Does Soy Cause Acne? Is it Good or Bad?

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Many people have adopted the vegan lifestyle, and soy has become their staple food as an alternative to milk products and meats. On top of alternatives to dairy products and other foods, soy helps to reduce the appearance of skin aging and improves skin texture.

However, few people who consume soy, soy milk, and soy products have faced acne and breakout problems. And they are wondering, does soy cause acne?

Soy products indirectly cause acne. They don’t cause breakouts or acne to everyone. The case is similar to people who’ve digestion problems with dairy, gluten, and protein products. Just like you’ve breakouts after consuming dairy products, it can occur for consuming soy products too. Soy products cause disruptions in hormones, digestive system, and cause allergies.

As soy products can indirectly result in flare-ups, breakouts, and acne, it’s better to exclude them from your diet. In this article, I’ll be covering the different ways soy can cause acne and what you can do to prevent them.

So without any further ado, let’s start…

Do Soy Products Cause Acne?

Soy or soy products don’t directly trigger acne or cause breakouts. Moreover, anyone can get face acne through soy products, and you cannot predict it early.

Getting breakouts or acne from soy products is like having side effects from dairy products or protein items. That means only people who’re intolerant to these products get the side effects.

So if you’re a vegan or one of those who loves to have soy products on their diet, be careful next time! And you’ve already seen the side effects; it’s better to stop consuming soy products and consult a specialist.

How Soy Causes Acne?

You already know that soy indirectly causes acne. In the previous part, we found the main reasons behind soy causing inflammations, acne, or breakouts.

And in this part, we’ll be knowing about the ways by which soy can cause acne. Here are the ways by which soy can cause acne-

·Hormonal Disruptions

The main reason behind consumers facing acne or breakouts through soy is hormonal disruptions.

Soy or soy products contain a form of estrogen (isoflavone), which accelerates estrogen production in the body. As the production of estrogen increases, this automatically disrupts the hormonal balance in the body  (in the female body).

When soy or soy products are consumed in excess, they also leave side effects on the male body. The androgen production accelerates from excess consumption of soy products, creating a hormonal imbalance.

The bottom line is, consuming excess soy causes hormonal imbalance in both male and female body. And this results in acne, breakouts, and inflammations.

·Disrupting Digestive System

You may know that the food you consume is somehow linked to acne or other diseases. Some inflammatory foods like soy can spike blood sugar. And when the blood sugar level increases, it increases insulin production and causes inflammation and acne.

Now let’s know how soy products disrupt the digestive system.

Normally, people consume soy products by processing them in different ways. Some people love to have textured soy protein, whereas others soy protein isolate. And as they’re highly processed, they immediately cause disruptions in the digestive system, and it leaves an immediate effect on the body.

Due to problems in digestion, inflammation occurs in the body, mainly on the face. And at the same time, acne or breakouts also occur.

So if you eat processed soy products, it’s time you exclude the processed soy products from your diet.

·Soy Allergies

Millions of people suffer from soy allergies around the world. And the main reason is the ingredients and their intolerance to soy products.

Inflammation, breakouts, and acne can occur because of soy allergies.

If you’re one of those who loves to take soy products or a vegan who cannot think of a meal without soy, it’s time to stop. Stop and try to realize whether it’s creating any inconvenience in your body.

Just remember that soy products don’t have similar side effects on everyone. If you look carefully, you’ll see that some people are consuming soy products, and have no side effects. On the other hand, some people get soy allergies, hormone disruption, and the digestive system after one meal.

So to avoid these kinds of side effects, it’s essential to know the proper ways of consuming soy products after testing whether or not you’re allergic to them.

·In Skincare Products

There are some comedogenic ingredients or products, and soy is one of them. If you use a skincare item with soy as an ingredient, it clogs the pores and results in acne or breakouts.

Although soy products (when used in skincare) cause breakouts, the good news is that you can identify them easily. The pimple caused because of soy products is like small whiteheads.

Besides, soy products can also result in cystic acne alongside clogging pores. So it’s better to avoid soy ingredients in your skincare products.

Is Soy Good For You?

Soy is both good and bad for your skin at the same time. Before you get confused about the answer, let me explain it simply.

There’s no doubt that soy products are good for your body and have added benefits. Here’s why soy products are good for your body and skin…

1. Soy products improve your skin texture. Soy products have antioxidants that reduce the appearance of skin aging and wrinkles and make your skin clear and tight.

Besides, soy products and soy milk reduce your skin’s dullness and provide younger-looking glowing skin.

2. Soy products give a glowing look to your skin and radiance. As you already know, soy is an antioxidant and antioxidants give a brightening effect to your face.

3. Soy products help to prevent uneven skin tone. And on top of that, soy products are compatible with all skin types. So you don’t have to research whether soy products work wonders in oily or dry skin types.

4. Inflammation, swellings, and redness are one of the most common problems in all individuals. They worsen your skin or face and ultimately turn into breakouts and acne marks.

One of the positive sides of soy is that it reduces redness and inflammation in your body. It helps to calm down the skin and helps to maintain an even skin complexion.

Reading this far, you might think soy products are good for your body, and everyone should consume them. But the thing is, soy products don’t have only positive effects on you. Rather, they’ve severe negative effects.

Soy products are not fully natural. Rather they’re refined and modified and then sold in the market. So consuming refined and processed foods can be risky for your body and skin.

Although soy can be a good addition to your diet, as we previously discussed, soy products can disrupt the hormonal and digestive system, cause allergies and initiate breakouts and acne.

So is soy good or bad? Well, it varies from person to person. Some persons who are allergic to dairy or soy products get the negative effects on their bodies.

So our suggestion would be to try soy products and see whether it affects your body or not. If it does, stop intaking. Or else, you can add it to your daily diet.

Can Soy Milk Cause Acne?

Some people love to have soy milk in their regular meals, and the reason is obvious. Soy milk contains essential nutrients that help to function your body properly.

Normally, vegans or vegetarians love to drink soy milk as an alternative to dairy products. As soy can cause acne indirectly, the question arises, can soy milk cause acne too?

Soy milk can cause acne too, but the case is similar to soy products. That means drinking soy milk can cause hormonal imbalance in some individuals and accelerate oil production in your skin.

So if you’re not allergic or intolerant to soy products, soy milk won’t cause any issues. But if you see any side effects, stop consuming them at once.

FAQs

Can Tofu cause acne?

Ans: Tofu is a popular food that is made from dried soybeans. Consuming excessive Tofu or soy products can create hormonal imbalance, increase the level of androgens, and finally, lead to breakouts and acne.

What does soy do to your face?

Ans: Soy contains isoflavone which are known as antioxidant compounds. Antioxidant compounds make the skin younger looking by reducing wrinkles and skin aging. However, they can cause acne or breakouts in some individuals as well.

Which milk does not cause acne?

Ans:  If you’re looking for an alternative to cow milk, you can try out almond, cashew, or nut-based milk. The nut-based milk doesn’t cause acne and is good for the body too.

However, if you want to try soy milk as a part of your vegan diet, you can have it too. But soy milk can cause acne indirectly by disrupting hormones and the digestive system.

Conclusion

To vegetarians or vegan lovers, soy products are regular in their food meals. Soy products fill the gap between regular protein and meats and serve essential nutrients to the body.

Besides, due to having antioxidant properties, soy products help to prevent skin aging and give a glowing look to you.

But soy can cause acne or breakouts in some people as it disrupts the digestive system and causes hormonal imbalance. So does soy cause acne? Yes, they cause acne but indirectly. 

So our suggestion would be, ‌ try out yourself first, and depending on the effects, you should continue to avoid intaking them.