7 Foods You Should Be Eating to Manage Oily Skin - And 7 You Should Avoid

Skin reflects our food habits

From breakouts to blackheads and acne - the perils of oily skin are endless. Endless also are the products, remedies, treatments, and whatnot recommended to manage oily skin. Yet, there may still be days where about nothing seems to work.

As the popular saying goes, “wellness starts from within”, and this applies to your skin! The secret to curing any lifelong health problem is changing your lifestyle. The food you eat reflects on your skin, heart, and body. By exploring how what you eat may impact your skin, you may be able to deal with oily skin at its roots.

Why Does Skin Become Oily?

One needs to understand why our skin produces oil in the first place to start treating oily skin. Our skin has little pores all over it, and under it, it has little reserves of oil in these glands called the “sebaceous glands”. The oil your skin produces is nothing but a waxy substance called “sebum”. Yes, we get that our oily skin readers may have quite a bad opinion on this naturally occurring substance; but the truth is - sebum has essential functions on your skin. Not only does it keep your skin appropriately moisturized, but it fights external infections, prevents aging, and keeps your skin elastic. Sebum also plays an important role in maintaining a healthy pH of your skin and scalp.

For some people, due to hormones, age, or genes - skin pores can be producing excessive sebum. When this happens, you get oily skin. Oily skin is more prone to having dirt and bacteria stick on it, leading to breakouts. 

Additionally, some lotions or moisturizers may contain occlusives designed for dry skin, that can clog your pores and prevent dirt to escape your skin pores. Therefore, one has to be extra careful when dealing with oily skin and buying products for oily skin. Though there are medicated and Ayurvedic face wash available for oily skin that tackle the cleansing part, yet one needs to maintain good eating habits to tackle the overall problem of oily skin .

Why Pay Attention to Food?

The food that we consume determines how our external glands behave. For example, if you eat food that is too oily, naturally, your sebaceous glands have more oil to produce. Similarly, if you eat healthy food with a lot of water content, your skin is hydrated, the inner layers are freed of toxins, and you sweat more. This ultimately leads to clearer skin. With that out of the way, let us get right into the best foods for oily skin that are good for you and foods you should probably avoid.

Best Foods To Eat For Oily Skin 

Best Foods for Oily skin:  

#1. Coconut Water

Wouldn’t you agree that coconut water is a wonderful gift given to us by nature? I certainly would! It is a refreshing snack and one that is good for almost any human being. Packed with essential minerals like magnesium and potassium, coconut water hydrates your body in such a way that your electrolytes are balanced. This helps you digest your food better, and hydrates your skin with lots of water. Good water content balances out excess oil by flushing out toxins from your skin.

Coconut water also contains vitamin C, riboflavin, and calcium, all of which are essential in fighting oxidative stress and preserving youthful skin. Therefore, drinking nariyal paani regularly may be helpful for you to keep your skin clear while looking as radiant as ever.

#2. Bananas

While an apple a day keeps the doctor away, a banana a day can keep your breakouts at bay! These hassle-free and easily available fruits make up for tasty snacks that work wonders on your skin.

Bananas are packed with abundant minerals like potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium; which balance out the oil content in your body. They prove to be excellent detoxifiers and contain antioxidants (like Vitamin E) that preserve the longevity of your skin. Long story short, whether you eat a banana or apply it to your skin - it is likely to help.

#3. Cucumbers

Sufficient water content in your skin keeps it supple enough to be clear. And guess what?

Cucumber is almost entirely made up of water! Because of this, cucumbers have a relaxing impact on the skin, removing pollutants from your skin and body.

Cucumbers have a soothing nature which makes them anti-inflammatory. This ensures that the breakouts in your skin due to build-ups are avoided. Added to this is its good antioxidant content, which helps fight free radicals that may be harming your skin. Cucumbers, therefore, help you get hydrated and radiant skin - minus the excessive sebum.

#4. Dark Chocolate

Many might not like the bitterness of dark chocolate but is very good  oily skin.! Dark chocolate has high contents of cocoa, which is high in antioxidants. It can prevent breakouts and reduce enlarged pores.

