Hiya Smarties!
Check out this super informative guest article by Mark Hyman, MD from my blog archives. If you or someone you know struggles with acne, the information and tips in this post could change your life.
Take it away, Dr. Hyman…
As our sugar and dairy consumption has increased over the last 100 years, so has the number of people with acne.
We now have over 17 million acne sufferers, costing our health care system $1 billion a year. Eighty to 90 percent of teenagers suffer acne to varying degrees. The pimply millions rely on infomercial products hawked by celebrities, or over-the-counter lotions, cleansers and topical remedies.
Recent research suggests that it’s not what we slather on our skin that matters most, but what we put in our mouth.
Many have suggested a diet-acne link, but until recently, it has not been proven in large clinical studies.
Instead, dermatologists prescribe long-term antibiotics and Accutane, both of which may cause long-term harmful effects. In 2009, a systematic review of 21 observational studies and six clinical trials found clear links. Two large controlled trials found that cow’s milk increased both the number of people who got acne and its severity. Other large randomized prospective controlled trials (the gold standard of medical research) found that people who had higher sugar intake and a high glycemic load diet (more bread, rice, cereal, pasta, sugar and flour products of all kinds) had significantly more acne.
The good news is that chocolate (dark chocolate, that is) didn’t seem to cause acne.
The dietary pimple-producing culprits—dairy and sugar (in all its blood-sugar-raising forms)—cause spikes in certain pimple producing hormones.
Dairy boosts male sex hormones (various forms of testosterone or androgens) and increases insulin levels, just as foods that quickly raise blood sugar (sugar and starchy carbs) spike insulin.
Androgens and insulin both stimulate your skin to make those nasty, embarrassing pimples. One patient recently told me he would give a million dollars for a pill to cure acne. He doesn’t need to. It seems that, for many, the cure to acne is at the end of their fork, not in a prescription pad.
While pimples are not as simple as too much milk or sugar in your diet, both have a significant impact.
Nutritional deficiencies, as well as excesses, can worsen acne.
Correcting common deficiencies, including low levels of healthy omega-3 anti-inflammatory fats, low levels of antioxidants such as vitamin E, zinc and vitamin A, and including an important anti-inflammatory omega-6 fat called evening primrose oil all may be helpful in preventing and treating unwanted pimples.
I will explain how you can correct and incorporate all of these nutritional elements of your diet and outline some supplements that will help you fight acne in a moment.
First it is worth taking a deeper look at milk and sugar.
Stay Away from Dairy and Avoid Acne
One scientist referred to milk as a “complex aqueous, suspended fat, liposomal, suspended protein emulsion.” What we know that milk is designed to grow things—namely, babies—and in the case of cow’s milk, calves. It is naturally full of what we call anabolic hormones (the same ones that bodybuilders and A Rod use to grow big muscles, and that cause bad acne). These are mostly androgens (like testosterone) and growth hormones, including insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1).
There is no such thing as hormone-free milk.
Here’s a short list of the 60-some hormones in your average glass of milk—even the organic, raw, and bovine-growth-hormone-free milk:
- 20 α-dihydropregnenolone
- progesterone (from pregnenolone)
- 5 α-pregnanedione
- 5 α-pregnan-3 β-ol-20-one, 20 α- and 20 β-dihydroprogesterone (from progesterone)
- 5 α-androstene-3 β17 β-diol
- 5 α-androstanedione
- 5 α-androstan-3 β-ol-17-one
- androstenedione
- testosterone
- dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate acyl ester
- insulin like growth factors 1 and 2 (IGF-1 and IGF-2)
- insulin
This is what our government suggests we drink in high doses—at least three glasses a day for me, a healthy adult male, according to the choosemyplate.gov website. Those guidelines have been strongly criticized by many, including leading nutrition scientists from Harvard such as Walter Willett and David Ludwig.
The famous Nurses’ 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.
It appears that it is not just the anabolic or sex hormones in milk that cause problems, but milk’s ability to stimulate insulin production. It actually may be the lactose or milk sugar in milk that acts more like a soft drink than an egg.
Drinking a glass of milk can spike insulin levels 300 percent. Not only does that cause pimples, but it also may contribute to prediabetes. This is true despite studies funded by the dairy council showing that milk helps with weight loss. The question is compared to WHAT diet—a diet of bagels and Coke, or a healthy, phytonutrient- and antioxidant-rich, plant-based diet with lean animal protein?
Stay Away from Sugar, Refined Carbs and Pimples
If a glass of milk causes pimples, that may drive you back to your Pepsi. But not so fast. Recent studies also show that sugar and refined carbs (a high-glycemic diet) cause acne. More importantly, taking kids off sugar and putting them on a healthy, whole foods, low-glycemic load diet resulted in significant improvements in acne compared to a control group eating a regular, high-sugar American diet.
In addition to having fewer pimples, the participants lost weight and became more sensitive to the effects of insulin (resulting in less pimple-producing insulin circulating around the blood). They also had fewer sex hormones floating around their blood that drive pimples. We know that women who have too much sugar and insulin resistance get acne, hair growth on their face, hair loss on the head and infertility. This is caused by high levels of circulating male hormones and is called polycystic ovarian syndrome, but is a nutritional, not gynecologic, disease.
But the dietary influences don’t stop there. It is not just sugar, but the bad fats we eat that may also contribute to acne.
