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Clear Skin Diet: Complete Guide (2024)

  • Post category:Skincare

It’s 2022, and if clear skin isn’t high on your list of priorities then we’d be very, very surprised. The link between the skin and what we eat is undeniable, and it’s time we all get really clear as to what a suitable clear skin diet actually entails. Read on!

In this article we discuss the following:

What is a Clear Skin Diet?

A clear skin diet is something that a healthcare provider, or dermatologist, will recommend to patients suffering from acne outbreaks that are becoming difficult to manage with topical treatments. The diet treats the skin from the inside out, working to eliminate foods that trigger outbreaks and incorporate foods that fight inflammation and toxin presence. 

A clear skin diet dermatologist would be the best place to get access to such insight, so we spoke with one directly. Dr. Enrizza Factor (MD), dermatologist at My Eczema Team, has the following to say when it comes to this subject: “By building your clear skin diet around lean proteins (especially cold-water fish), whole grains, fresh fruits and veggies, nuts, seeds and legumes you can improve and protect your skin. The secret to reducing acne and improving your skin can be found in a healthy diet.”

Dr. Factor adds that sometimes it’s hard to know what your skin really needs to be as healthy as possible. “Every day we’re bombarded by marketing hype for various skin care and cosmetic products, as well as advice from social media influencers and other beauty gurus.”

The possibilities of these diets aren’t, however, limited to the clearing up of acne alone. New studies are finding that the same diets may have the ability to clear up acne scarring as well. More about this from Leslie Radka, founder & hiring manager of GreatPeopleSearch: “The clear skin diet is a natural way to get rid of acne scars. This diet can help you get rid of your acne scars naturally without any side effects. The clear skin diet helps to reduce inflammation, redness, swelling, and irritation that are caused due to acne. The clear skin diet consists of foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, lean protein, healthy fats, and herbs.

This diet works by reducing inflammation and promoting healing. It also helps to boost the immune system and fight off bacteria. The clear skin diet also helps to improve blood circulation and detoxify the body,” says Leslie. 

Clear Skin Diet Benefits

Aside from the obvious benefits such as less active acne and reduced scarring, what else can one gain from switching to clear skin diet foods? We let Deniz EFE from Fitness Equipped further enlighten us. According to her, the following are added benefits of these kinds of dietary plans:

  • You will consume more vitamins and minerals, which are essential for healthy skin.
  • Fruits and vegetables are packed with antioxidants, which can help protect your skin from damage caused by free radicals.
  • Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables will also help keep your skin hydrated.

“If you are serious about improving your skin, a clear skin diet is a great place to start. Incorporate plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables into your meals, and you’ll be on your way to better skin in no time!” says Deniz. 

Clear Skin Diet Plan

1 Week Clear Skin Diet

When researching this topic, you’re going to find many of the clear skin diet PDFs available online for free download (or sometimes donation based). A famous book that comes up is the clear skin diet Nelson; a six week program to beautiful skin written by the clear skin diet Nina and Randa Nelson. 

Six weeks? Can’t we do it in one? While there are many 7-day meal plan options online with big promises to banish acne once and for all, we aren’t so sure we’d put all of our eggs into this basket. Detoxing the body is a process that takes time; it is not something that can happen overnight… or in 7 days for that matter. 

What you can do, however, is start the journey. Committing to 7 days of healthier eating is a lot more palatable for most people than six week programs or longer. In 7 days, you’re likely to start seeing subtle improvement, but more than this, you’re going to start feeling better — which is where the real change begins. 

Proving to yourself that you can do the 7 day challenge means that you can now do another 7… and then another 7…and then another until your skin is clear and your body is thanking you. 

Clear Skin Diet Plan Indian

There are many influencers out there promoting diets rich in Indian foods as a means of learning up problematic skin. And it makes perfect sense when one considers that Indian cuisine typically involves a ton of vegetarian dishes, little to no cheese and milk and a lot of fragrant herbs and spices known for their anti-inflammatory properties. 

Some of the more common foods in India that are known for their skin clearing properties include: 

  • Pumpkin seeds
  • Red grapes
  • Beetroot
  • Green vegetables
  • Oranges
  • Nuts
  • All berries 

Clear Skin Diet Recipes

Putting together an appetizing clear skin diet menu is easier than it sounds. It helps to first get familiar with what is suitable, and what needs to be avoided; from there, it’s pretty obvious as to what you’ll be including in your daily dining. 

For a broader perspective, we spoke with Rahul Trivedi, marketing coordinator at the Florida Academy. According to him, when putting together skin diet recipes or menus, one should always keep the following points in mind: 

Eat Omega-3-Rich Foods

Munch on snacks containing or cook meals featuring plenty of omega-3 fatty acids to strengthen your skin’s natural barrier to the environment. This would be food such as walnuts, olive oil, and salmon.

