Dr. David Bank, President of the
1. Why does it seem that eating chocolate can break out one’s skin? Is it something specific in certain kinds of chocolate?
This is a really good question and there are two possible answers, but the good news is chocolate does not cause pimples. The two possibilities that skin starts breaking out after you eat chocolate, one – the breakouts are an allergic reaction to the chocolate. Only a small subset of people have this condition; the majority of people don’t have this allergy. What they might have is the second possibility, which is an allergic reaction to nuts or chocolate containing nuts. Many chocolates include nuts, so that one cannot tell whether it's the chocolate or the nuts that you’re reacting to. In order to tell, you need to eat chocolate that is definitely free of nuts to see whether it's the chocolate or the nuts that are the problem.
How you can tell that these breakouts are allergic reactions and not a regular pimple? Breakouts caused by allergic reactions occur fairly rapidly; it takes an hour or a day after you eat the chocolate while regular pimples usually can take up to 8 weeks to form from the time the pores are blocked.
2. Should women in their 20’s, 30’s and 40’s treat break outs in different ways?
The difference between 20’s, 30’s and 40’s also varies depending on where you live and what season it is. But the most evident change is that skin is getting drier from your 20’s to your 40’s and the type of acne that you get changes.
In your 20’s, there is a still a holdover of your teen/college acne, which are basically surface pimples and blackheads, easily treatable with a product containing 5-10% benzoyl peroxide like Oxy-5, Oxy-10 or Clearasil.
From your mid/late 30’s to your 40’s, acne is caused by a hormonal imbalance. Pimples are deeper; usually take the form of nodules or cysts in your lower face, jaw line, chin and neck. You will notice that benzoyl peroxides don’t work to clear the pimple and will only dry out the surface of your skin. The treatment for these deeper cysts and nodules is with a warm or hot compress several times a day. This works by killing bacteria and reducing inflammation. The heat helps to emulsify the sebum which helps it emerge to the head faster or it can stimulate re-absorption thereby shrinking the cyst.
3. Is there any one over-the-counter product that can quickly zap a breakout?
Probably the best ingredient to look for in a product is benzoyl peroxide. Others include salicylic acid and sulfer. Benzoyl peroxide is the quickest and most effective way to zap a pimple however if you’re not looking to “zap” a pimple but a product for preemptive measures, a face wash or cleanser with salicylic acid is good because salicylic acid causes a exfoliation of the top layer of your skin, in turn opening clogged pores and preventing pores from clogging up again by constricting pore diameter. Salicylic acid is also in the same family as salicylate, which contain properties that neutralize bacteria within for an anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory affect.
4. What are a few of the top ingredients we should look for to use on our faces? (Vit. C seems to be pushed on those of us closing in on 40 J )
If you are going to be trapped on an island from your 20’s to your 40’s and you were only allowed one ingredient to bring with you, I would recommend retinol or something in the vitamin A family because it works double duty by opening up blocked pores and exfoliating the top layer of the skin as well as reversing sun damage and stimulating collagen for anti-sun damage, anti-aging and anti-wrinkling effects.
Now if you were to have one more additional ingredient for each decade:
20’s – Benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid to treat acne, as that is probably the most common skin woe for people that age.
30’s – glycolic acid can improve the skin’s appearance and texture by reducing wrinkles, hyperpigmentation caused by acne scarring and sun damage
40’s – Vitamin C is an anti-oxidant and also stimulates collagen formation.
*For all ages, it’s important to wear sun screen that has anti-oxidants to extinguish free form radicals before it has the chance to damage your skin.
5. Besides water, what is another drink/food we should have plenty of to nourish our skin from the inside?
In addition to water, a One-A-Day adult vitamin is important especially since many studies show that the majority of Americans have borderline deficiencies in vitamins, iron, zinc, magnesium, etc. A One-A-Day vitamin covers the whole spectrum and in a way is a proactive approach instead of waiting for problems to arise.
If I can only pick one ingredient, it would be Biotin. We should have 2.5 mg/day; it is an essential vitamin for healthy skin, hair and nails.
Other recommendations include fruits, vegetables, and salmon, which are high in Omega fatty acids.
Special thanks to Dr. David Bank for taking the time to educate us and our readers! President, The New York State Society for Dermatology and Dermatological Surgery
Director, The Center for Dermatology, Cosmetic & Laser Surgery
Board Certified, American Academy of Dermatology
Author, Beautiful Skin – Every Woman’s Guide to Looking Her Best at Any Age