{"id":5657,"date":"2026-04-21T15:00:16","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T15:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/?p=5657"},"modified":"2026-04-23T14:57:23","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T14:57:23","slug":"sorry-but-eating-your-skincare-is-a-scam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/21\/sorry-but-eating-your-skincare-is-a-scam\/","title":{"rendered":"Sorry, But \u201cEating Your Skincare\u201d Is A Scam"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u200b\u200bWarning: This article discusses\u00a0eating disorders<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Food has played an interesting role<\/a> in my beauty regimen over the years. In my late teens, I applied lemon juice to my hair<\/a>, which both lightened the ends and gave it the consistency of straw. My friends and I combined avocados, oats, and honey to make face masks at high-school sleepovers\u00a0\u2014\u00a0yes, the texture was horrifying. More recently, on the precipice of my\u00a030s, I became obsessed with salmon. Partly because\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0delicious, and partly because I believed it would make my hair shiny and\u00a0my\u00a0skin glow<\/a>. Turns out,\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0not alone in my delusion.\u00a0<\/p>\n

My TikTok feed is inundated with gorgeous, clear-skinned young women eating salmon skin with their hands<\/a>, shaving carrots<\/a> into mounds of edible ribbon, and whipping up \u201cBotox salads<\/a>.\u201d They suggest that by building a meal with specific ingredients, you can \u201ceat your skincare.\u201d\u00a0Want to banish under-eye circles? Skip the eye cream and eat some spinach. Add bell peppers to your meal;\u00a0they\u2019ll help control those pesky breakouts! Don\u2019t spend hundreds of dollars on medical-grade retinol; get it through the vitamin A in carrots! <\/p>\n

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When you digest food, the nutrients are broken down and distributed systemically throughout your entire body according to vital organ priority, not magically directed to your under-eye area or a pimple on your chin<\/p>\n

Consultant Dermatologist Dr. Anjali Mahto<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n

While\u00a0there\u2019s\u00a0nothing inherently harmful about encouraging people to eat an array of fruits and vegetables,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0a little far-fetched to propose that perfect skin is just a salad away.\u00a0Dr.\u00a0Anjali Mahto, a consultant dermatologist and founder of\u00a0Self London,<\/a>\u00a0agrees:\u00a0\u201cThere is zero scientific basis to the claim that eating specific foods can target specific aesthetic concerns on different parts of your face,\u201d\u00a0she tells me. Dr. Mahto adds,\u00a0\u201cWhen you digest food, the nutrients are broken down and distributed systemically throughout your entire body according to vital organ priority, not magically directed to your under-eye area or a pimple on your chin.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dr. Mahto emphasizes that eating a balanced diet rich in healthy fats and antioxidants promotes global skin health; it is our largest organ after all. But that doesn\u2019t mean you can replace your skincare routine with a trip to the grocery store. When asked if eating carrots offered the same dermatological benefits as applying vitamin A (the active ingredient in retinoids) topically, Dr. Mahto was skeptical: \u201cYour liver tightly regulates how much vitamin A is released into your bloodstream, meaning only a fraction ever naturally reaches the skin,\u201d she says. Instead, applying a retinoid topically delivers<\/a> the active ingredient directly to the cellular receptors in the epidermis \u2014 the outer layer of the skin, says Dr. Mahto. \u201cThis is where it is needed to stimulate collagen<\/a> and clear pores,\u201d she adds. <\/p>\n

What about those of us with chronic skin conditions who might benefit from dietary adjustments? Anecdotally, I was diagnosed with celiac disease<\/a> a few years ago and noticed that my rosacea<\/a> significantly improved once I cut out gluten. Doesn\u2019t that prove that you can diet your way to better skin? Well, yes and no. Dr. Mahto notes that eating a balanced diet is rarely a standalone cure for clinical dermatological conditions. \u201cFor example, while avoiding high-glycaemic foods or whey protein can reduce acne flares, and cutting out spicy foods can prevent rosacea flushing, the underlying genetic or hormonal drivers of these will remain.\u201d She says that while diet can be an excellent way to support symptom management and reduce inflammation, it\u2019s important to note that chronic conditions \u201cwill almost always require targeted medical intervention alongside lifestyle changes.\u201d <\/p>\n

Nutrient-dense food is great for your body\u00a0\u2014\u00a0skin included\u00a0\u2014\u00a0but swapping your pasta for a celery stalk is unlikely to give you the complexion of a twenty-something influencer. At what point does our pursuit of perfection verge into obsession?\u00a0<\/p>\n

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We\u2019re encouraged to believe that meeting conventional beauty standards is the result of healthy choices, rather than genetics, money, or access to a tasteful injector.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n

