Kicking the Coke Habit: Hello, Clear Skin

[Paisley]

I stopped drinking Coke a few months ago and my acne is gone. I didn't make any other significant changes in my diet or medications.

 

[The Shirt]

Yeah for you! Isn't that amazing how such a little change makes all the difference in the world. I am convinced that so much can be controlled/changed with tweaks to our diets. I wonder if it's the caffeine or the sugar that makes a difference.

 

[KittyT]

Yeah for you! Isn't that amazing how such a little change makes all the difference in the world. I am convinced that so much can be controlled/changed with tweaks to our diets. I wonder if it's the caffeine or the sugar that makes a difference.

It's most likely the sugar.

 

[Paisley]

Deciding several years ago to eat a lot less gluten (read: wheat) made a big difference, too, but didn't get rid of my skin problems entirely.

I've read that sugar isn't very good for your skin. All I'm drinking now is water and herbal tea, and an occasional soda (about one a week).

I just wish I'd done this years ago!

 

[The Shirt]

After losing my father a few years back I decided to take my health a little more seriously. I eliminated caffeine and sugar (as much as possible) and found that my skin cleared up, my migraines were all but a memory and I had much more energy.

It's most likely the sugar.

Sorry - I was simply musing about what an impact certain things like caffeine and sugar as well as substituting good old fashioned water for that coke can have on our general well being (and skin!)

 

[zaika]

wow! that's great! i read a beauty column a few years back in a magazine dated around 1942, warning ladies to stay away from sugar for that very reason. i guess abstaining from sugar does help! i also try to keep away...

 

[lyburnum]

My boyfriend and I changed our drinking habits considerably about 2 years ago - he gave up coke, and myself sugar filled high juice. Now all we drink is water (and a decaf Earl Grey every day for me ). We both used to suffer quite severely from acne - no more or that oh no! Whenever we start to slip back into old habits, our skin breaks out again. Coke is evil I tell ye, evil! (but it tastes so nice on a hot summers day )

 

[lyburnum]

wow! that's great! i read a beauty column a few years back in a magazine dated around 1942, warning ladies to stay away from sugar for that very reason. i guess abstaining from sugar does help! i also try to keep away...

It was also a good idea to keep away because of their teeth - both my Grandparents had dentures from a fairly early age as a result of all the sugar they had in their tea

 

[gluegungeisha]

Good for you! Keep it up.

I'm jealous, too! I haven't had a soda for about two years (and I didn't really drink them in the first place); I eat considerably less sugar than most college kids do, and I still have an unstable complexion. Hormones...:rage:

 

[Brooksie]

Good for you! Keep it up.

I'm jealous, too! I haven't had a soda for about two years (and I didn't really drink them in the first place); I eat considerably less sugar than most college kids do, and I still have an unstable complexion. Hormones...:rage:

Your jealous!.....hah I am more so - I have not had a soda like that in about 10 years, also gave up refined sugars, caffine and alcohol (now I only have an occational drink) all about ten years ago. As far as wheat, I usually stay away from white flour and eat whole grains and drink about a gallon of water a day. I still have an unstable complextion, which is really no fun since I am approaching 40 real fast now. Grrrrr darn adult acne - must be hormones!

Brooksie

 

[Josephine]

But just think, ladies, if you hadn't given sugar et al up, how much worse your skin would be!

 

[Dracca]

Congrats to kicking the habit. So sad that a lot of the good tasting things do us so badly.

 

[lyburnum]

But just think, ladies, if you hadn't given sugar et al up, how much worse your skin would be!

This is the thing. My complexion is still unstable, but it was *terrible* when I ate/drank crap regularly. In some ways it's sort of reassuring knowing that there's nothing more I can do - that's just the way my body works. I'm going to try changing to mineral make up, but that's about all that's left.

 

[Dracca]

This is the thing. My complexion is still unstable, but it was *terrible* when I ate/drank crap regularly. In some ways it's sort of reassuring knowing that there's nothing more I can do - that's just the way my body works. I'm going to try changing to mineral make up, but that's about all that's left.

Have you tried a tee tree face wash? That is the only thing that ever really helped me.

 

[lyburnum]

I have but it dries out my skin. Me and face washes tend not to mix too well. I use a tea tree face mask every so often. Mostly I keep anything with perfumes away from my face - so I use E45 moisturizer and nivea sensitive skin cleansing lotion and things like that. My skin's more than manageable, it's just not *totally* clear. Once I've got some make up on it's not too visible.

My main problem is my red skin - I have a horribly uneven skin tone. Thank goodness for makeup eh?!

 

[Paisley]

Tea tree oil is a natural disinfectant. If it helps you, antibiotics might work for you as well without drying your skin.

 

[Ms. McGraw]

How did you do it?!?! I've been doing my best to quit drinking pop too but I'm sorry to say I'm not doing very well. Maybe I'm just weak. [huh] It was easier for me to quit smoking than it's been for me to give up Pepsi.

 

[Miss 1929]

Coke, mmmmmm....

I love it so. And it is the MOST fattening thing in the world!
It doesn't make me break out at all, but coffee does, I can't even smell the beans up close! No coffee flavoring or ice cream or anything. And once it triggers the breakout, it lasts a month. It is not a rash, but true acne.
So, Gluegungeisha (have I mentioned how much I LOVE that name?), do you drink coffee? Try giving it up and see what happens.

 

[Lady Day]

It's most likely the sugar.

You mean high fructose corn syrup. Theres no sugar in Coke.

I found cutting back on processed foods helps my skin too. Yay to you Paisley!

LD

 

[Fleur De Guerre]

Anyone suffering from niggling hormonal acne, here are a few things for you to try, ranging from uber-chemically but effective, to natural and also effective for many girls I know.

1. The acne.org regime of applying benxoyl peroxide morning and night (following the regime to the letter). This cleared up the persistent acne I had for 2 years after trying to come off the pill. Now, when it tries to come back (rarely, due to the following things I do), I find one or two days of applying it once a day gets rid of it again. Beware the pllow-case bleaching effects though! It's also quite irritating at first so I am glad it works so well, so you don't have to use it for long.

2. Cold cream. If you don't want to put mineral oil on your face, then of course, don't use cold cream. But I have found it amazing for deep cleansing my skin and keeping my acne away.

3. Manuka honey. This amazing, amazing stuff got rid of an MRSA infection I had in a wound. A face pack of it worked wonders on my spotty skin. It counteracted the mild irritation from the benzoyl. The really good stuff (25+) costs a bomb, but I think anything over 15 would be wonderful. It's antiseptic, antibacterial, anti fungal, and it tastes really nice on toast (and does you good from the inside too!). I've even been putting a *tiny* bit on my cat's foot where he keeps worrying it sore and bald, and the hair is growing back already.