However, it is important to understand what kind of dark chocolate you should be trusting. Most chocolate available in the markets, even the dark ones, tends to have high sugar content. Sugars are not a friend of oily skin, and neither are milk chocolates because of their high dairy content. Therefore, yes, dark chocolate is good for you, but only if it is actually dark. Refrain from consuming it too much as it might increase your sugar intake without you realizing it.

#5. Pulses And Lentils

Yes, you read that right. The simple dals available at your home are great for your skin! While lentils are rich in nutrients, pulses are protein-packed. A good consumption of these can help you manage blood sugar levels with their low glycemic properties. What does this mean for your skin? Less oil and fewer breakouts - as excessive sugar often leads to high oil production.

The proteins in pulses add to this benefit by improving your skin health and providing it with essential minerals. This ultimately helps you preserve healthy, youthful, and radiant skin.

#6. Oats

Oatmeal! The miraculous serial everyone loves to use to treat allergic reactions. This superfood is not just good for external application but contains many ingredients that benefit your skin from within. Its anti-inflammatory qualities prevent breakouts, and its flavonoid content keeps your body free of toxins. Oats are also low in calories and prevent hiking up your blood sugar level. Therefore, they prove effective in preventing excess oil production on your skin.

#7. Pineapples

Though low in calories, like many fruits, pineapples have an impressive nutrient content. Whether it’s manganese, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Potassium, Magnesium, and even Iron - pineapples have it all in abundance.

Further, pineapple’s high composition of antioxidants proves essential in maintaining the good health of the skin. Studies have shown that the fruit contains this enzyme called “bromelain” which has been proven to prevent acne, dermatitis, psoriasis, and eczema.

Foods To Avoid For Oily Skin  

While tips dealing with oily skin are packed with specific foods as pros, the foods you should avoid are less of specific ingredients, more than they are wide categories. It is completely understandable if you cannot completely boycott these foods. However, you may want to reduce your regular intake of them. This could do wonders for your skin in the long run.

#1. Red Meat

Red meats include a range of meats such as bacon, lamb, sausages, or beef. While they are certainly high on protein, they are also high on saturated fats. When too many fats enter your body, your skin is likely to produce more oil than ever. These fats can also be inflammatory, worsening your breakouts and making any skin problem you have possibly very painful. Try to cut down on their consumption. Fish meat as a general rule is a better alternative.

#2. Sugary Foods

Sugar has been correlated with oil for years now, and this is for good reason. High blood sugar leads to the over secretion of certain hormones, which in turn make your skin oilier. Additionally, the overproduction of insulin (the hormone your body secretes to digest sugars) is linked with excessive sebum. Note that sugary foods refer to foods that have added processed sugars. Therefore, they include food like cakes, doughnuts, and sweets. Fruits, which are also sweet, tend to have natural sugars that are not that harmful.

#3. Dairy Foods

Remember how your parents refused to get off your back until you finished a glass of milk before sleeping? This was because dairy stimulates growth hormones in the body.

However, these growth hormones lead to more greasy skin. They increase the content of testosterone in your body, which stimulates the production of excess oil. Dairy foods refer to anything that comes from milk, regardless of what kind of milk it is. This includes butter, cheese, ghee, paneer, high-fat yogurt, and so on. While it is understandable that you cannot completely cut down on dairy, try to avoid it as far as you can.

#4. Too Much Caffeine

Ah yes, caffeine sometimes becomes a necessary evil in our diet. For some, it is the one thing that keeps them prepared for their busy lives. But not only does too much caffeine fatigue you in the long run, but it also dehydrates your body. Relate any food that dehydrates you to excess oil production. Try to limit your consumption of tea or coffee. Always drink enough water to compensate if there is too much caffeine in your diet.

#5. Spicy Food

As someone living in India, spicy food is probably one of your favorite things to eat. There is nothing quite like the satisfaction one gets eating spicy curries loaded with masalas. However, the complaints from your mouth and stomach after you consume something spicy are valid.

These foods tend to be inflammatory, which gives them their heat in the first place. This makes them more likely to cause or worsen acne on your skin. Not only that, spicy food has certain types of acids that can mess up the pH of your skin, making it too acidic and oily. This can be dangerous for you, especially if your skin is acne-prone.