Like many beauty and wellness trends on TikTok, the dubious scientific claims behind the \u201ceat your skincare\u201d phenomenon can shepherd viewers down the path of disordered eating behaviours. Intentionally or not, by conflating the consumption of preordained \u201csafe\u201d foods with beauty, creators are encouraging compulsive eating habits. Echoing concerns about the unrealistic expectations set by online beauty culture, Lola Biggs, dietitian at Together Health<\/a>, says, \u201cWhen influencers present flawless skin as the direct result of eating specific foods [\u2026] they\u2019re setting up an impossible standard.\u201d Biggs adds, \u201cWhen someone follows the advice and doesn\u2019t see the promised transformation, the natural response is to eat even more rigidly, cut out more foods, and become increasingly anxious about every meal.\u201d This, she says, is the pathway towards orthorexic thinking. <\/p>\n

Orthorexia nervosa is a condition wherein individuals have a rigid obsession with eating healthily, fixating on \u2018good\u2019 foods and omitting \u2018bad\u2019 foods. Rene Torres,\u00a0a nutritionist\u00a0director of\u00a0wellness at\u00a0Osmosis<\/a>, explains, \u201cFor people who struggle with orthorexia, it\u2019s not really\u00a0about the food, it\u2019s about control,\u201d adding, \u201cEven\u00a0good intentions\u00a0\u2014\u00a0like eating whole, nourishing foods\u00a0\u2014\u00a0can turn into obsession and self-worth becomes tied to perfection.\u201d Therein lies the problem.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Because this trend predicates on the idea that you can achieve perfect skin \u201cnaturally\u201d by eating specific foods, creators are not only selling us a lie, but promoting the idea that \u2018good skin\u2019 is a reflection of \u2018good\u2019 habits. We\u2019re encouraged to believe that meeting conventional beauty standards is the result of healthy choices, rather than genetics, money, or access to a tasteful injector. As Biggs points out, \u201cYes, eating well can genuinely support skin appearance and how you age. But, and this is the crucial part, it\u2019s one factor among many,\u201d adding, \u201cNo diet, however perfect, will override chronic sun damage or genetic predisposition.\u201d Biggs says that it\u2019s essential to set realistic expectations: \u201cEating a nutritious diet is about providing your body with the best foundation, not about achieving the kind of age-defying results these videos imply.\u201d <\/p>\n

To ensure that I\u00a0wasn\u2019t\u00a0simply \u2018deeping\u2019 an otherwise benign TikTok trend, I spoke to some young women to get their thoughts on \u201ceating your skincare\u201d and its potential impacts on body image. \u201cI think linking two topics\u00a0\u2014\u00a0food and beauty\u00a0\u2014\u00a0to \u2018guilt\u2019 women is a cunning marketing tactic,\u201d\u00a0says Abbie, 27.\u00a0\u201cBrands and content creators will continue to discuss these topics interchangeably because it plays on women\u2019s insecurities and emotions, therefore boosting sales and views.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0seriously a capitalist hellscape.\u201d\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0not lost on Abbie that carrots are the cheapest thing in the fruit and vegetable aisle.\u00a0\u201cBotox<\/a>, on the other hand,\u00a0can set you back thousands every year.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Olivia, 32, is equally as frustrated by this message: \u201cI definitely think it\u2019s harmful,\u201d she tells me. \u201cOn the surface, it promotes a healthy lifestyle, but I think it feeds young women the idea that they\u2019re inadequate \u2014 that they must eat these ingredients to achieve beauty.\u201d As a result, Olivia thinks there\u2019s guilt around eating foods that aren\u2019t listed as \u2018beauty\u2019 ingredients. \u201cIt\u2019s on par with those terrible \u2018what I eat in a day\u2019 videos,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n

Tailoring your diet to meet your individual health requirements and goals is one thing; it is another to obsessively design your shopping list around what will or will not \u201cfix\u201d a perceived flaw on your face. Regardless of their intent, creators must be mindful of how young women digest this content.\u00a0With the rise of GLP-1s and a resurgence of thinness as the dominant aesthetic on social media,\u00a0it seems we\u2019re\u00a0slipping back into a familiar \u2014 but no less unsettling \u2014 narrative where slimness is once again considered desirable.\u00a0Any content that furthers the idea that what we put in our mouths reflects our beauty and goodness is inherently harmful.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

We don\u2019t need to subsist on a diet of salmon skin and carrots to be beautiful; we need to eat what makes us feel good. Incorporate your pantry into your skincare if you must. But I, for one, will use the odd food ingredient the way God intended: to fry my hair and make questionable face masks. <\/p>\n

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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I Tried Alix Earle\u2019s Skincare Line & Have Thoughts<\/a><\/p>\n

5 Skin Tweaks A Derm Told Me To Make For Spring<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u200b\u200bWarning: This article discusses\u00a0eating disorders. Food has played an interesting role in my beauty regimen over the years. In my late teens, I applied lemon juice to my hair, which both lightened the ends and gave it the consistency of straw. My friends and I combined avocados, oats, and honey to make face masks at…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[15],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5657"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5657"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5657\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5658,"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5657\/revisions\/5658"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5657"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5657"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/baldheadedgirls.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5657"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}