A peachy complexion isn't just about the creams you slather on your face - it's also about what you pile on your plate.

‘The best weapon against skin ageing is your fork,’ explains top nutritionist and skin specialist, Karen Fischer. 

‘Eating the right foods supplies your skin with the nutrients it needs to produce new collagen, fight AGEs and look healthier and younger,' Ms Fisher said.

1. RICE CAKES

Rice cakes were hailed as the favourite food of supermodels - who claimed their low levels of fat made them a quick route to a thin physique. 

But we now know rice cakes, like any other unnaturally white foods, are refined carbohydrates, broken down into sugar by the body.

Too much sugar in the blood causes glucose molecules to attach to the proteins in collagen - a protein that allows skin to stay supple - to form destructive molecules called Advanced Glycation End products (or AGEs).

2. BLUE CHEESE  

Dermatologist, Dr Ross Perry, of the Cosmedics Skin Clinic in Harley Street, London, told MailOnline cheese can trigger skin problems.

'This is perhaps due to the fat content,' he said.

'Stiltons and blue cheese tend to be the worst, perhaps due to the strength of them. Other rich foods such as Port can also have an affect like this.'

3. WATERMELONS AND DATES 

Eating high GI foods - foods that are absorbed into the bloodstream quickly - is thought to have a direct effect on the severity of acne because of the hormonal fluctuations that are triggered.

These foods include watermelons and dates, as well as the usual white refined sugar suspects.  

High GI foods cause a spike in hormone levels including insulin which is thought to instigate production of sebum - the oily substance which blocks pores, causing spots.

4. MILK

Milk is thought to affect acne because of the hormones it contains. A 2007 study carried out by Harvard School of Public Health found that there was a clear link between those who drank milk regularly and suffered with acne.

A more recent study, published in 2012 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found the risk of moderate to severe acne 'increased with increased milk consumption,' with an odds ratio of 1.78 with a stronger connection seen between skimmed milk than whole fat milk.

5. HEALTHY CEREALS 

Cereals are often marketed as a healthy breakfast, but they can contain up to 37 per cent sugar. A sugar content of over 15 per cent is considered to be high. 

Research is increasingly showing that sugar ages the skin as it makes the skin lose the plump, elastic qualities that underlie a youthful appearance. 

Sugar can also promote the growth of pore-clogging cell and trigger the body to promote more oil - both factors which can cause acne.

6. MEAT

Dr Perry told MailOnline his patients often complain meat makes their skin flushed and red.

Some experts believe red meat is linked to bad skin because it can increase levels of the male sex hormone testosterone in the body.

Higher levels of the hormones lead to more skin cells growing, and more sebum being produced. This can, in turn, block pores and causes acne. 

7. ALCOHOL 

'Alcohol is the worst thing for skin without a shadow of a doubt,' Dr Perry said.

Studies have found high levels of alcohol consumption exacerbate the skin condition psoriasis, which often presents itself as reddish spots and patches covered with silvery scales. 

It also causing bloating and dark circles under your eyes and can lead to wrinkles and premature ageing. 

The skin may also become dry and flaky because booze causes dehydration, and alcohol also depletes vitamin C in the body's tissues, so bruises will show up more clearly.