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A photo of Katelyn Root, a former student at Columbus State Community College. She is a young, white woman with light brown, medium length hair. She is smiling brightly as she stares at the camera.

KATELYN ROOTA Path to a Clearer Complexion

Katelyn Root was enrolled as a dual-credit student in Whitney Larson’s first-year writing class at Columbus State Community College when she wrote “A Path to a Clearer Complexion.” The in-text documentation and works-cited list follow MLA guidelines. She remixed her essay as an infographic (see p. 1012) called “The Ultimate Guide to Improving Your Complexion from the Inside Out,” saying, “I was drawn to this genre because of its emphasis on creative elements. Not only do infographics lend themselves to bright and consistent color palettes that grab the audience’s attention, but they also allow for the use of various fonts and graphics.” She is majoring in marketing and plans to work in digital marketing after she graduates.

Acne. The very word makes my self-confidence plunge and prevents me from looking at myself positively in the mirror. Unfortunately, I have wrestled with these feelings since the beginning of my freshman year in high school. Constantly surrounded by friends with clear skin, I often feel like I am the only one facing this issue. As it turns out, though, one-tenth of individuals worldwide are affected by acne, and as many as 85% of Australians face acne at some point in their lives (Thomas; Mann and Smith 1). After endless dermatologist appointments, harsh topical creams, and various skin routines that only temporarily improved my acne, I wondered if a simple shift in perspective could solve the problem. In other words, instead of tackling my acne from the outside in, could I tackle it from the inside out? Determined to find a long-lasting remedy, I set out to answer, “Does diet play a role in acne, and do certain foods affect acne differently? How can we make better dietary choices with regards to our skin?” I did some research on this topic, and I found out that diet plays a significant role in the occurrence of acne, as acne is often linked to blood sugar responses to eating certain foods; therefore, cutting out foods with high glycemic indexes may be the best option for improving acne.

At one time or another, we have all been told by our parents, doctors, or even online sources, “You shouldn’t eat this, you shouldn’t eat that if you want clear skin.” But why? Why do certain foods play such a large role in controlling our complexion? In my research, I repeatedly found that the answer lies in blood sugar responses to eating certain foods. In “Spotting the Problem—Does Diet Play a Role in Acne?,” Neil Mann and Robyn Smith from RMIT University Melbourne, Australia, discuss the internal processes that contribute to acne. The process begins when we consume foods that cause blood sugar levels to rise. In response to these elevated blood sugar levels, the body releases more insulin into the blood, promoting both the production of skin oil and the development of keratin in skin cells (Mann and Smith 3). As a result, the excess oil is unable to leave the skin’s surface, causing bacteria to develop and inflammation or redness to follow.

In order to determine which foods cause blood sugar levels to spike, doctors and dermatologists calculate what is called the glycemic index. Mann and Smith define the glycemic index (GI) as “a system of classifying the blood glucose-raising potential of carbohydrates. On a scale of 0–100, foods are ranked according to their ability to raise blood glucose and the higher the number, the greater the blood glucose response” (2). To test the relationship between GI and acne, the researchers set up a control group that consumed moderate-high GI foods and an experimental group that consumed low GI foods. Sure enough, after twelve weeks, the researchers found a “51% improvement in acne in the experimental group compared to a 31% improvement in the control group” (Mann and Smith 3). By the end of this article, I was shocked that I had never heard the phrase high glycemic index, let alone known about its significant impact on acne. I was intrigued to learn more about specific foods with high GI levels and how these foods might be influencing my acne.

After establishing that a high GI plays a role in the occurrence of acne, the pressing question that still remained was, “What are the specific foods that have these high GI levels?” The answer can be found in an article by Stela Mariana Al Hussein and colleagues at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Târgu Mures¸, Romania. They compare the average diets of students with acne and students without acne. Among 148 high school participants, 78 students with no acne were placed in a “control group,” and 70 students with acne were placed in an “acne group” (Al Hussein et al. 175). The researchers found that the largest differences between these two groups’ diets were their average intake of sugar, processed meat, and white bread. First, these researchers discovered that the two groups varied heavily in their intake of sweets and carbonated drinks—foods with high GI levels. Before beginning their study, the researchers defined an “excessive consumption” of sweets as more than 100 grams per day and an “excessive consumption” of carbonated drinks as more than 200 milliliters per day. After collecting data, the researchers found that 58.57% of acne subjects consumed more than 100 grams of sweets a day, while only 19.23% of control group subjects exceeded this value. In terms of carbonated drinks, 65.71% of acne subjects consumed more than 200 milliliters of carbonated drinks per day, while only 20.51% of control group subjects did so (176). In other words, while only around 20% of control group subjects surpassed the “excessive consumption” value for both sweets and carbonated drinks, over half of the acne group subjects did so for both categories. These findings suggest that the lack of acne among the control group reflects the group’s considerably lower intake of sugary sweets and carbonated drinks.

