9 Foods You Love Ranked from Bad to Worst for Your Skin

*Don't hate us*

Food
(Image credit: Design by Dana Tepper)

Having just been hit with the devastating news that it takes our skin 30 DAYS to recover from a hangover, it got us thinking about all the non-alcoholic guilty pleasures we put in our body and how they're sabotaging our glow (or lack thereof). Yes, we're talking food, glorious, food—everything from french fries to our ride-or-die, night-cap-essential pizza.

The bearer of more bad news? That would be Rachel Nazarian, M.D., at Schweiger Dermatology Group, who has ranked the following #FoodPorn based on how high (or low) on the glycemic index they fall...

9. Spaghetti and Meatballs: Bad, but Not Awful

Food

(Image credit: Design by Dana Tepper)

More good news for pasta!

"The glycemic load (the number that estimates how much the food will raise a person's blood glucose level after eating it) is not ideal, but there's no dairy or chocolate, plus the fact that it's not typically high in sodium makes it not such a bad food for your skin."

8. Fried Chicken: Not as Bad as You'd Think

Food Fried Chicken

(Image credit: Design by Dana Tepper)

"It certainly isn't great, but being fried is really the only strike against it. There's no dairy! It's bad, but not as bad as it could be."

7. Ramen: Bad for Your Glow

Food

(Image credit: Design by Dana Tepper)

"Ramen is high in sodium, which dehydrates the skin. This causes it to lose its 'bounce' and glowalbeit temporarily."

6. French Fries: Bad for Your Wrinkles

Food

(Image credit: Design by Dana Tepper)

"French fries aren't so horrible, but the high sodium and salt content dehydrates and causes temporary dulling of skin, while the high carbohydrate content make it just as bad for wrinkles."

5. Blizzard Shake: Bad, Especially If It's Chocolate

Food

(Image credit: Design by Dana Tepper)

"There's a high sugar load, so it's high on the GI, plus it's a dairy food, so that's another strike against it. And if it's chocolate flavored, that's even worse as there's evidence that chocolate also triggers acne."

4. Cheeseburger: It's Getting Real Bad

Food

(Image credit: Design by Dana Tepper)

Spoiler Alert: "Cheeseburgers are only slightly less glycemic than pizza or macaroni and cheese, but there's less dairy, so not as bad."

3. Mac and Cheese: Among the Worst

Food

(Image credit: Design by Dana Tepper)

"It's high on the glycemic index, which is bad for wrinkles and acne. Plus, there's a lot of dairy, which contains growth hormones thought to also trigger breakouts."

2. Pizza: Say It Ain't So!!!

Food

(Image credit: Design by Dana Tepper)

"Pizza has a high glycemic index, so it raises blood levels of sugar and can trigger acne and advanced glycation end products that break down collagen. The dairy in the cheese also contains growth hormones that may trigger acne as well. Double strike."

1. Burrito: The Worst of the Worst

Food

(Image credit: Design by Dana Tepper)

"The combination of high glycemic index foods and dairy products makes this the worst for your skin. High glycemic index products cause hormone levels to spike, which alters the quality of oil in the ski, and potentially causing acne breakouts. Also, high sodium content leads to dehydration and dulling of skin."

Lauren Valenti
Beauty Editor

Lauren is the former beauty editor at Marie Claire. She love to while away the hours at coffee shops, hunt for vintage clothes, and bask in the rough-and-tumble beauty of NYC. She firmly believes that solitude can be a luxury if you’ve got the right soundtrack—that being the Rolling Stones, of course.