PreviousWe have talked about three key "supplements" for nourishing the intestines and skin - probiotics, prebiotics, and antioxidant nutrients, which help stabilize the intestinal environment, reduce inflammation, and lay the foundation for beautiful skin. However, if you continue to consume foods that destroy your bacteria and increase oxidative stress at the same time, no matter how much nutrition you get, it may be ineffective! In this article, we will further discuss the "Three No Principles" - avoiding the three most common landmines in your daily diet and maintenance habits, so that your skin can truly stabilize.
Three no principles: less refinement, less animals, and less maintenance
Principle 1: Eat less refined food
WHY: Processed food is a favorite of bad bacteria and a hotbed for skin inflammation
High in sugar, high in oil, low in fiberRefined processed foods, such as desserts, sugary drinks, fried snacks, processed meats, etc., may seem healing, but they are the combination that good intestinal bacteria dislike the most. This type of food willFeed the bad bacteria in the intestines and suppress the growth of good bacteriaIn the long run, it will destroy the balance of bacteria, aggravate intestinal inflammatory response, and increase the chance of endotoxins (such as LPS) entering the blood, further causing "leaky gut phenomenon".1
Furthermore, processed foods usually use low-cost, high-stability (due to high saturation of fatty acids)Palm OilSuch highly saturated fat will increase intestinal permeability, promote inflammatory response, and further promote the production of more free radicals. The implication is that,Eating too much processed food is like setting off a smoke screen in the body, which directly destroys healthy cells and promotes intestinal inflammation and skin aging.2
The chronic inflammatory response accumulated by the above factors will eventually manifest itself through the skin:Constant acne, sallow complexion, and accelerated aging——Behind these unstable skin conditionsIt's often not a lack of maintenance, but eating too much of the wrong things. The more processed and more fancy the food is, the more it acts as a chronic fuse for the intestines.
HOW: 80/20 rule, choose more foods that can be seen
In modern life, it is really difficult to completely avoid highly processed foods.My favorites are cinnamon rolls and dacquoise🥹), but we can follow80/20 rule: 80% of your diet should be made up of healthy foods, and 20% should be reserved for healing snacks that take care of your mood.. For me, even though I am very busy at work and eat out most of the time, I try to eat healthy vegetarian lunch boxes from Monday to Friday (You can still have a little dessert after dinner.), fruit yogurt for afternoon snacks, and if there are gatherings on weekends, you can occasionally eat some unhealthy but pleasurable food (Like I had vegetarian Korean fried chicken last weekend😋).
In addition, if you have enough time, you can also prepare more meals for yourself.Learn to read food labels and choose foods with simple ingredients and no unnecessary additives, and can also significantly reduce intestinal irritation.
Although it may sound difficult to eat less processed foods, your diet should not be adjusted all at once but gradually.Every time you eat less "food that feeds bad bacteria", you are buying your skin a chance to feel stable and take a break.
Principle 2: Less animal food
WHY: A diet high in animal protein and fat causes an imbalance in intestinal flora
More and more studies have shown thatA diet high in animal protein and saturated fat may disrupt the diversity and stability of the intestinal flora. This type of eating pattern, especially when lacking in dietary fiber, can easily lead to a decrease in the number of beneficial bacteria (such as butyrate-producing bacteria) while increasing pro-inflammatory bacteria, causing the overall bacterial population to tilt toward an "inflammatory type." When the intestinal barrier becomes fragile due to an imbalance of bacteria, the previously mentioned leaky gut phenomenon occurs, triggering a systemic inflammatory response.This will eventually be reflected on the skin, causing problems such as acne, redness, and accelerated aging.. It is particularly worth noting thatRed meat (beef, pork, lamb) and processed meat (salami, sausage, ham)It is highly correlated with such changes and, when consumed in excess, may become a driving factor for long-term imbalance and inflammation of the intestinal flora.
HOW: Try a plant-based diet!
If you want to improve your skin condition,A good starting point is to eat more natural plant-based foods. Foods rich in dietary fiber and phytochemicals, such as vegetables, fruits, beans, and whole grains, can not only feed good intestinal bacteria and promote the production of short-chain fatty acids, but also reduce intestinal inflammation and regulate immune response.It has been clinically observed to relieve inflammatory skin conditions such as acne and atopic dermatitis.3
but,The key to a plant-based diet is to choose natural, original plant foods, rather than relying on the large number of imitation meat products on the market (Although the plant-based avocado burger is delicious). In order to simulate the texture and taste of meat, these plant meats often contain a large amount of food additives, saturated fat and high sodium ingredients. The nutritional value and digestibility may not be as good as you originally imagined, and may not even be healthier than real meat.
