Skin Nutrition: Diet + Acne

I’ve struggled with acne since I was a teenager. I know some people who had much more severe acne, but my hormonal chin acne is something I’ve always been self conscious about. I’ve gone through periods where it hasn’t been an issue (pregnancy skin was amazing for me!) and times when I just can’t seem to catch a break. I would say I started paying better attention to my skin health starting in my late 20’s…I became really interested in skin care and started getting regular facials.

I’ve recently started working with an aesthetician and she’s been educating me on how my diet can affect my hormonal acne. I was confused because pretty darn healthy…it is my profession after all, but there are specific nutrients I was consuming that could potentially be causing my breakouts.

I was consuming A LOT of dairy…I loved whole milk lattes, full fat yogurt, and all.the.cheese! I’m not someone who ever shied away from dairy, so this was a tough one to give up. Basically the hormones in dairy can cause your own hormones to get wacky…and yes even organic! Organic milk still contains hormones…waaaah!

So for about 4+ months I’ve basically cut out all dairy…TBH I have dairy occasionally when it’s unavoidable. I’d rather get a zit than starve, so sometimes I have no choice. I’ve also upped my skin care routine. I’m religious about my AM and PM routines, plus getting regular facials and I’ve definitely noticed an improvement in my skin, but it’s not perfect. For the time and effort I’m putting into my skincare I want perfect lol!

After our Hawaii trip I had a facial schedule and she said I had some pretty deep congestion on my chin still. My aesthetician explained that with how well I take care of my skin, how well I eat + hydrate, and how my hormones are well regulated with my IUD… there must still be something lurking in my diet causing this deep congestion. First, she asked me about my egg consumption and explained how eating a lot of eggs can cause this reaction…nope I like eggs but do not eat then on a regular basis that couldn’t be it.

Then she asked about my nut intake…I thought about it… and holy crap I probably eat 4-5 servings of nuts/nut products a day (IF NOT MORE)!! Almond milk, nut butter, all my bars, trail mix, almond flour…I mean I basically live on nuts and products made out of nuts. I asked her how much I had to cut back and she said “how perfect do you want your skin?” Well shit…bye bye nuts (for now…not forever).

Other obvious but annoying culprits are alcohol and sugar. These are things I’m mindful of the amount I take it in, but have not cut out (and not sure I could eeeek!).

So, for the past 2 weeks I’ve been slowly transitioning off the nut products, but not 100% because I haven’t come up with enough alternatives and need to meal prep. I plan to go completely nut and dairy free in April and see if that makes a difference. It’s difficult to track the culprit because a zit can show up 30 days after you ingested an irritant. It’s a lot of trial and error to see what works.

So what should you eat then??? Loading up on all the hydrating fruits and vegetables is AMAZING for skin health. Variety and color are extremely important. Another nutrient I’m focusing on is Omega-3 fatty acids via seafood, fish oil, flax and chia seeds. Omega 3’s help keep the top outer layer of the skin strong and intact so that external toxins and pollutants are kept out…very important. All the proteins, oatmeal, whole grains, avocado, etc. I ‘ve realized I was so dependent on nut products, so this has been a good challenge for me to get more variety and high fiber foods into my diet.

Here is a good read on diet and acne I found helpful if you also like to see the science.

Anyone else struggle with hormonal acne?? What tips and tricks have you found helpful in treating it?

xx,
Alix