Get an Oil Change
Our typical Western diet is full of inflammatory fats—saturated fats, trans fats, too many omega-6, inflammatory, processed vegetable oils like soy and corn oils. These increase IGF-1 and stimulate pimple follicles.
Inflammation has been linked to acne, and anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats (from fish oil or a vegan source) may help improve acne and help with many skin disorders.
Balance the Hormones that Cause Skin Problems
The link is clear—hormonal imbalances caused by our diet trigger acne. Our diet influences sex hormones like testosterone, IGF-1 and insulin, which promote acne. The biggest factors affecting your hormones are the glycemic load of your diet (determined by how quickly the food you eat increases your blood sugar and insulin levels), and the amount of dairy products you eat.
The good news is that eating a healthy diet and taking a few supplements can balance those hormones. Exercise also helps improve insulin function.
How To Prevent and Treat Acne
Nine simple steps will help most overcome their acne problems.
1. Stay away from milk. It is nature’s perfect food—but only if you are a calf.
2. Eat a low glycemic load, low sugar diet. Sugar, liquid calories, and flour products all drive up insulin and cause pimples.
3. Eat more fruits and vegetables. People who eat more veggies (containing more antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds) have less acne. Make sure you get your 5 to 9 servings of colorful fruits and vegetables every day.
4. Get more healthy anti-inflammatory fats. Make sure to get omega-3 fats (fish oil, or a vegan source of omega-3).
5. And anti-inflammatory omega-6 fats (evening primrose oil). You will need supplements to get adequate amounts (more on that in a moment).
6. Include foods that correct acne problems. Certain foods have been linked to improvements in many of the underlying causes of acne and can help correct it. These include fish oil, turmeric, ginger, green tea, nuts, dark purple and red foods such as berries, green foods like dark green leafy vegetables, and omega 3-eggs.
7. Take acne-fighting supplements. Some supplements are critical for skin health. Antioxidant levels have been shown to be low in acne sufferers. And healthy fats can make a big difference. Here are the supplements I recommend:
- Evening primrose oil: Take 1,000 to 1,500mg twice a day.
- Zinc citrate: Take 30 mg a day.
- Vitamin A: Take 25,000 IU a day. Only do this for three months. Do not do this if you are pregnant.
- Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols, not alpha tocopherol): Take 400 IU a day.
8. Try probiotics. Probiotics (lactobacillus, etc.) also help reduce inflammation in the gut that may be linked to acne.
9. Avoid foods you are sensitive to. Delayed food allergies are among the most common causes of acne—foods like gluten, dairy, yeast and eggs are common culprits and can be a problem if you have a leaky gut.
Following these simple tips will help you eliminate acne and have that glowing skin you have always dreamed of. It’s much cheaper (and safer) than expensive medications and dermatologist visits. Improve your diet and take acne-fighting supplements, and you will watch your pimples disappear.
Thank you so much for sharing your expertise with us today, Dr. Hyman!
Now I’d like to hear from you: Have you struggled with an acne or skin problem? Have you noticed any link between your skin? What seems to be a problem for you? Let’s share our collective wisdom in the comments below.
To Clearer, Healthy Skin
Sources:
F. William Danby, MD, Nutrition and acne, Clinics in Dermatology (2010) 28, 598–604.
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Lello J, Pearl A, Arroll B, et al. Prevalence of acne vulgaris in Auckland senior high school students. N Z Med J 108(1004):287-9 (1995 Jul 28).
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Wolf R, Matz H, Orion E. Acne and diet. Clin Dermatol 22(5):387-93 (2004 Sep-Oct).
Magin P, Pond D, Smith W, et al. A systematic review of the evidence for myths and misconceptions’ in acne management: diet, face-washing and sunlight. Fam Pract 22(1):62-70 (2005 Feb).
Spencer EH, Ferdowsian HR, Barnard ND. Diet and acne: a review of the evidence. Int J Dermatol 48(4):339-47 (2009 Apr).
Bendiner E. Disastrous trade-off: Eskimo health for white civilization, Hosp Pract 9:156-89 (1974).
Adebamowo CA, Spiegelman D, Danby FW, et al. High school dietary dairy intake and teenage acne. J Am Acad Dermatol 52(2):207-14 (2005 Feb).
Adebamowo CA, Spiegelman D, Berkey CS, et al. Milk consumption and acne in adolescent girls. Dermatol Online J 12(4):1 (2006).
Adebamowo CA, Spiegelman D, Berkey CS, et al. Milk consumption and acne in teenaged boys. J Am Acad Dermatol 58(5):787-93 (2008 May).
Hoyt G, Hickey MS, Cordain L. Dissociation of the glycaemic and insulinaemic responses to whole and skimmed milk. Br J Nutr 93(2):175-7 (2005 Feb).
Kaymak Y, Adisen E, Ilter N, et al. Dietary glycemic index and glucose, insulin, insulin-like growth factor-I, insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3, and leptin levels in patients with acne. J Am Acad atol 57(5):819-23 (2007 Nov).
Cordain L, Lindeberg S, Hurtado M, et al. Acne vulgaris: a disease of Western civilization. Arch Dermatol 138(12):1584-90 (2002 Dec).
Smith RN, Mann NJ, Braue A, et al. A low-glycemic-load diet improves symptoms in acne vulgaris patients: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr 86(1):107-15 (2007 Jul).
