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When it comes to breakfast foods, you probably have a pretty good idea of what’s healthy and unhealthy. Donuts–unhealthy. A big bowl of fruit–healthy. It seems simple enough.
But things start to get tricky when you throw in all of those other super yummy, super popular breakfast foods that are constantly popping up on our morning tables. While you may know which foods are bad for your waistline, what about the ones that are bad for your skin?
One very common breakfast food is known for its ability to clog your pores and increase oil production in your skin. The answer: pancakes. These short stacks may seem rather harmless at first, but in reality they contain a few ingredients that are damaging to your skin.
Pancakes are made from five main ingredients: flour, butter, eggs, milk, and sugar. Take one look at a simple pancake recipe and a red flag should go off in your head. The amount of sugar and butter that pancakes typically call for is unsettling. Between the 4 tablespoons of butter and cups of sugar, you have a recipe for disaster for your skin.
And we’re going to take a wild guess here, but you probably don’t eat your pancakes dry, do you? Most people top off this favorite breakfast with more butter and syrup, which is made from high-fructose corn syrup and more sugars.
The oil production in our skin is largely influenced by our diets. Dairy products, such as the milk and butter found in pancakes, spike hormone production which causes clogged pores and acne, while sugar spikes our blood sugar levels which exacerbates inflammation in our skin.
If you’re currently reconsidering your breakfast, just know everything is okay in moderation. While pancakes shouldn’t be your daily breakfast food of choice, they won’t cause your face to flare up if you treat yourself every once and awhile.
