23 Common Foods That Are Unexpectedly Bad for Your Skin

19. Omega-6 Heavy Cooking Oils: Imbalanced Inflammation

While we need Omega-6 fatty acids, the typical Western diet provides far too many, especially from common cooking oils like corn, soybean, sunflower, and safflower oil, relative to anti-inflammatory Omega-3s. This imbalance promotes systemic inflammation, which can manifest on the skin as worsened acne, eczema, psoriasis, or accelerated aging. Choosing oils higher in monounsaturated fats (olive, avocado) or Omega-3s (using flax/walnut oil cold) and increasing Omega-3 food sources (fatty fish) helps restore balance.

20. Late-Night Eating: Disrupting Skin's Repair Schedule

Eating heavy meals or sugary snacks close to bedtime can disrupt more than just your sleep; it affects your skin's overnight repair processes. Late-night eating can interfere with your body's natural circadian rhythms, influencing hormone regulation (like cortisol and insulin) and potentially increasing inflammation. This can hinder the skin's ability to regenerate effectively overnight, possibly leading to dullness, puffiness, or slower healing of blemishes. Aiming to finish eating 2-3 hours before bed supports better sleep and skin health.