Smith RN, Mann NJ, Braue A, et al. The effect of a high- protein, low glycemic-load diet versus a conventional, high glycemic-load diet on biochemical parameters associated with acne vulgaris: a randomized, investigator-masked, controlled trial. J Am Acad Dermatol 57(2):247-56 (2007 Aug).
Smith RN, Braue A, Varigos GA, et al. The effect of a low glycemic load diet on acne vulgaris and the fatty acid composition of skin surface triglycerides. J Dermatol Sci 50(1):41-52 (2008 Apr).
Zouboulis CC. Is acne vulgaris a genuine inflammatory disease? Dermatology 203(4):277-9 (2001).
James MJ, Gibson RA, Cleland LG. Dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids and inflammatory mediator production. Am J Clin Nutr 71(1 Suppl):343S-8S (2000 Jan).
Simopoulos AP. Essential fatty acids in health and chronic disease. Am J Clin Nutr 70(3 Suppl):560S-9S (1999 Sep). 26. Kaaks R, Bellati C, Venturelli E, et al. Effects of dietary intervention on IGF-I and IGF-binding proteins, and related alterations in sex steroid metabolism: the Diet and Androgens (DIANA) Randomised Trial. Eur J Clin Nutr 57(9):1079-88 (2003 Sep).
Fulton JE, Jr., Plewig G, Kligman AM. Effect of chocolate on acne vulgaris. Jama 210(11):2071-4 (1969 Dec 15).
Anderson PC. Foods as the cause of acne. Am Fam Physician 3(3):102-3 (1971 Mar).
Hi kris! I have just became vegetarian and I have a question about dairy. When I eat a lot of cheese I get constipated as well as when I eat a lot of white flour carbs. What would be the healthiest food to eat to keep those things from happening?
My teen daughter uses dermalmd blemish serum . She has had issues with acne and has fairly sensitive skin. She loves this serum, it keeps her skin soft, doesn’t break her out or otherwise bother her skin. Salicylic acid is great for acne and softening skin, so it’s no wonder this works so well for her. This is yet another dermalmd product we trust and keep on hand.
Dries out your pimples very well. Dermalmd Blemish Serum is the stuff your doctor’s will prescribe for acne, with a different brand name of course. But it has the benzoyl peroxide in it and that’s the acne agent. Just be sure to only put this on your blemish, not your whole face for your face will get really dry if you apply it everywhere.
Hi,
I live on rice and bread, that’s what I am used to and everyone else in my family tree. I do get a pimple or two every once in a while. I usually get that small white zit mostly on my forehead, and they appear when I don’t get enough sleep, or I’m super stressed out. I don’t drink milk, though. I’m allergic to everything dairy. But I still believe acne can be genetic and hormonal. Thanks for sharing!
This website was… how do I say it? Relevant!!
Finally I’ve found something that helped me. Thanks!
I always loved milc, joghurt, cappuchino, muesli… and can just say, that since I stricly forbid all dairy products and all sugar in my diary, my face completly changed. My acne vanished completly! I live this lifestyle for 3-4 month now, and nobody wanted to believe this theory at first, “it is stress…etc.”. Even today, most people do not believe me. They ask me how I could live completly without dairy and sugar, but when you have real bad acne, are so desperate, tried so many things, you will do everything for it to change. I will never forget these days, my face looked so awful, it pained so much, I just cried in the bathroom seeing my face in the mirror. I had wished not to leave the house, so nobody could see me, but of course this was never possible. Make up was my best friend at that time. And no, no make up did never make a change for me. And of course sometimes I got weak at first, but the painful big underground pimple(s) I got one day afterwards (sometimes even at the same evening) was always my punishment.
I really wished I had these informations many years ago. My face was better at some years but never without pimples. Suddenly at the start of this year I got so bad acne like I never had before. I searched the whole internet again, tried also to life gluten/sugar free. But my skin did not get better. Today I know, it is both: dairy and sugar. I recommend everyone to try the typical three: gluten, dairy (no milc, no butter, no joghurt, NOTHING), no sugar. If you are lucky, just one or two are the triggers, like for me. I really wish everyone they find the trigger for their acne.
The scars and spots will be with me for many months and years, I wished the dermatolgists and doctor would read some more about treating acne with nutrion instead of giving young girls and women hormone pills and awful cremes to dry the skin. In the end it was my personal research in the internet and the wonderful people who shared their experience how they got rid of their acne. Thank you so much!
Great article, thanks for sharing. I choose to stay clear of dairy as it’s not designed for human consumption.
Great blog you have here but I was curious if you knew of any discussion boards that cover the
same topics talked about here? I’d really love to
be a part of online community where I can get responses from other knowledgeable
people that share the same interest. If you have any recommendations, please let me
know. Thanks!
Since you are a teenager – zits are occasionally normal. Here’s what worked my for my 3 kids who all had acne problems at some point i their lives. We swear by two products in our household:
– ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS wear sunscreen. a little goes a long way, this keeps your skin moist and protected. (oil free if possible**) this also prevents a lot of upcoming skin concerns.
-Citrus Clear has a Grapefruit Spot Treatment that you can use throughout the day when your skin is oily. My teens used this about 2-3x per day and it worked great on any pimples that came out. They were gone in 1-2 days.