Include Daily Antioxidants

Known for their bevy of healthful properties, antioxidants, which encompasses vitamins like A, C, and E, help your skin protect itself against UV radiation and air pollution. Look for green, leafy vegetables, tomatoes, and berries on your next grocery run.

Don’t Forget Water

Drinking water can help your skin recover from sunburns, and can lessen dryness—so make sure to drink up!

a woman with flower headress clear skin diet

Stella Scott, co-founder at EasyPaydayLoan, had something more to add: sweet potatoes and broccoli! “Sweet potatoes are high in vitamin C and beta-carotene. These are both good for your skin. Additionally, sweet potatoes have some great nutrients that you can benefit from since they’re also high in antioxidants, which promote healthy skin, hair, and nails. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, sweet potatoes are also a good source of fiber,” says Stella. 

She emphasizes how broccoli is a great vegetable to eat because it’s full of many vitamins and minerals that are great for your skin. “It’s also high in antioxidants and has been shown to help protect against certain cancers. You can enjoy broccoli steamed, baked, or raw, depending on your preference. It’s also possible to make broccoli as a side dish or use it as an ingredient in many different meals.”

Ready to get cooking?

Clear Skin Diet Book

If you’re serious about this clear skin journey, then we always recommend investing in a good old fashioned hard copy of knowledge. Diet books are generally not something we like to live by, but when it comes to the clear skin industry, we’ve actually found they can be super informative. This is because almost all of them will contain some form of clear skin diet ingredient checker; a reference place where you can go to see if what you are eating is ideal for your goals, or possibly holding you back. 

When looking for books to buy, keep an eye out for those written by medical professionals (as opposed to influencers). For example, we spoke with Dr. Naheed Ali, MD, PhD, and contributor to USA Rx, who had fantastic insight on this subject (and scientifically backed). “Your skin is packed with natural oils that keep you hydrated and functioning properly, so increasing your intake of healthy fats will help to keep moisture locked in and reduce dryness by reducing the production of inflammatory chemicals known as free radicals.”

Dr. Ali adds that there are many different diets that work well for dry, chapped skin. “Some popular diets include the ketogenic diet, paleo diet, and strict veganism. You can also try a weight loss diet if you have dry skin. There are a few things you can do to help your skin look and feel better: 

  1. Try to be proactive about your skincare routine and make sure you include a healthy variety of fats in your products. 
  2. Use gentle ingredients that won’t cause irritation.
  3. Take care of your skin every day with a moisturizer that contains SPF 30 or higher and a broad-spectrum sunscreen. 
  4. Drink plenty of water and avoid caffeine and alcohol.

Clear Skin Diet Review

Diving into the clear skin diet reddit forums, you’re going to find mixed messages, a lot of confusing opinions and a myriad of confiding variables. This is the trouble with diets; one can never predict how one will affect another, and it has nothing to do with whether it worked 100% in the past or not. 

A diet can work for 1000 people, and be completely wrong for the next 1000. The human body is so unique and intelligent, that blanket treatments to problems simply do not fly. Could a clear skin diet be the saving grace for one individual’s active acne? Absolutely. Could it cause others to flare up further? Nothing is impossible! 

Dr. Enrizza Factor, who we heard from earlier, said it best when she stated that when it comes to clear skin, pay attention to what you put on your face, such as cleansers, moisturizers, and makeup. And also what you don’t — like unwanted bacteria from your fingers or dirty brushes and sponges.

“Focusing on certain lifestyle factors, like quality sleep, a healthy diet, and stress management, can make a difference to your skin, too. If you’ve tried several types of treatments for your acne and nothing works, make an appointment with a dermatologist. They may prescribe treatments like antibiotics or prescription medications to help clear your skin,” says Dr. Factor. 

Clear Skin Diet Before and After

Unlike public reviews, one thing we are a fan of are before and after images of success stories online. Public displays by brave individuals who are willing to put their acne-covered skin onto the Internet so that others who are suffering might find help through their journey. 

Clear Skin Diet Before and After

Before and after photos are visual evidence that someone has found a diet or treatment that works for them. Very often, these individuals will take a series of images over the course of a few weeks or months, to show the gradual change that the diet brought them. 

What’s wonderful about these stories, is that it is usually individuals who have been to hell and back with their acne journey, and have finally taken the leap to adjust something internal, and not just external (topical). Seeing people finally finding their healing, and regaining their confidence in the world (because if acne does one thing, is kills confidence), is a beautiful thing. 

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