If you’ve ever had acne, you know how frustrating it can be. Not knowing what’s causing your acne, or at the least what’s making it worse, can feel like a never ending battle. Your skin is a window into your internal health—if something is off balance, it will reflect externally. For this reason, skin issues, including acne, can be impacted by your diet. Eating a nutritious and balanced diet is key for achieving health from the inside out. We asked Pamela Barton R.H.N., NNCP, a holistic nutritionist and founder of Butterfly Holistic Nutrition, what food you may be eating regularly that could be making your acne worse.
According to Barton, your gut plays a huge role in every aspect of health, and this includes your skin. Your “gut” refers to your gastrointestinal system, which is where your food gets digested, and its nutrients get distributed to different parts of the body. Your gut is largely dependent on the balance of “good bacteria” in your body. “Acne can get worse with an imbalance of the gut microbiome and the skin microbiome respectively,” she says, “Toxins from outside or inside can make acne worse as well as food sensitivities. These areas should all be looked at when wanting to resolve acne problems. Mind you, some acne during puberty is normal but even then, the severity can be controlled by looking to the gut and the environment.”
Making sure you follow a nutrient dense, healthy diet is key to keeping your gut microbiome in balance. There are some foods that can encourage growth of “bad” bacteria, which can wreak havoc on your gut and your body as a whole. “Dairy and sugar are the worst offenders for people who suffer from acne. Highly processed foods often exacerbate acne in susceptible people,” Barton says, “I suggest to go dairy free first to see if it makes a difference and then sugar free after that. We know from research that oil glands can get congested from dairy ingredients as they are reacting to the growth hormones found in dairy.” The food that can particularly be problematic is anything that includes both sugar and dairy, like ice cream or processed coffee creamers, may be especially inflammatory when it comes to skin issues.
When it comes to what you can add to your diet and lifestyle, being sure to stay hydrated is one thing that can be particularly helpful. One of the biggest causes of skin problems is dehydration, so drinking enough water everyday is key. The amount of water you should be drinking depends on your weight—to calculate how much water you should drink daily, a good rule to follow is to drink between half an ounce to one ounce of water for every pound you weigh.
While cutting back on sugar and dairy are both helpful tips to try out for your overall health (and to improve your skin), everyone’s personal triggers are different. If you find that your acne is persistent and doesn’t improve with dietary and lifestyle routine changes, speak to a medical provider about assessing your own unique health needs to put together a treatment plan.
