Acne-Friendly Kitchen: Foods that can help to keep your skin clear

Although diet is not the cause of skin problems like acne, it plays an important role in their treatment. A poor diet can exacerbate acne, even if you do everything else right, but a good diet can help fight it. Since acne is an external manifestation of an internal disorder, the right foods can heal, cleanse and nourish your skin from within.

Here is the perfect menu to keep your kitchen acne-friendly:

Acne-Friendly Breakfast: Kiwi-flaxseed oatmeal and a skin-cleansing raspberry-pineapple-ginger smoothie

Why? If you don’t have wheat allergies, whole grains are great for you. They’re an excellent source of fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, thiamine, iron, beta-glucan (which may help regulate blood sugar), vitamin B6, and the antioxidants known as avenanthramides (which may help promote healthy circulation). Flaxseed provides a good dose of vitamins E and B6 as well as essential fatty acids (EFAs). Kiwi is rich in many microelements including zinc, which is great for acne-prone skin and also contains a load of antioxidants. A skin-cleansing raspberry-pineapple-ginger smoothie is a great healing drink that will reduce inflammation, provide a healthy dose of antioxidants and help your skin, and body, to regain a healthy balance.

How? Cook whole grain, steel-cut oats, not instant or sweetened. Sprinkle with a serving of milled flaxseed and top with kiwi. If you don’t like oatmeal, try whole-grain toast and an egg, which is full of vitamin E and A. Check out our skin-cleansing smoothie recipe here. Or, if you’re not lactose intolerant, just have a glass of milk! Milk is full of vitamins E and A. Fat free or 1%-2% is great for you.

Acne-Friendly Lunch: Chickpea-avocado quinoa, steamed kale, carrots, and broccoli, and a refreshing melon-grape-cucumber-parsley drink

Why? Quinoa provides all nine essential amino acids and contains twice the fiber of most grains. It’s also full of iron, magnesium, calcium, and folate. Though it’s technically a seed, it can be prepared and eaten as you would rice. Avocado tastes great with quinoa and is full of vitamin E. Chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans) are high in vitamin B6 and pantothenic acid. Kale provides you with a lot of vitamin E, carrots are full of vitamin A, andbroccoli is full of folate. The melon-grape-cucumber-parsley drink is good for calming inflammation and moistening the tissues. Parsley is also rich in nutrients (especially iron) to bring a healthy glow to a pale complexion.

How? Cook quinoa and chickpeas. Steam kale, carrots, and broccoli. Mix and add fresh avocado. Check out our Melon Skin Refresher recipehere

Acne-Friendly Dinner: Salmon with spinach-tomato-cucumber-sunflower seed salad and carrot-pineapple skin-helping juice

Why? Salmon is full of the rights kinds of fats, EFAs, which promote clear and healthy skin and are also good for the heart. If you’re not into salmon, try chicken, trout, sardines, herring ortofu. Spinach is one of those great leafy greens full of vitamin A and folate. Try making a salad out of it, adding sunflower seeds, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Cucumber has 96% water content that is more nutritious than regular water, which helps in keeping the body hydrated and body temperature regulated. It also helps in flushing out the toxins from the body. Cucumber also contains vitamins A, B, and C and minerals like magnesium, potassium, and silica--all are very beneficial for your skin. The carrot-pineapple skin-helping juice is full of beta-carotene, the precursor of vitamin A. Carrots help to clear spots and blemishes ( will also give you this baby fresh glow) , and help boost the skin’s resistance to UV light. Combined with pineapple, the juice helps to stimulate digestion and regulate the metabolism.

How? Make a salmon salad, as mentioned above, or try our salmon kebab and salad recipe here. Check out our Carrot and Pineapple Juicy Skin Helper recipe here.

Acne-Friendly Snacks: Probiotic yogurt and berries; whole grain rice cakes with almond butter; or fruit and walnut salad

Why? Probiotic yogurt is full of good bacteria that your body needs, and berries are a great superfood for acne sufferers. Almond butter is full of vitamins E and B6. Oranges strawberries, and grapes are full of vitamin C, and walnuts are high in EFAs, as well as vitamins E and B6.

Don’t forget to drink up throughout the day! You want to drink plenty of water. For extra vitamin C, add a slice of lemon, orange or pink grapefruit to each glass.

Here are some resources on how to find local, fresh food:

myskin.com A REFRESHING NEW WAY TO FIND EFFECTIVE SKINCARE PRODUCTS THAT WORK FOR YOU.

FarmMatch.com connects consumers with local farmers, buying clubs, farmers markets and restaurants that offer fresh, organic and sustainable food.

EatLocalGrown enables you to also find locally grown food, now.  Enter your zipcode and hit search.

Be sure to take into account how food is cooked. For example, foods that are roasted, curried, barbecued, baked, smoked or deep-fried may exasperate your acne, while steaming, quick boiling, blanching, poaching, braising, stewing or quick stir-frying using very little oil is great for acne sufferers.

And remember, even with the perfect diet, treating acne takes time and perseverance, and diet alone cannot treat your acne. In addition to eating right, you need to use a treatment that will help get your sebaceous glands under control. Don’t forget to take your AcnEase® at the appropriate times throughout the day.