Pain in the Acne Part 1

There are SO many different factors when it comes to acne. Therefore, I'm going to be breaking this topic up into segments. First, I'm going to ask that you try to forget anything you have heard about acne because there is a lot of false and misleading information out there that can actually aggravate and make your condition worse.

The first factor I'd like to talk about is DIET because it is so important when it comes to skin health.

Without going into too much depth, I'm just going to note that it is important to ditch an unhealthy Westernized diet, which is typically high in simple sugars and animal fats.

There are 3 basic types of nutrition that provide energy and building blocks for cells and tissues and those are proteins, fats, and carbs. Plant sources of fats and proteins tend to be more nutritionally beneficial than animal sources, and for this reason I recommend a Whole Food Plant-Based Diet for not only skin health, but optimal health for the entire body.

I'm not trying to convince you to go Vegetarian or Vegan at all. I'm not a doctor or dietitian and that is completely out of my scope of practice. I'm simply relaying information about which types of eating habits are best for the skin.

Simple sugars and gluten (wheat, barley, and rye) increase inflammation in the body, which causes acne. Acne is literally a form of inflammation that is visible on the skin (the largest organ of the body).

*A healthy diet low in sugar, gluten, dairy, and meat is going to provide the skin the beneficial nutrition it needs.

Good topicals, which are products that are actually applied to the skin, can be delivered to the site of action and provide nutritional benefits to the skin. Some of these ingredients can include sources of vitamins, such as vitamins A, C, and E, minerals like Zinc and Copper, as well as antioxidants.

It is very important to consider professional-grade skin care products, which typically can only be sold through Dermatologists and Licensed Estheticians, because they have higher concentrations of active ingredients and are formulated with the correct technology, allowing them to be well absorbed. That's why it's not always as simple as mixing something up in the kitchen. Those products may provide temporary benefits but because of molecular size and other scientific reasons, they won't provide much long term nutritional benefits to the skin.

Gut health is also very important when it comes to skin health. I usually recommend a high quality probiotic, as well as prebiotics and digestive enzymes, which replenish the gut with good, beneficial bacteria and help the gut to properly digest food sources.

I know I've spent a lot of time talking about diet and gut health but I cannot stress enough how important these factors are to controlling your acne.

Stay tuned for additional segments I'll be posting about acne but for now, begin by focusing on improving your diet and gut health!

*Skin care products should never be considered as one-size-fits-all. For recommendations based on your personal skin type, conditions, needs, and goals, please contact me personally.