Acne and diet

Constance14
Constance14 Posts: 21
edited September 24 in Food and Nutrition
Hello all,

I know this is not a place to talk about acne but I feel that I need to put it out there because it does tie in with the foods we eat. I have acne, not too severe but I have more than I want. I don't understand why I continue to breakout I mean I eat super healthy-no chips, cookies, no junk food- I live by a vegetarian diet so I get enough good fruits n veggies, drink plenty of water, eat oatmeal etc. that will potentially help my skin. Aside from that I wear natural mineral makeup and use cetaphil to moisturize and wash my face. At night I apply tree oil that is supposed to be good for acne and use honey for face masks sometimes. And still not much changes or ill have time when I'm getting clear and then they come back :(
However, I do eat a lot of cheese and other dairy products -I wonder if that's what I really need to give up but maybe not since I still break out when I don't eat cheese for a while..I've tried it! What foods or tips do you guys recommend for acne treatments, thank you all.

Replies

  • JennLifts
    JennLifts Posts: 1,913 Member
    I use MD formulations, works great.
    I'm also veg, and also a dairy addict.
  • kk_stephens
    kk_stephens Posts: 129 Member
    A lot of times acne relates to stress levels.
  • xl33n
    xl33n Posts: 1
    Hi,

    I have had great success with cutting out spicy foods and dairy. I also avoid super sugary things like dried fruit. For some reason If I eat food, even healthy ones, from these groups I will have break outs. I do find having nourishing vegetable oils in my diet like cold pressed olive oil and enough water improves the quality of my skin.

    It might be helpful to track the relationship of what you are eating to your acne cycle. Perhaps you have different foods that are triggering it for you. I know if I eat things with dried fruit as an ingredient I can get away with only a very small amount before it shows up.

    As an aside, I avoid tea tree as it is very harsh and I don't allow it in my house as it can be fatal even in tiny amounts to cats.

    Good luck!
  • amycal
    amycal Posts: 646 Member
    I have read that dairy can contribute to acne. There is something in dairy that increases the production of the sebaceous oils. My 19 yo daughter has bad acne. We have battled it for YEARS. Honestly other than accutane which really scares us, we are not sure what else to do, but she mentioned this weekend while we were visiting that she might try to go dairy free.

    My mom sees a local naturopath who focuses on anti-inflammatory diets and the 3 main things he says to avoid are sugar, dairy and gluten. He also promotes a mostly plant based diet and extremely limited amounts of red meat. Acne is a type of inflammation.
  • kfallon76
    kfallon76 Posts: 2
    Depending on your age, it could be hormone related. Even with a super clean diet and all the right "products" our hormones frequently wreak havoc on our skin.

    If you're not opposed to it, see a dermatologist who can prescribe something (I wouldn't recommend antibiotics or topical medicines- as they don't seem too effective for hormonal acne, if that is what you've got).
  • kyregi
    kyregi Posts: 55 Member
    My OBGyn prescribed a birth control which had some extra hormones to it. It helped a lot. Try to talk to you OBGyn about the problem.
  • 123456654321
    123456654321 Posts: 1,311 Member
    Maybe try giving up dairy for a while? I have heard the two being connected before. It also might possible you have a slight intolerance to it. It's worth a try!
  • MissKim
    MissKim Posts: 2,853 Member
    Dairy could very well be what is causing it, but it could also be lack of protein or too many carbs, esp processed junk! I had severe acne before I started eating the way I'm eating now. and I swear it's went away because i'm low carbing it, (no grain products at all) and upped my protein and fats. I went from looking crazy to hardly any acne at all now. i also used cetaphil and I've used that for years! also, water helps. basically toxins in your system can cause it. processed junk causes it. take a second look at your diet for sure. water helps flush out the toxins. as far as the dairy goes though, i don't eat alot of dairy but i'm still eating some.
  • jamie78
    jamie78 Posts: 514 Member
    Mineral makeup can cause you to break out. I can not wear it and neither can my daughter. I also breakout more when I eat nuts of any kind. My mom breaks out when she eats berries so you may want to try cutting out things one at a time and see if that could be causing it.
  • RiverRatChick
    RiverRatChick Posts: 115 Member
    I struggled for years with acne. I tried cutting every type of food out of my diet and wasted literally thousands of dollars on beauty products (cleansers, makeup, creams, ect.) that I thought would help. I went to a dermatologist when I was in college and he didn't do anything but put me on antibiotics for an entire year. I finally developed allergies to several different kinds of antibiotics and would break out in hives. Good times. Fast forward 5 years... Still frustrated with the condition of my skin ( sometimes even getting cystic acne bumps so large it looked like someone socked me in the face) I went to another dermatologist. I cried in the office and told him that I had tried so many different things and didn't know what to do. He put me on Spironolactone, a drug that helps to block some of the androgen hormone that was apparently causing my bad skin. This is also in the birth control pill Yaz which is why some people experience improved skin conditions from taking that particular pill. I'm completely clear now. It's truly a miracle. I wash with Peter Thomas Roth Beta Hydroxy 2% Acne Wash and use a generic form of Retin-A at night and couldn't be happier. I haven't noticed any side effects from the Spiro, although you do need to make sure that you drink a lot of water and watch your intake of Potassium.