The next category the researchers investigated included dietary fats from highly saturated processed meats like burgers, ham, hot dogs, and sausage. After defining the recommended consumption of processed meat as 100 grams two to three times a week, the researchers noted that 55.71% of acne subjects consumed more than this recommended value, while only 15.38% of control group subjects did so (Al Hussein et al. 176–77). The last food the researchers examined as a dietary risk factor was white bread, as this type of bread is known for possessing a high GI. The researchers reported that out of 70 members in the acne group, 61 participants ate white bread over other varieties (177). In the end, the study suggests that excessive consumption of sugar, processed meat, and white bread may increase acne, presumably due to the high GI levels of these foods. While I am not a huge consumer of processed meat or white bread, sugar is definitely one part of my diet that I will be paying more attention to with regard to my skin.

In contrast to high GI diets that cause or worsen acne, low GI diets, sometimes characterized as “non-Westernized” diets, can protect against acne. Al Hussein and colleagues, who also examined what foods protect one’s skin from acne, found that the most significant difference between the acne and control groups was their average fish, fruit, and vegetable intake. First, the researchers noted that the recommended consumption of fish is 150 grams two to four times each week. While 53.85% of control group subjects met or exceeded this value, 87.14% of acne subjects reported that they consume fish rarely or never (Al Hussein et al. 177). This information suggests that eating fish has the powerful potential to improve acne or prevent it altogether. The next category these researchers inspected was fruits and vegetables. They noted that the recommended intake of fruits and vegetables is 250 grams two to three times daily and found that 62.8% of control group subjects matched or surpassed this recommendation, while 74.29% of acne subjects fell below this recommendation (177), suggesting that fruits and vegetables may be some of the most important contributors to clear skin. In the end, maintaining a diet full of fish, fruits, and vegetables is a good starting point for improved skin. As far as I am concerned, fruits and vegetables are already a large part of my diet, while my fish intake is significantly less than what is recommended. After reading about the fish consumption of the control group versus the acne group, I am determined to follow the lead of the control group.

Before researching this topic, I had no idea how much of an impact the food I put in my body has on my skin. More specifically, I was completely unaware that eating high GI foods could set off multiple internal processes that result in external blemishes. Given that acne affects one-tenth of people worldwide, and even more in Westernized countries like the United States and Australia, there definitely needs to be a greater focus on the relationship between diet and acne in dermatology practices (Thomas; Mann and Smith 1). Way too often, we are convinced by dermatologists to purchase expensive topical medicines or take part in extensive skin routines that only temporarily fix the issue on the outside. It turns out, however, that there is a much deeper problem that lies inside our bodies: our gut health. Our gut and our skin enjoy low GI foods that keep blood sugar and insulin at manageable levels. In other words, it is most important to avoid greasy, processed, sugary foods with high GI levels, and instead turn to natural foods like fish, fruit, and veggies. As for my diet, I have decided to begin by reducing my sweets intake while increasing my fish intake.

Yet even though working toward a low GI diet is crucial for improved skin results, we shouldn’t stress when we indulge every once in a while. As Dr. Liji Thomas from News-Medical perfectly puts it, “This doesn’t mean you should stress out about an occasional slice of cake or a burger—but keep a healthy balance. Refuse that tempting second helping on such occasions, and reach for a banana or a fresh salad instead.” Most important, I hope that research on the relationship between diet and acne will continue to be disseminated to the public, as this knowledge can help millions of people regain the self-confidence they deserve.

Works Cited

Al Hussein, Stela Mariana, et al. “Diet, Smoking and Family History as Potential Risk Factors in Acne Vulgaris—a Community-Based Study.” Acta Medica Marisiensis, vol. 62, no. 2, June 2016, pp. 173–81. Academic Search Complete, https://doi.org/10.1515/amma-2016-0007.

Mann, Neil, and Robyn Smith. “Spotting the Problem—Does Diet Play a Role in Acne?” Nutridate, vol. 18, no. 2, May 2007, pp. 1–4. Academic Search Complete, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct5true&AuthType5cookie,ip,uid&db5a 9h&AN525269016&site5ehost-live.

Thomas, Liji. “Diet a Significant Factor in Acne Outbreaks, Finds Pioneering New Study.” News-Medical, 14 Oct. 2019, www.news-medical.net/news/20191014/Diet-a-significant-factor-in-acne-outbreaks-finds-pioneering-new-study.aspx.

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This infographic is titled “THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO IMPROVING YOUR COMPLEXION FROM THE INSIDE OUT.” It is divided into several sections and breaks down the incidence and potential causes of acne as well as proposed solutions. The top portion under the title shows a statistic of individuals who suffer from acne worldwide, illustrated with simple silouhetted images of humanoid figures. Underneath this section, the infographic describes how acne may be related to diet, outlining and illustrating the process of how foods are broken down to create and release insulin, which impacts facial complexion. Under this, a definition for “glycemic index” is given. Under this definition, the left hand side shows an image collage of various foods to avoid and the right hand side shows an image collage of various foods to eat more of. The very last portion of the infographic gives gives advice on how to seek further care for acne reduction, with various sources listed.