We’ve all heard it before, chocolate will cause a breakout or make acne worse and you need to absolutely stay away from it to protect your skin and outbreaks. And with Easter over and the remnants of chocolate still laying around our houses we may be worried that those delicious treats are what’s causing the skin irritation. It has been a persistent rumor for decades, maybe it was perpetuated by doctors or maybe it was our parents who wanted us to stay away from the sinfully delicious treat during our teenage years. Wherever it stems from doesn’t matter as much as if it really does cause acne or not, so is this rumor true or false?
I am here to reassure you that the rumor is false and that it does not cause acne. Relieving, isn’t it? In fact, chocolate actually has health benefits for you when consumed in the right quantities. Moderation is the key. A major contributor to acne is not the chocolate but what’s inside some kind of chocolates. As there are plenty of sugar and fats in it that will cause an outbreak if you overindulge and find yourself binge eating. So remember moderation is the key to enjoy it. Because that could mean the difference between healthy looking, normal skin and breakouts.
However you need to know that some types chocolate treats will have a higher chance of having a negative effect on your skin. It’s only fair to mention that milk and white chocolate aren’t all that great for you. Mainly because it’s not the purer chocolate that contains nutrients like dark chocolate does, but rather it has an unhealthy amount of dairy and sugar in it. And we all know that sugar and dairy are bad for your body by negatively impacting things like your skin, blood sugar, and hormones (Journal of investigative Dermatology). This is where outbreaks come from but as you can see it’s not directly from the chocolate but rather the sugar and dairy.
Where did this perpetual myth about chocolate come from? Well there was an unreliable study done 40 years ago that claimed to cause acne. However there hasn’t been substantial proof since that study to corroborate the findings. As long as you are consuming dark chocolate that hasn’t been mixed with sugar and dairy you are in the clear. So one study from 40 years ago and yet we are still hooked on the false claims, it’s a shame, but it also means we can break away from the myth and become informed about the foods we’re eating, even if that means enjoying some dark chocolate every once in awhile.
Let’s move on from the myth that has persisted for quite some time now from and move onto what it can actually do for your skin. When consumed appropriately you can actually see benefits from the various vitamins and minerals. Things like vitamin A, C, and E are in fact great for your skin as well as the added zinc and healthy fats. Throw in the natural antioxidants like catechin and procyanidin that in it and you have a fully packed recipe for success. Shocking when you consider what everyone has been telling us since pimples first started appearing on our faces but when you look at the facts it isn’t only relieving but it also might give you a reason to enjoy that chocolate after all. Just don’t over do it!
Now if you are worried about your skin and exfoliating because you might have dipped into some milk chocolate or white chocolate recently consider ViaBuff’s Exfoliators. Because they contain what you need to combat against dead or damaged skin. Thanks to the addition of salicylic acid especially. This is because salicylic acid is great at removing dirt and debris, lessening swelling and calming down inflammation (Journal of Dermatological Treatment). And that’s not all it does because salicylic acid is a great way to exfoliate and improve your skins overall health. It does this by fighting off dead skin cells with the keratolytic properties that decrease hardened cells and remaining in the skin to keep the fight up for healthy skin.
Okay, let’s go over a quick recap, chocolate is good for you as long as you stay away from the treacherous milk-chocolate treat and enjoy it in moderation. Great! With studies to back up the health benefits of chocolate you should have enough evidence to give you an informed decision when it comes to chocolate and your skin. If you are worried because you indulged in a little too much easter candy and found yourself with a breakout it might not be the chocolates fault at all. You may just need to exfoliate your skin and with the help from ViaBuff’s exfoliating products you’ll find your skin not only healthy but radiant.