    Anyway, I hope that helps someone... I wish I would have known about this forever ago. It would have saved me so much $$ and time in the bathroom trying to cover everything with makeup!
  • jillcaudill
    jillcaudill Posts: 54 Member
    I love tea tree oil and yes it can be used in acne products, however at full strength it will dry out your skin and cause an over production of natural oils in your skin and can actually cause acne. I wouldn't use it full strength on your skin at night!
  • kelhun1
    kelhun1 Posts: 183 Member
    Funny, I was thinking the same thing...and in a weak moment at the mall today, I bought Proactiv. I'll let you know if it helps. I think mine is tied to my hormones. But there are so many reasons people break out. Try wiping down you phones with alcohol often... they breed bacteria. Wash your hands a lot and try not to touch your face. Is it your shampoo or hair products? You may even want to try switching detergents... sometimes it's as simple as changing what your pillowcase is washed in. Good luck. I know how frustrating it can be.
  • Constance14
    Constance14 Posts: 21
    This is very generous of you all to give me some advice thank you from the depths of my heart. I have been thinking a lot about how I always thought that it was because of my hormones that I was breaking out so much. And as a matter a fact, before I start my menstrual cycle I breakout.... to RiverRatChick I made an appointment with my doctor and I will ask her to prescribe me Spironolactone, from what I have researched on it, it looks like this might be my miracle too, I can't wait. I hope I am qualified to use that treatment-I'll be seeing her until March 1st and I will be counting down the days til then! Meanwhile I'll continue using my tea tree oil and cetaphil.

    To kelhun, let me know how Proactiv works for you! I remember trying it once but it didn't do much for me:( We all have different skin so it just might for you, I hope. Good luck and thanks for the suggestions.
  • WTFitness
    WTFitness Posts: 77 Member
    Woah, this reminds me of an email I received today on how diet affects skin. There's a little quiz at the bottom too. Hope this helps!

    http://www.dailyglow.com/quiz/is-your-diet-good-for-your-skin?xid=nl_EverydayHealthHealthyLiving_20110221
  • RiverRatChick
    RiverRatChick Posts: 115 Member
    This is very generous of you all to give me some advice thank you from the depths of my heart. I have been thinking a lot about how I always thought that it was because of my hormones that I was breaking out so much. And as a matter a fact, before I start my menstrual cycle I breakout.... to RiverRatChick I made an appointment with my doctor and I will ask her to prescribe me Spironolactone, from what I have researched on it, it looks like this might be my miracle too, I can't wait. I hope I am qualified to use that treatment-I'll be seeing her until March 1st and I will be counting down the days til then! Meanwhile I'll continue using my tea tree oil and cetaphil.

    To kelhun, let me know how Proactiv works for you! I remember trying it once but it didn't do much for me:( We all have different skin so it just might for you, I hope. Good luck and thanks for the suggestions.

    Fantastic! Best of luck to you!!!
  • rodegghero
    rodegghero Posts: 212 Member
    Acne can also be caused by too many products and too much washing
  • 1horseygirl1
    1horseygirl1 Posts: 98 Member
    20 years ago I had dreadful acne and was on mild antibiotics for a long time which did help a lot . The only thing that finally fixed it was having a baby! Once I was preggers my skin was better than it ever had been.

    Now no way am I suggesting you go get pregnant! LOL It was just an unexpected outcome for me and I guess that it was hormones that aggrivated my acne.

    Now that I am heading towards menopause I have noticed I am starting to get break outs again :(
  • nursenu22
    nursenu22 Posts: 6
    There is a skin care line called Exposed Skin Care that is like Proactiv but more natural and less chemical. I've used it myself and although it didn't get rid of my acne 100%, it certainly helped. My issue is hormones so once I got that under control, the skin care in combo worked well. Where are the majority of your break-outs? This can tell you what is causing the problem.
  • knittnponder
    knittnponder Posts: 1,953 Member
    I have a friend who has cut out dairy for that very reason. If she even has half and half in her coffee she'll break out. You may want to try cutting it out for a few weeks and see if your face clears up.

    I use coconut oil to moisturize (all over) and my acne is almost nonexistent even at the times of the month when I would get a breakout. I don't know if it's the coconut oil or the green smoothies I drink (which also contain coconut oil) but either way, my skin is looking pretty good these days (and I have rosacea so whenever it looks good I'm happy!)
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