I simply loOoOOove krisCarr.com Very important information to share ^_^
I am 34 years old, and my best feature has always been my complexion. When I started graduate school I started drinking coffee regularly. What did I put in my coffee? well, milk and sugar of course. For over 10 years prior to grad school I rarely drank coffee and absolutely never drank milk. Now, my forehead is absolutely covered in acne. The dermatologist believes it’s due to a hormonal imbalance….I think, possibly from the dairy intake. Anyways, I can’t handle it anymore. It’s gross to look at and I’m too old to have bad acne. I’m getting off the milk and will hope for the best. Fingers crossed.
Really helpful post for people who is suffering from acne, you can try alternative medicine Like Natural Detoxification Products one of which i know is Ayur Glow Radiance, i also tried this medicine & u can purchase from nariveda.com and its very affordable, its ayurvedic so its also cause no harm to your body 🙂
Great article. I’m going through some of these issues as
well..
I had lots of problems with acne as a teenager, I am now 22 and I’ve found a couple of things have improved my skin greatly. Firstly, I started using Simple moisturiser everyday, as my skin can get a little dry. I also use a homemade tea tree oil and aloe vera gel face mask about once a fortnight, or whenever I am going somewhere where I want my skin to look extra good. Recently I have started taking a skincare supplement (Zare beauty) which has a good selection of vitamins, alongside iron tablets (for anaemia) and it has made a massive difference, I now moisturise every other day (still using Simple) and my face looks less red and flushed than it used too!
Hi there, the whole thing is going well here and ofcouirse every one iis shyaring facts,
that’s in fact excellent, keep up writing.
Yeah Nice post, this is what I wanted.
Thanks for sharing this post.
All 9 ways are awesome and l loved 6th one.
Keep it up!!!!
awsome tip
Beautiful info there. The veggies insight is great. It is the high time that parents taught kids on veggies importance considering that there are many acne cases in teenagers these days. In addition, no one wants to put their teenage kids on strong acne treatment creams at their tender ages.
very nice blog!! This blog is right on target thus instructive for the individuals who are not mindful of the impacts that eating regimen has on our skin and pimple inflammation.
Thank you so much for this wealth of knowledge. I stopped dairy for about 6 months now I saw great improvement. I started getting acne in my early thirties now I’m almost forty and still battling acne. I believe coffee and cooking oil are my culprits in addition to dairy. I drink at least 4coffees and I cook alot with oil. I am definitely making an oil change.Thanks
Cannot believe these simple changes would work so well. Have suffered acne for 25+ years and just in last week have nearly flawless skin. I am in awe. Thanks for sharing this!
Best,
Adam
Eating highly processed foods such as refined breads and cereals, which are easily digested, leads to a chain reaction in the body. When breads and cereals are digested, it leads to an increased amount of sugar. In turn, this excess sugar allows the body to produce high levels of insulin and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1). Elevated insulin levels lead to an excess of male hormones, which cause pores in the skin to secrete sebum, a greasy substance that attracts acne-promoting bacteria.
Does anyone have any ideas, comments, suggestions on healing acne scars and discoloration?
very nice posting………thankx for sharing such nice tips to prevent acne. it is very helpful information to every one to protect our skin.
Could you suggest some acne fighting smoothies please Kris? Axx
**HELP** I cannot find a non-synthetic vitamin A. Can anyone recommend a good Organic brand?
Thanks!
Same here Gia! I cant find most of these supplements, Vit A in particular, that dont/doesnt contain soy or other fillers. And no one will answer our questions!!!!! FRUSTRATED!!!!!!! I want to get these supplements already but dont want to spend my very tight budget on crap!
Great Article. At the age of 49, after years of struggling with Rosacea and Reactive Airway Syndrome, I delivered a baby who was diagnosed with a dairy allergy. So I went on a dairy free diet so that I could nurse her. It took 10 months, but my Rosacea disappeared, and only flares up when I eat dairy. I can feel the sting, and my chin and cheeks turns red. I also start to cough within 10 minutes and my lungs hurt – the Reactive Airway Syndrome kicking in.
I had acne from about age 13 through about age 27, when I discovered the cause of it for me. btw–I had that very kind of cystic acne where a big bump would form under the skin (fortunately I would only have one or two, sometimes a couple more — but I always had one somewhere). There is no doubt that my diet was high in milk products at that time, as well as sugar; that did not appear to be the cause of my acne. The problem was elimination. I went on a low-dose antibiotic Erythromycin (sp?) (wish I wouldn’t have, but that’s another story) for a year to treat the acne. It did lessen my acne quite a bit, and what I noticed is that I was having more b.m.s (probably because the antibiotic messed with my digestive system?). When I went off it, the acne started to come back, but then I realized that I needed to eliminate more regularly and so I just started making more of an effort to make sure I did, and lo and behold they started going away for good. The only time the acne would come back is if I was constipated.
This has proven true for me. I have struggled with acne since being off birth control and have PCOS. Even eating a very clean, plant-based gluten free, vegan diet did not help my acne. I recently cut out all grains (even gluten free ones), all sugars and sweeteners and really limited fruit consumption for 30 days. I couldn’t believe how much my acne improved. After the 30 days, I started introducing some things back in my diet like brown rice, quinoa, dates and other ‘healthy’ foods and sure enough my acne started coming back right away. While eating grain free and no sugar/ sweeteners is so hard (way harder than vegan was for me), it definitely seems to help me. Unfortunately, it didn’t help me lose weight in that 30 day period, but hopefully it will eventually.
