Quitting dairy can have tangible effects on your skin

The worst skin irritant among dairy products is skimmed milk due to the whey protein, hormones and sugars. In fact, skimmed milk has more sugar in it than whole milk, with those who regularly dirnk blue top milk being less likely to suffer from acne flare ups.

This finding was written about in a 2016 study from the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, study co-author Andrea L. Zaenglein, M.D., said: "I decided to do the study because I thought that acne being associated with skimmed milk made no sense," she told Glamour. "I wholly expected for the study to show no association. When the results came in I was very surprised."

Zaenglein says the findings could be the result of the process of making milk fat-free, which removes some of the healthy components, particularly healthy fatty acids. "Vitamins A and D are also removed and then put back in but without the fat they may not be absorbed as well," she says. As a result, your skin may not get all the good stuff it needs to stave off acne and stay clear.

Gary Goldenberg, M.D., medical director of the Dermatology Faculty Practice at the Icahn School of Medicine, backed up these findings: "It's clear that diet and acne, as well as other skin conditions, are linked," he explained. "We also know that foods that are natural—not full of hormones, antibiotics, and other chemicals are better."

Therefore if your struggling with bad skin you may want to try adjusting your diet, either switching to full-fat, or organic milk or going completely dairy free using milk alternatives like oat, soya, or almond drinks.