-sugar highs—which come from eating too many white and processed carbohydrates—start a cascade of hormones that makes your skin more oily and more acne-prone [7].

Need more convincing? One study put men with acne on a low-GL diet. They ate plenty of wholegrains, plus other complex carbohydrates such as pulses, legumes and vegetables. After ten weeks, these men had less acne and much less oiliness [8]. And their pores even appeared smaller!

3) Fish

Research also suggests that eating little or no fish is a risk factor for developing acne [1]. If you already have acne, eating more fish may help to reduce its severity [9].

This may be because of the anti-inflammatory fats found in fish (more on these later), but it’s likely also because fish are full of skin-supporting nutrients such as zinc, iodine and vitamin D.

A little hack: buying frozen (rather than fresh) fish is often much cheaper but no less nutritious.

4) Probiotic-rich foods

Research into probiotics and probiotic-rich foods is new—but it’s exciting. One study found that drinking fermented milk reduced pimples in 12 weeks [10]. Fermented milk may sound gross, but it’s just another name for the uber-trendy kefir.

Other research suggests that consuming probiotics (a.k.a. ‘good bacteria’) can improve your skin barrier function [11].

Scientists are yet to identify the best probiotic strain for acne, so it’s best to consume a variety of good bacteria until we know more. You can do this by taking probiotic supplements (as covered in The Happy Skin Roadmap) or by eating cultured or fermented foods, which are naturally rich in probiotics [12].

5) Omega-3 fats

Omega-3 fats are essential, healthy fats. They have been found to balance acne-driving hormones and reduce inflammation [13].

Unlike other fats, your body can’t make omega-3 fats—which means you need to eat them regularly, especially if you want to reduce breakouts [14].

The best source of omega-3 fats is oily fish (remember how fish is good for acne?), but you can also find it in plant-based sources such as walnuts, flaxseeds and chia seeds.

6) Zinc-rich foods

Zinc is a mineral that’s essential to the function of human skin [15]. Interestingly, people with acne are often found to be deficient in zinc [16, 17].

Although zinc supplements can improve acne [18], you don’t necessarily need to start popping pills. Instead, focus on including lots of zinc-rich foods in your diet.

The best source of zinc is oysters! But if you don’t fancy those, don’t worry. You can also find it in beef, chicken, eggs and other animal foods.

Zinc is also in plant foods—especially pumpkin seeds, cashews and chickpeas—but you absorb much less from plant-based sources [19]. If you eat an exclusively plant-based diet, then zinc supplements might be worth exploring.

7) Green tea

Green tea contains a special compound called EGCG, which has acne-fighting potential. In one trial, 64 women took EGCG supplements. After four weeks, they had less acne around their nose, mouth and chin [20].

We need to consider that supplements are stronger than tea. In fact, the daily dose of EGCG used in this trial was the equivalent of drinking nine cups of green tea! Green tea also contains caffeine, so you don’t want to drink nine cups every day.

It’s still worth enjoying green tea regularly, though, as it’s rich in other skin-supporting antioxidants. We also know that when applied to the skin, green tea can help to reduce oil production [21]—and scientists are still uncovering if it has the same effect when consumed as a drink [22].

Foods that help acne: dietary patterns

What do the Canadian Inuits, the South African Zulus and the Japanese Okinawans have in common?

None of them has acne [14].

These traditional cultures have different diets, but they are similar in that they are all based on whole foods, eaten consistently.

That’s the secret to foods that help acne. You can eat them occasionally, but their real power comes with embracing them as your pattern of eating. Get into the habit of making overnight oats for breakfast. Throw oily fish onto your lunchtime salad. Load half your plate with vegetables at every dinner.

Do this enough, and it becomes second nature. It doesn’t have to be perfect (there’s no such thing as a perfect diet!) it just has to be consistent.

Ask yourself which of the action points you can do today, and start there.

Fiona Lawson is a former national magazine editor turned registered nutritionist and skin specialist. She holds an MSc in Nutritional Medicine and a BANT-registered post-graduate qualification in Nutritional Therapy.