This post has been updated since its initial June 27, 2022 publish date to include more expert insight.
Whether you’re snacking on white bread, white rice, potato chips, pastries, or even breakfast cereals, all of these foods have something in common: refined carbohydrates. For those of us with naturally oily or acne-prone complexions, this food type can mean even more shine, grease, clogged pores and breakouts. We checked in with a skincare expert to learn more about why it’s especially essential to avoid refined carbohydrates no matter what your skin type, and what you can replace them with or seek instead. Read on for tips and suggestions from Dr. Nadir Qazi, DO, board-certified physician, cosmetic dermatology surgeon, and owner of Qazi Cosmetic Clinic.
How Eating Refined Carbs Leads To Oilier Skin (And Breakouts!)
As refined carbs can be found in many popular processed foods, it's easy to obtain many of them in your diet without noticing. Eating this type of food, Qazi explains, can "stimulate sebum production." Sebum is the "oily, waxy substance your skin naturally produces to moisturize and protect your skin," he notes. Too much sebum can "cause the skin to look oily, make your pores look more prominent, and even trap dead skin inside your pores, leading to acne and blackheads," he adds. Highly refined carbohydrates, like those found in pastries and breads, are "too easy for our bodies to digest, creating a chain reaction like dominos," Qazi says. When refined carbs are digested, "they cause significant insulin spikes." He says that the spikes cause our bodies to release androgens and produce more oily skin.
How To Replace Refined Carbs With More Whole Foods In Your Diet
Focusing on food quality is essential for your skin health, and creating a diet that is rich in vitamins and minerals (rather than processed foods) can help your skin produce less oil. If you're a potato chip fan, Qazi suggests focusing on sweet potatoes instead to avoid refined carbs. "Sweet potatoes are an excellent replacement for other starches," he explains, "They are full of vitamin A, which naturally lowers sebum production and evens your complexion." If you often eat white bread or pastas made with white flour, Qazi recommends switching to those made with whole grains. "Whole grains also contain higher levels of fiber which naturally slow down digestion and reduce the chances of a sebum reaction from an insulin spike," he concludes.
