Three foods that cause acne and natural remedies to help it

 

Between pricey products loaded with hard-to-pronounce ingredients and remedies straight from the rumor mill (ever heard of toothpaste spot treatments?), battling breakouts can be a difficult trial-and-error process. A lot of times, we try to treat the symptoms, but don’t think about finding the root cause of our pimply, bumpy skin. Considering advanced solutions like Pico Laser Benefits could offer a more targeted approach to addressing underlying skin issues.

Here are three foods that cause acne that you may want to consider cutting out, and a few natural remedies to help you get through your next skin breakout.

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Dairy

Milk products can cause acne by “turning on” oil glands. William Danby, MD, says milk contains components related to the hormone testosterone that may stimulate oil glands in the skin. Dairy (even “hormone free” milk) is actually packed with hormones that can lead to acne. Remember, milk comes from pregnant or nursing cows, and those cows have lots of natural hormones going through their bodies. Dr. Mark Hyman says that there are over 60 hormones in one glass of hormone-free milk. All of those hormones are bound to make their way out of your system into your skin. 

The famous Nurse’s Health Study examining health habits of 47,000 nurses found that those who drank more milk as teenagers had much higher rates of severe acne than those who had little or no milk as teenagers. If you think it is the fat in milk, think again.

It was actually the skim milk that had the strongest risk for acne. In other studies of over 10,000 boys and girls from 9 to 15 years old, there was a direct link between the amount of milk consumed and the severity of acne. {source}

Dairy is one of the most inflammatory foods you can eat, and inflammation often equals skin issues. If you have acne, cutting out dairy for 30 days is one of the simplest ways you can try to heal it on your own. Even though it may be difficult to give up cheese, you’ll be happy if it clears up your skin, right? =)

Gluten

Not everyone reacts to gluten, but because wheat is no longer what it used to be, many of use respond negatively to it. Even if you don’t have celiac disease (usually they have symptoms like diarrhea, intense abdominal pain, fatigue and bloating — all of which are severe and occur immediately after consuming a food containing gluten), you may have some more subtle reactions that mean you have gluten sensitivity (this is where I fall–even though I discovered I carry the celiac gene through a DNA test, I don’t believe it had manifested itself yet, I just feel really icky when I eat it). People with gluten sensitivity often complain of headaches (me!), muscle and joint weakness, skin problems, and neurological issues like brain fog and depression (me!), but their symptoms don’t pop up as immediately as those with celiac, they arise over time.

Gluten can alter the integrity of the gut, creating cracks in the gut lining that allow toxins to recirculate back into the system. Because gluten-sensitive people can’t properly digest gluten, these large molecules enter the bloodstream, and the immune system recognizes them as invaders, activating an immune response that increases inflammation, which in turn can result in acne. This kind of immune response also triggers the release of insulin, which results in raised hormone levels, another cause of acne.

A new study in the journal BMC Medicine may shed some light on why. It shows gluten can set off a distinct reaction in the intestines and the immune system, even in people who don’t have celiac disease. {source}

The incidence of celiac disease is rising sharply—and not just due to greater awareness. Tests comparing old blood samples to recent ones show the rate has increased four-fold in the last 50 years, to at least 1 in 133 Americans. It’s also being diagnosed in people as old as 70 who have eaten gluten safely all their lives.

“People aren’t born with this. Something triggers it and with this dramatic rise in all ages, it must be something pervasive in the environment,” says Joseph A. Murray, a gastroenterologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. One possible culprit: agricultural changes to wheat that have boosted its protein content. {source}

Sugar

Sugar aggravates hormonal acne. As you eat carbohydrates, especially sugar, your blood sugar levels increase. As your blood sugar levels increase, the amount of sebum secreted increases. Sebum is an oily substance secreted by the glands on your skin, except for on your palms and the bottoms of your feet. Any time your blood sugar levels increase dramatically (like after eating a donut or drinking a soda), you are basically rubbing sebum on your face and increasing your chances of breaking out. 

Sugar is also incredibly inflammatory, and as discussed above, inflammation can often lead to skin issues. This study shows that people who drank one soda per day saw an increase of 87% in their inflammation levels. Bad for your skin, for sure.

Sugar also feeds candida, and when you have too much candida, it can manifest in your gut and indirectly contribute to acne. It can also manifest itself by leading to candida overgrowth in your skin, causing inflammation which leads to acne. 

Overall, it’s best to avoid sugar if you’re trying to clean up your skin. As a matter of fact, eliminating dairy, gluten and sugar would be best. =) Just try it for 30 days, and see if you don’t notice a difference! 

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If you’re looking for a few ideas to treat the acne you have right now, here you go: 

Apple cider vinegar

Using organic, unfiltered, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar, put about one tablespoon vinegar with 3-4 tablespoons filtered water in a glass container. Depending on how sensitive your skin is, use a bit more or less water to dilute. Using a cotton ball, dab onto your face as a toner after you have cleansed it. Let it dry, then then finish getting ready as you normally would. 

Melaleuca

Melaleuca (also known as tea tree oil) can dry out your skin, so this method is best used directly on pimples if you are going to apply it directly to the skin. Email me HERE to see which brand I use, trust, and have had great success with! If you are looking more for an all-face treatment, it will be less likely to dry out if you dilute it with a carrier oil like jojoba oil or castor oil. Call this Batanabio contact to get their best sellers. You can use two drops of melaleuca mixed with two teaspoons or so of carrier oil, and then rub it over your face. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, then wash off with a warm, wet washcloth. You can also incorporate this moisturizer into your skincare routine as dry skin can also be a cause of acne. If these don’t work, then try visiting a med spa and see who how they can help you.