Principle 3: Maintenance by Subtraction
WHY: Excessive maintenance may damage the skin barrier and aggravate instability
In the pursuit of beautiful skin, many people unknowingly move towards "additive maintenance" - applying multiple essences on top of each other, exfoliating frequently, and switching to products containing powerful ingredients, believing that "more application = faster results." Just likeMany people mistakenly believe that the more health foods they eat, the healthier they will be, and the more skin care products they apply, the more effective they will be.It is better to supplement accurately than to supplement more, because the skin actually prefers stability and rhythm. Especially for those who have sensitive, red, and acne-prone skin.Excessive maintenance may damage the skin's natural barrier and even cause allergies, leaving the skin in a long-term fragile state..
In fact,The skin barrier is similar to the intestinal barrier, both of which rely on the coordinated maintenance of microorganisms and lipid layers.. When we over-clean and frequently change high-concentration ingredients, we may erase the balance of the bacterial flora on the surface of the skin and make the skin lose its regulatory ability (Just like taking antibiotics will kill both good and bad bacteria.).
HOW: Start practicing subtraction maintenance from now on
Subtraction maintenance does not mean doing nothing, butReduce excessive accumulation and stimulation, allowing the skin to return to its own repair rhythm. Specific recommendations include:
- Reduce the number of products: Just stick to the basic three steps of cleansing, moisturizing and sun protection, and avoid using multiple bottles of duplicate or conflicting products at the same time.
- Avoid products with overly complex formulas: Skin care products with too many functions and too many ingredients may increase the risk of allergies, especially for people with unstable skin conditions. （If possible, it is recommended that you learn to read the formulas of health supplements and skin care products, which will be very helpful!）
- Avoid frequent exfoliation and acid stacking: Excessive cleansing will damage the sebum layer (the first layer of skin barrier), and excessive exfoliation will interfere with skin metabolism and barrier repair, making it more prone to redness, dryness and itching.
Reducing the burden on the skin means giving it more space to breathe and self-regulate.Truly stable skin condition often comes from a simple, continuous maintenance rhythm that cooperates with the body.
Likewise,Subtraction maintenance also applies to the intestines!When choosing probiotics, remember to choose a formula with simple ingredients. Otherwise, many products on the market add sugar and spices for flavoring, and long-term consumption may cause acne!
Summary: The intestine is the most worthwhile place to invest in beauty care
Finally, I would like to add some philosophical points. In fact, the gut-skin axis, a cross-organ and cross-system physiological dialogue mechanism, is very intelligent. When there is an imbalance in the body - whether it is a disorder of intestinal flora, an overreaction of the immune system, chronic inflammation, or even an uncontrolled rhythm of life - this mechanism willChoose Skin as Export, and display the signal where you can see and touch it. Redness, oiliness, acne, dryness and itching...are not just a single skin problem, butThe body is helping the intestines react"Something's wrong with me, you should care about me!"
So,Skin care is never just about repairing the skin from the outside, but also about caring for and nourishing the skin from within.Becoming beautiful is not just a superficial work, nor is it the more you do, the more effective it will be.Only by accurately adjusting the intestinal ecological environment and stabilizing immunity can the skin condition be stable and healthy..
References
- Whelan K, Bancil AS, Lindsay JO, Chassaing B. Ultra-processed foods and food additives in gut health and disease. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2024;21(6):406-427. doi:10.1038/s41575-024-00893-5 ↩︎
- Martins BC, da Silva Ribeiro M, Teixeira AVS, et al. Consumption of interesterified palm oil leads inflammation of white adipose tissue and triggers metabolic disturbances in mice on a high-fat diet. Sci Rep. 2024;14(1):12530. Published 2024 May 31. doi:10.1038/s41598-024-63488-9 ↩︎
- Flores-Balderas X, Peña-Peña M, Rada KM, et al. Beneficial Effects of Plant-Based Diets on Skin Health and Inflammatory Skin Diseases. Nutrients. 2023;15(13):2842. Published 2023 Jun 22. doi:10.3390/nu15132842 ↩︎