Hey Kristina,
I watched a video on youtube of two twin sisters Ronda and Nina who cleared their acne on a vegan diet by eliminating fats, not sugars. They were vegan for years and suddenly started having terrible acne. Eventually they discovered that it was soy and fat causing it. So instead of removing fruits, try to remove ALL fats. Good luck!:)
I am a 33 year old woman who suffered from SEVERE acne for over 20 years. It started at 10. I had boils and cystic acne ALL OVER my face. My face was so covered with acne that I could barely see my skin. It was humiliating. My doctor gave me everything to try and nothing worked that he recommended me to a dermatologist at 18 years old. The dermatologist assured me that acne had NOTHING to do with food. I was addicted to chocolate milk for most of my life, having 3-4 glasses a day, and (looking back), my diet consisted of many sugars. Although my parents fed me many organic vegetables since I was a baby, I was sneaking cookies and candy all day, every day! My dermatologist told me to use Spectro Jel as my face wash. He prescribed every cream you could imagine and tons of different medications and nothing worked. He then gave me such a high dose of the antibiotic Erythromycin, that I would up in anaphylactic shock, was rushed to the hospital and nearly died.
The last resort was Accutane. I didn’t care about the risks. I was desperate. took it. It worked. For a few years that is…..
Then it came back a few years later. There I was nearly 30 years old with a face full of cystic acne again. I went to a new dermatologist who prescribed Accutane again and I was so tempted to try it again but I was older and wiser and was really scared.
My nutritionist, Grace Van Berkum (http://www.gracevanberkum.com/) told me to take diary out of my diet for 2 weeks and see what happens. Guess what? A massive change happened! My skin was clearing up. That was 4 years ago and I am still dairy free. Also removing dairy from my system, magically cured a number of stomach problems I was having AND I started losing weight! This was great.
I still had some problems with my skin, but it was getting better. I went to see a holistic allergist Daniel La Coste (http://www.hhccentre.com/team/daniel-lacoste/) for some environmental allergy issues. He was testing and holistically clearing me from pollen, dust etc. He told me he may be able to help with my skin. He asked me to bring in my face soap, laundry detergent and any skin products I used. I bought Spectro Jel which both dermatologists and my family doctor had told me to use for years. Daniel tested me and guess what? I WAS SEVERLY ALLERGIC to the prescribed face was I was using for YEARS! I was also allergic to my laundry detergent and as it turns out ALL chemicals that are used in cleaning products.
I now use all natural plant based face wash, laundry detergent, cleaners and moisturizer (which I was never was able to use) and I only get a single pimple once a month!
So it was a combo of dairy, sugar and soaps (with chemicals) I was instructed to use by doctors. Sounds a little fishy to me!
Cutting out dairy had the biggest impact on me. I have to admit it was difficult at first – I think we are conditioned to believe that dairy is the best source of calcium and we know how important calcium is….. Now I focus on getting my calcium from plants and paying attention to my Vitamin D levels more so than worrying only about my calcium. I added a zinc supplement (I knew mine was low from bloodwork) at the same time I eliminated dairy, so I believe it was likely a combination of the two.
The most recent thing I incorporated to help keep my skin clear always (since I was still having some hormone-related breakouts, albeit mild compared to my dairy days) was an Ayurvedic approach – I try to stay away from foods that can aggravate Pitta (my main constitution and since Pitta aggravation is believed to play a role in skin issues, including acne) during times when I’m already feeling spicy and feisty enough, and also use a daily herbal supplement containing Pitta-balancing herbs, most notably neem. That seems to have rounded out the story for me and having clear skin.
I suffered with mild to severe acne from my early teens through my late 20s. I even took Accutane my senior year in high school, which has such harmful effects on the body I had to have monthly liver function tests! My acne cleared up temporarily, but returned a few years later. Birth control temporarily helped my skin, but once I went off birth control because of migraines, I experienced horrible rebound acne. Lo and behold, reducing dairy, sugar, and wheat, and eating more fruits and veggies and omega 3s, and I have the best skin of my life in my 30s. I remember asking my dermatologist as a teenager if diet had any affect on acne and he told me that’s just a myth.
I have been struggling with adult acne for the past 7 years (since I was 23). I have researched every angle of it, and it was nice to see all the research bundled into a tight and concise package. I need a reminder every now and then to fix my diet, so thanks for that. I do have a quick question though – what are your thoughts on a clean whey protein (to add to green shakes in the morning)?
And anything to take it to the next level? I went on a anti-candida diet for about year and still had acne at the end – my diet could not have been cleaner. Is it possible that too much lean meat could be causing issues? Or other ways to balance my hormones (most of my acne is on my chin, neck, chest and forehead)?
Thanks for this great article and for your help!
~Jessica
I too saw a tremendous improvement in my skin when I followed a low glycemic diet, low gluten foods, low sugar, no processed foods, no dairy, only 8oz. Kefir, which I make at home with whole fat organic milk and kefir grains. Heavy on the leafy greens and citrus. My skin has never looked better!
I eat no soy/dairy/legumes/grains…. meat fruit veg nuts seeds cofffee. Ive even given up chocolate for 30 days. And I still have acne….. flax/chicpeas (phytoestrogens) give me acne also
What food allergy test do you reccommend? my dr wont give me it bc she says it’s “innaccurate” but Ive tried everything. Also do you reccommend saliva hormone testing? Ive heard its the best.
