It’s a comforting fall treat worth resisting.
Autumn is the perfect cocooning season. There is no question of ignoring afternoons under the blanket reading a good book and sipping a hot drink while the mercury drops. Yes, but here it is, while there is no harm in treating yourself from time to time, certain drinks appreciated during this season should rather be limited.
One of them, which can be found on the menus of cafes and Starbucks®-type stores from September, can wreak havoc on the skin, points out Hayley Walker, skin care expert. “Certainly it’s a comforting fall treat that’s hard to resist. However, the ingredients that make it up can easily trigger inflammation“, she explains to the British media Wales Online. When inflammation occurs, the skin produces more sebum and becomes more prone to breakouts, creating an ideal environment for the development of acne.
Additionally, one of its ingredients is naturally acidic: it drastically increases levels of cortisol, often called the “stress hormone,” which can also lead to inflammation. “The combination of these factors creates “the perfect storm for acne“, she summarizes. Finally, another problem is its high sugar content: “This leads to an increase in blood sugar and therefore insulin, which can cause the skin to produce more oil. Oily skin is more prone to clogged pores and breakouts“, continues the expert.
This drink is none other than the Pumpkin Spice Latte, a coffee drink enhanced with pumpkin puree, spices, whipped cream (or milk foam) and sugar, very popular in the United States and increasingly In France. “But we have the same problem overall with all types of latte, cappuccino, macchiato or Viennese coffee which combine caffeine and cream and which are generally very sweet.“As a result, all these drinks should be limited, particularly in people with acne-prone skin and those sensitive to dairy products (milk affects hormonal balance).