Are Soy Products Good For Blemishes?

Skin blemishes are not confined entirely to puberty. In fact, acne is like an equal-opportunity employer, unbiased to age. Acne and other skin blemishes usually share the same physiological imbalance at the root: your diet. The foods you eat play vital roles in your body's ability to heal itself and prevent damage to body cells. Adding a balance of soy, fruits and vegetables and whole grains to your diet can counteract many of the effects that processed foods leave behind.

Skin Pigmentation

Soy contains a high volume of amino acids that work around the clock, repairing tissues and protecting your skin from pathogenic invasions. The additional capacity of amino acids to carry oxygen to damaged tissues is crucial in your body's ability to heal blemishes at a cellular level. The Active Naturals Institute explains that the proteins in soy --- broken down into amino acids through digestion --- have a balancing effect on skin pigmentation when applied topically.

UV Damage

Skin blemishes are often a result of overexposure to sun radiation in the form of ultraviolet rays. Soy is thought to aid in the reversal of these effects through the help of omega-6 fatty acids, a type of polyunsaturated fats. Polyunsaturated fats are found in vegetable oils and animal byproducts, the University of Maryland Medical Center reports, and are considered beneficial tools that help your skin overcome blemishes associated with age. Linolenic acid is a polyunsaturated fat in soy that is loaded in antioxidants that combat skin irritation, dryness and thinning, the Active Naturals Institute adds.

Dietary Acne

Soy can be a reliable tool in combating the negative skin effects of processed foods and carbohydrates. Research published in 2008 in the journal "Molecular Nutrition and Food Research" concluded that acne prevalence was reduced significantly in male sufferers given diets higher in protein than carbohydrates. High-carbohydrate diets raised insulin levels and stimulated acne development by increasing sex-hormone production. Soy, low in saturated fat and sugar and high in energy-building proteins, helps to prevent acne.

Cleansing

Many commercial skin-care products add soy for its natural cleansing action. Soy improves blemishes through saponins and lecithins, two substances that break down skin impurities at the surface. According to Cornell University, saponins create a natural foaming substance that draws out harmful substances from skin. The role of lecithins is to break down pore-clogging oils and fats that create havoc in skin layers. Lecithins also help to produce the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, a necessary component in cell communication.

Skin Barrier Effects

The epidermis layer of your skin decides what will enter your body and why. Soy contains phytosterols --- plant-based nutrients --- that reinforce this barrier. Oregon State University's Linus Pauling Institute explains that phytosterol consumption has been found by researchers to reduce the risk of skin cancer, though more research is needed as of 2010. Soy phytosterols also help to heal skin blemishes by reducing inflammation in immune cells and the work of macrophages --- cell defenders that stimulate inflammation by ingesting toxins.