I need to try magnesium for my consptaion and probiotics. THeyre the only things I havent tried.
THANK YOU for this information! My 20 yr old daughter never had to deal with acne until this past summer. I took her to a natural facial esthetic Ian who suggested stopping sugar and dairy in diet. Unfortunately my daughter hasn’t and I feel diet/acne/stress has contributed to her feeling depressed. She went this week to a dermatologist who prescribed 3 medicines to take and said will take 2-3 months to clear up”. I have offered to take her to naturopath and natural supplement store for items you’ve suggested but with no luck. She has tweeted about her acne and feels she scars people for life at the sight of her acne. As a parent it is tough to see your child suffer. I will print this article and pray your wise information will offer facts for her to see there is truth to what she’s been told.
Acne may be treated with a combination of remedies including over-the-counter skin care, acne medications, and chemical or laser procedures. Learn safe ways to banish blackheads, whiteheads, and cystic acne, and get the clear skin you want.
We can try a variety of exercises, it is not always to
visit the gym, you can try jogging, swimming, skipping, dancing, rowing, cycling, aerobics; infact they are endless.
At this point, rinse out your facial area to eliminate sebum and apply organic cotton
wool to soak up the juice. Aloe Vera, turmeric and papaya are highly recommended to cure
acne due to their cosmetic effectiveness.
interesting. thanks for sharing this article. do post up update.
Interesting article. I’m 35 and I’ve suffered from acne for the past 3 years or so. I’ve definitly noticed a change in my skin, it’s more more oily than ever before. I attributed it to age but now I’m wondering if it’s my diet. I don’t eat a lot of dairy because I used to be lactose intolerant. I’ve been seeing a dermatologist and the medication she has me on is expensive and doesn’t really work in fact my skin looks worse after I use it (drying, peeling). I was going to go back and try something different but now I think I will take a closer look at what I’m eating and add some of those supplements to my diet.
I definitely had acne (normally have clear skin) when i went vegan and detoxed. it took some time to clear up, even though i was already gluten free and dairy free. it as quite traumatic for a few months. now it is great. for people having a hard time giving up cheese, learn how to make delicious plant based meals, and use transition products like Daiya in place of cheese, almond milk instead of cow’s milk… you can live without these harmful foods, and i think it is better to cut them out completely than “treat yourself”.
I have absolutely found a link between my acne and dairy, especially cheese. When I first started the CSD, I jumped in with both feet and my skin cleared immediately, in addition to all the other amazing health benefits. I backtracked a little and had some cheese and greek yogurt recently for about a week, and BAM: tons of tiny little whiteheads all over my face, neck and chest that won’t go away with any over-the-counter topical medication. The only thing that works is JUICING, lots of green juice and fresh smoothies. My acne wasn’t this bad before the CSD, but I guess it was just so happy with the change it doesn’t want me to go back! I had bad cystic acne when I was a teenager and had to get injections from a dermatologist, but from my mid twenties to now I had much better control over it. The CSD makes my skin like silk, as long as I don’t eat cheese! =]
I know this site is mostly applicable to individuals looking to cut mass and proteins from their lives, but what about people who work out and who are trying to gain? Sex hormones are the things that drive growth, why would I want less of them in my life? I’ve seen more acne as a result of working out and sweating than from anything else related to my changing diet.
Thanks Dr. Hyman-I am a big fan of your work ever since the lecture you gave at IIN 🙂 I had mild acne from middle school until my early twenties. Cutting out diary helped, but it wasn’t until I removed gluten AND lowered my sugar intake that I saw a real difference. Now I can tell when i need to cut back on sugar when my face breaks out. Thanks again 🙂
I’ve had various degrees of acne since my teen years and I am now in my mid-thirties. It was under control while using proactiv but eventually I decided that a product that bleaches everything it comes in contact with can’t be good for my skin and I stopped using it, trying to deal with the acne in a healthier way.
I went from vegetarian to a mostly strict vegan diet about 3 years ago with a goal of eating a high-raw diet (more or less successful). Despite the fact that I ate healthier than anyone else I knew, my skin got worse and worse with bouts of cystic acne. Finally a few weeks I discovered the culprit – soy. I had noticed when I stayed away from soy lattes for a few days my skin got better so I tested soy in various forms and realized I am sensitive to all soy products and have been trying to eliminate them from my diet since. Not an easy task for a vegan…
I do realize though that it wasn’t the only cause. On top of abstaining from soy, I notice that the cleaner and less processed I eat and the more I juice, the clearer my skin gets. I am in the process of exploring if my skin reacts to other foods (gluten, fruit, etc.) but haven’t gotten that far yet as I am currently eating as raw as I can so I my skin can fully clear up and heal first. I am also hoping the scars will eventually fade (suggestions are welcome)…
My 2 cents and advice for acne sufferers is to take a close look at how your body responds to soy (if you eat any) and try googling “soy” and “cystic acne” – there are quite a lot of people with the same problem and sensitivity out there.
