5 Tips To Help Clear Acne Naturally
Acne is more than just bacteria on the skin… Our body is telling us that something is a little out of balance, whether it be our stress levels, nutrient status, or hormones just to name a few possibilities. The modern medical approach may not have felt quite right, been too intense, or offered only a short term solution for your skin. As a naturopath, I look at skin health and acne holistically and try to get to the root cause using natural medicine. Many different things can increase sebum production and result in acne but a few key tips to get you going include:
Remove dairy
Dairy foods (cows milk, cheese, ice cream etc) has been shown to worsen acne as they can increase a compound in the body called insulin-like growth factor, which is thought to be a key driver in acne (Juhl et al., 2018). Switching to plant based milks (without added sugars, thickeners and preservatives) might be a good alternative while you’re getting your skin under control.Zinc supplement
Studies have shown that acne patients have decreased zinc levels in the blood (Yee et al, 2020). Zinc is vital for:
Breaking down proteins that we eat so we can absorb them and make collagen (collagen is a key component of the skin)
Skin cell regeneration (Ogawa et al., 2020)
Decreases the conversion of testosterone to its stronger form known as DHT (Aliyev et al., 2020). (More testosterone = more sebum production)
Get a blood test first so you can track your progress and also determine whether or not you need it!
3. Make sure you’re pooping at least once a day
The skin is an elimination organ… meaning it gets rid of waste from the body, mainly through sweat. The liver detoxifies the majority of our waste and sends it out to the bowel to be pooped away or to the kidneys to be cleaned out through our urine. If our body is constipated and we’re not pooping at least once a day, the skin may need to step in and get rid of the excess waste- making our acne worsen! Fiber (30g daily), plenty of water and daily movement are basic recipes to get you regular and detoxing.
4. Give yourself a break!
The stress and acne cycle is a chicken and egg scenario! We’re stressed because of our skin and our skin worsens when we’re stressed! When we’re in this state, our body’s stress hormone, cortisol, is elevated throughout our body. Cortisol can increase sebum (Chen & Lyga, 2014), unbalance our reproductive hormones, spike our blood sugar, and affect the amount of nutrients we’re able to absorb. Easier said than done, but when was the last time you acknowledged how stressed you’ve been and weighed up whether it’s sustainable for you?
5. Determine the cause
Try to identify the drivers specific to YOUR acne.. The most common drivers I see in the clinic include:
Stress
Poor gut health
Hormonal imbalances
Nutritional deficiencies
Fungal infection
Blood sugar imbalance
Poor liver detoxification
Lymphatic congestion
You may need to find a qualified naturopath or holistic nutritionist to really get to the root cause and nip it in the bud for good!
Hang in there! Having acne can make you feel like a shell of yourself. Just remember, it’s not forever, you’re not alone, and there’s more treatment options available to you than just what the doctor can prescribe :) For more support, book in for an online naturopathic consult.
Harley xx