Acne and Acne Roscea May Be Caused by Poor Diet?

by Angela Sheppe
(Jacksonville, FL, USA)


In my teens years and early 20's, I had acne and very oily skin. In my 30's and 40's, I'm now dealing with acne roscea. People ask me if I've been out in the sun because it looks like I have a sunburn. I answer, "No. I haven't." I've been using prescription medicines such as Noritate from the Dermatologists.

I need to know what foods are triggering my roscea flare-ups. I'm convinced that it much be something in my diet. I love my hot coffee in the morning. I drink two cups. I love hot spicy food such as hot wings and cajun food. I also love horseradish sauce. I'm a big fan of dairy products such as yogurt and lots of cheese. I try not to eat too much tomatoes, but I do love spaghetti and eat it on occasion and I will put a slice tomato on a sandwich on occasion and put grape tomatoes in a salad. I use Splenda in my coffee and oatmeal. I try and cut back on sugar and eat sugar free projects such as ice cream and cookies made with Splenda. I'm a big chocolate fan and I love milk chocolate candy bars, ice cream and chocolate chip cookies. The only way I'll eat dark chocolate is if it's mixed with peppermint such as the York peppermint patties. I also love shell fish such as shrimp, scallops and crab legs. I rarely add salt to my food, because most of the food I eat seem to have enough salt in it. As far as oily foods go, I do love mayonnaise and margarine. (I try to buy the lite mayo and the Smart Balance lite margarine.) As far as milk goes, I buy the 1% low fat milk. One bad thing is that I really don't like raw vegetables. I prefer cooked vegetables. I've gotten so tired of salads lately because my husband wants me to fix a big chef salad almost every week.

For skin care and cosmetics, I use the Sheer Cover products. Sheer Cover makeup really hides the redness on my face. I'll have to look into the shampoos, conditioners, toothpaste and other products that I use.

Comments for Acne and Acne Roscea May Be Caused by Poor Diet?

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Nov 30, 2011
 You're probably right
by: Anonymous

Everything you've listed as part of your diet are things that are my acne triggers. At least I think they are, as it's been trial and error over the years. As stated above, you need to do the same thing. I've eliminated coffee/tea, tomato in any form, chocolate, and most soda (anything besides the Sprite type or ginger ale). If you are like me, you are right and it is your diet. Spicy foods and dairy don't seem to be trouble for me.
Aug 12, 2011
 Food for thought
by: Anonymous

I use glo mineral make up and image skin care daily defense ultimate moisturizer with uva and uvb. I also use AFA amino acid skin cleanser i to have been suffering for a couple years. Been on bactrim for 8 months. I can finally say i am antibiotic free and i am so anal on everything i stick in my mouth. No more coffee,chocolate,tomatoes,orange juice it goes on and on....ughh but my face has not one blemish and its going on three months. I still wake up everymorning and look just waiting and wondering when something will trigger again. Wear hats when you are in the sun and don't drink alchol!!
Aug 13, 2010
 Some ideas for rosacea diet approaches
by: Mashubi

Hi Angela, thanks for sharing, and I totally understand how difficult it can be to make dietary changes especially when you really love the foods that might be triggering your rosacea!!

Each of our bodies is so unique, and the foods we need can vary depending upon the season, where we live and what the climate is like in our area, and how active we are.

My recommendation for you would be to go slowly and to perhaps eliminate one or two foods at a time, that you think might be adding to your rosacea flare ups. Usually foods that produce heat in the body like spicy foods, chili, and hot drinks, are more likely to trigger rosacea. Your intuition may be able to guide you here.

Then try going without that food for a week and see if it makes any difference. Sometimes you can find a substitute for some foods that you love that may be difficult to part with! There are two articles on our site about rosacea and diet here which may also give you some added tips:

Foods to Eat for Rosacea

Diet for Rosacea

Please let us know what you learn, and I hope this information is helpful for others who are challenged with acne rosacea.
Aug 13, 2010
 Skin Care That I Recommend for Acne Roacea
by: Angela

I have the acne rosacea and the skin care products that I use is Sheer Cover. I use the skin care and makeup. I use the conditioning cleanser and the Nourishing Moisturizer SPF 15. The moisturizer says it is oil-free, fragrance-free and alcohol-free. The Sheer Cover works for me and the products does not give me a burning sensation at at all.
Aug 13, 2010
 Suffers from Acne/Roscea
by: Anonymous

Hi everyone! I have been suffering from acne roscea for the past few years, especially since I'm trying to balance family life, work, and going back to school fulltime. Stress seems to be a big contributing factor to my massive breakouts.My skin is extremely sensitive, very fair and I also have ashma along with many allergies to foods and medications. I plan on trying yoga to relieve some of this stress. I also notice when I eat spicy foods or tomatoes I have horrible breakouts. Is their any special diet that people like me that suffer from acne/roscea can use for alleviating these symptoms? I also would like to know if anyone knows of a good moisturizing cream to use everyday for someone like me with many allergies and very sensitive skin? I appreciate any feedback or suggestions anyone might have for me. I'm so depressed and frustrated with this problem. I hope someone can me. Thank you.

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