I’ve been battling acne since getting off of the pill three years ago. Over the last few years, my acne has gotten worst. I’ve visited the dermatologist each year for the past two years and been prescribed face washes, Retin-A and long-term doses and antibiotics. Although these things have helped, I have not found a permanent solution to my acne problem, which seems to flare up when the weather gets warm. I’ve tried acupuncture, which helped me tremendously in so many ways, but has not helped my acne much. I also decided to see a doctor specializing in Celiac Disease. I tested negative for Celiac, but my doctor has not ruled out the possibility along with gluten intolerance. I do not drink milk, but often eat cheese, eggs and yogurt. Likewise, I’ve always had a bad sweet tooth. Although my craving for sugar has improved with age, I still indulge in many sweeter treats. This article comes at a wonderful time as I’m still experiencing acne despite being on antibiotics for two months, washing my face with benzoyl peroxide wash and Retin-A. My hope is to be able to use natural products without worrying about acne. I may try cutting out dairy and gluten completely to see how it affects my diet and will try the suggestions above as well. Thank you!
I really appreciated your article Dr. Hyman. Dairy is definitely bad news. I’m a pharmacist and have seen several patients get prescriptions filled for Accutane (the heavy duty medicine used for last line therapy in treating acne). Accutane works well for acne but it also put several of these patients into a severe depression and some became suicidal. Bad, bad news. All this while they continued to put the cause of their acne into their mouth three times a day by consuming low nutrient food with lots of animal-based and processed sugars/carbs.
I’ve been trying my best to spread the word about the benefits of a plant-based diet in treating both acne and many of the other chronic diseases for patients out there. Thanks to articles like yours it is becoming easier to do this.
WOW!! I have been suffering from constant acne problems since I was a teen. Almost 40 now I have tried everything imaginable and get so frustrated. So happy to have read this. THANK YOU!!
This article is awesome! I wish I had known this long ago… I have never liked milk, but I do like cheese. I know I eat too much sugar still. It helped my acne a lot when I cut out caffeine and drank more water. I will continue to try eat more veggies and antioxidants! Thanks for the article.
Jumping on the band wagon with CRYSTAL PALMER BULL and her 2 cents! Having been brought up on a farm, drinking raw milk straight from the cow, and have eaten sugar in some form or another on a daily basis for the past 50 years – I do not have acne, nor any other health issue. I weigh 120 lbs (same as in High School, btw) and have 2 grown children and 3 grandchildren. I do know that the pasturized milk that is sold in plastic jugs tastes nothing like the raw milk that we always kept in glass containers. So, the statement that dairy products and sugar cause acne can not be true. There simply has to be more to the equation. I can believe, however, that all of the unfortunate processing that store bought milk goes through probably does have negative effects on the body, along with all other processed dairy products – ice cream, yogurt, cheese, etc. Then, to toss in the ‘plastic’ factor – yuck. But, even then, other factors must play a part as well – stress, inactivity, chemicals in products of all sorts including facial (make-up and cleansers), household cleaners, environmental, etc., etc., etc. To do a study on raw milk vs pasturized milk (and include the ramifications of glass vs plastic) — in my opinion — would be the interesting one.
Another cause of acne once dietary and hormonal issues have been ruled out is bacterial infection (typically staphlycoccus and streptacoccus strains). After 4.5 have years of painfully embarresing adult acne and sticking to all dietary and supplemental regimes for years without success, I was finally diagnosed with a staph infection from the last time I was in hospital 5 years ago! A combination of antibiotics and herbal/nutritional/immune boosting support cured it in 2 weeks.
I wish I had discovered the cause sooner and saved myself years of low self esteem and now the expensive costs of scar treatment.
I laughed out loud when I saw this article because it described everything I have been going through the last little while. About two weeks ago I had a little bit of a break down because my acne (which had suddenly become very bad) was getting worse and nothing seemed to help. I soon realized that I had been eating a lot more dairy products. I had gone a while without them because I don’t really like milk and in general just didn’t consume any for a couple of months. I would get the odd pimple here and there but nothing bad. Then I started working full time in the summer and packing my lunch with little cottage cheese to go packs and yogurt. After a few months of eating this way I began to break out. Thinking it was a topical issue I started trying every acne medication out there. Eventually (two weeks ago), I realized the amount of dairy I had suddenly been consuming and the fact that I only started getting bad acne when I started eating it! I have stayed away from dairy for the past little while and my acne is slowly getting better. This article was a huge help and made me realize that I was right all along! Thanks for posting it!!! 🙂
And if being vegan alone doesn’t fix your acne, get a hormone test. You can be vegan, even long term, eat a whole foods diet, and still have skin problems!! But you are much less likely to! But get your hormones tested and see what’s going on. Testosterone is Ugly stuff if you have too much!! Or you may just be low in estradiol and so the androgens are taking over. That’s why women in perimenopause have acne all over again, those damn hormones! But if you want to supplement, then they do make prescription hormones from plants! Plants to the rescue for night sweats, YEAH!
I really wish I had access to this information 16 years ago; it would have saved me many many years of pain and suffering.
My skin started breaking out at age 12 and by age 14 I had a serious case of acne that lasted for the next several years.
Growing up, my parents fed me “well balanced meals” (usually consisting of meat, potatoes, and two different colored veggies) and there was always lots of fruit to snack on.
But I had a sweet tooth, I would live on sugary cereal if they had let me (great combo – sugar, carbs and milk…) I would eat if for breakfast, a snack, and before bed whenever I could.