#6. Salty, Processed Foods

Have you ever noticed how thirsty you get after eating, say, a cheese-filled pizza? This happens because of the food’s high salt content. Salt increases the hydration needed for your body and dries your skin out along with your throat. This deficiency in hydration causes your skin to produce more oil. Further, excess salt causes an inflammatory reaction, making your skin more prone to breakouts.

While salt is essential for your body (you cannot survive with zero salts), too much salt is hazardous for your health. We add “processed foods” to this section because most packaged foods you come across tend to be high in sodium to preserve their freshness. Examples of such foods include fries, burgers, pizzas, instant noodles, and so on.

#7. Alcohol

The next time you hit the club on the weekend, you might want to watch how much you drink - and not because of the anticipated disorientation it causes. Alcohol, like salt, dehydrates your body and in turn dries your skin, leading to a spike in your sebum production. If you decide to drink, make sure to drink water to balance out the ill effects of alcohol.

Other Simple Ways to Manage Oily Skin

Apart from monitoring your diet, there are lots of other things you can add to your lifestyle to deal with your oily skin. A medicated or ayurvedic face wash is one among the other ways. Here are some simple tips explained briefly: -

• Drink lots of water.
• Always keep a volcanic clay mask near in case you get a breakout.
• Use water-based mild cleansers on your face or an Ayurvedic Face Wash
• Exercise regularly to burn calories and get rid of toxins through sweat. And don't forget to wash off the sweat and dirt with an ayurvedic face wash, post workout.
• Manage your stress with relaxation techniques like meditation.
• Be patient with your skin and avoid popping breakouts. Instead use an anti acne ayurvedic face wash or use Nalpamradi Thailam to avoid infection in the pimple.

Skin Habits for Oily Skin

Other than healthy eating, follow a good and clean skin care for avoiding breakouts. 

- Always use a mild natural cleanser or an ayurvedic face wash to clean your skin.

- After cleansing with an ayurvedic face wash, exfoliate the skin twice a week with a natural face scrub such as kumkumadi scrub

- Use a light moisturising cream such as Eladi Day Cream or Kumkumadi Cream

- Avoid face wash which makes your skin dry. Instead go for a non-drying Ayurvedic Face Wash.

- Always remove your make up with an ayurvedic face wash so that your skin pores are not clogged.

- As suggested earlier, use a natural ayurvedic face wash to wash off the dirt and sweat, post workout.

- Read the label of your ayurvedic face wash. It should be SLS free and Paraben Free.

Diet for Oily skin and Acne  

To manage oily skin and acne, focus on a balanced diet rich in whole foods while keeping track of calorie intake.  

1. Start your day with a breakfast of oatmeal topped with fresh berries and a tablespoon of chia seeds (300 calories).  

2. For lunch, have a mixed green salad with grilled salmon, avocado, and a light vinaigrette (450 calories).  

3. A mid-afternoon snack can include a handful of almonds and a small apple (200 calories). Dinner should consist of grilled chicken breast, quinoa, and steamed broccoli (400 calories). 

4. Lastly, a small serving of Greek yogurt with honey and a sprinkle of nuts makes for a perfect evening snack (150 calories).  

This balanced approach, totaling approximately 1500 calories, provides essential nutrients to help manage oily skin and acne while promoting overall health. 

Which foods reduce Sebum Production ? 

Sebum is an oily substance produced by the sebaceous glands in your skin. It plays a crucial role in maintaining skin hydration and protecting against external elements. However, excessive sebum production can lead to oily skin and contribute to acne by clogging pores and fostering bacterial growth. 

Here is a list of Sebum control foods?  

Parting Note

Whether you believe it or not, what you eat directly reflects on your skin health. While you don’t need to cut out everything you like to eat from your diet, taking necessary precautions to save yourself from the hassle of dealing with breakouts will prove worth it. Managing a good skin care including an ayurvedic face wash and managing a healthy lifestyle will go a long way. Do consume more of the foods we have recommended in the blog, and we promise it will help you in the long run.

Recommended Products by Blue Nectar: 

Plum Oil-Free Face Serum for Acne Marks (8 herbs, 30ml) 

Women's Grape Seed Face Cream with Plant Based Vitamin C For Oily & Acne Prone Skin (19 herbs, 50g) 

Bakuchi Oil Free Face Serum with Plant Based Alternate to Retinol for Fine Lines, Wrinkles & Dark Spots (10 herbs, 30 ml)