I also LOVED milk – I used to drink 4 liters of skim milk a week!!! (Just for me – the rest of my family would drink about 2 liters a week between them) And what goes better with milk than cookies?
I was never overweight and appeared healthy other than the acne all over my face, back and chest.
I tried every medication and cream on the market – my doctor put me on Accutane at age 15 or 16, but that didn’t last long because I had some unhappy side effects with it (it messed up my stomach), not long after that, I was prescribed a topical cream that left my face so red, raw, dry and scaly that I remember holding cold cloths to my skin and crying because it was so painful.
Those are just two of the many experiences I had with prescription and over the counter acne ‘remedies’.
I was told repeatedly by doctors and dermatologists that diet did not impact acne, that my sweet tooth had nothing to do with my pimples and since I didn’t eat a lot of greasy foods I was fine.
They tried to convince me at a very young age (14 or 15) to go on birth control pills to help balance my hormones and combat the acne, but I knew enough to put my foot down – I didn’t want to start messing with my hormones at such a young age so I waited until I was 18 (right around the same time I moved to a vegetarian diet – but still drank lots of milk).
My skin cleared up for the first time since adolescence, but after about a year, I started having weird side effects so I decided it wasn’t worth it. My pimples came back, but not as severe as before.
A few years later, a vegan friend of mine told me that it might be my diet that was causing my constant breakouts. I got really offended and told her that the doctors had assured me that diet had nothing to do with it. I didn’t want to take the blame for my terrible skin.
Because she is a wonderful person she let it go, but over the next few years supported and educated me until I finally made the switch to a vegan diet about 2 years ago.
I saw a dramatic improvement in my skin within a few weeks/months, especially when I juice and eat really well. My skin still isn’t perfect but neither are my eating habits (it’s shocking how many vegan sweets are available…) but I can really see it in my skin if I’ve been a little off track in my diet.
Thank you, Dr. Hyman, for all of the tips in your article, I’ll try to cut sugar out of my diet for good and maybe by my 30th birthday I’ll have pimple free skin!
Thanks for all the help..my sons acne can’t be detox after 6 months of veganism( I don’t think)he says he feels better than ever…just looks terrible ) ; I will check out Dr. Perricones book and cut back on some of the gluten products in the meantime. My son doesn’t have any symtoms of having a gluten intolerance other than severe and worse acne. Confusing!
I love this article! I wish I knew this information in High School and just after when I had serious acne issues. I have been vegan for about 4 years now and still battle some acne at age 37. My face has never looked better since going vegan but it’s not perfect. I’ve also had annoying acne on my chest for some reason and I was determined to figure out the cause before summer. I experimented by removing bananas from my diet which I had an intuition about but refused to believe for a long long time (bananas are awesome). Well, I stopped putting them into my green smoothies and my chest cleared right up. I researched bananas and found that they have inflammatory properties along with all that sugar as they ripen. I also noticed that when I boosted my zinc intake to thwart of an oncoming cold, my complexion became clearer also. So between the two I have had amazing luck with very little to no acne on my chest this summer! Yay for sporting tank tops confidently! My face still has a few breakouts now and then and I believe it’s from sugar and gluten. Gluten is hit or miss with me, certain grains make me lethargic and tired after eating and some don’t. This is my next experiment, along with agave. I consume a bit too much agave and it could be a culprit as well. It’s all about being intuitive with our bodies! Thanks for the great article!
So, so, so TRUE! I’ve had acne since starting high school. During that time, I recently became vegetarian and later vegan. I never knew what was causing my skin to breakout but then I looked at my food to see what was going on. I realized I was consuming way too much sugar (like an entire box of cookies a day) and not eating my fruits and veggies like I was supposed to. I’d go to dermatologists and tell them about my discovery but they would nod their heads and tell me that it isn’t sugar that’s causing my breakouts. Somehow a part of me rejected them when they wanted to put me on Accutane and from there my journey to healing my acne begun. While my acne hasn’t healed completely, I’m hopeful for the day it will. So thank you so much Dr. Hyman for this article. It really was a a godsend!!!
I am one of those people who had a very strong link for terrible acne caused by dairy. I started getting it when I was just 11 years old, and on a ‘good day’ , would only have 20 pimples. They were painful and scarring, and I dealt with them as graciously as I could. When I was 21, ( 10 years later!!!) I tried giving up dairy ( for different reasons) completely, and was amazed when within 2 weeks, my decade of acne was down to 5 or 6 pimples. Now, 3 years later, I have remained vegan ( I was a vegetarian already) and dont’ miss milk or milk products, even though at one time I loved them. I rarely get a pimple at all, and if I do I know it’s because of some insidious milk product that’s been snuck in somewhere. I wish more kids would know about this, and save themselves alot of emotional and physical scarring.
Some of that vegan acne is probably detox. Detox can last for a couple of months if there was a lot of garbage in the diet before. Also it would be a good idea to consider food allergies. Whenever we change diets we will end up eating a lot of something unfamiliar to the system.
Dr. Hyman, you are a mind reader! I was just saying yesterday that I have hit a dead end with my acne problem and would love to know where to turn next. Granted, my acne is relatively mild. However, throughout the summer, I have not been able to get rid of it, and this has caused stress and unhappiness on my end. To paint a picture for you, I eat a largely plant-based vegan diet. The supplements I take are vitamin D3, vitamin B12 and digestive enzymes with every meal. In addition, I cleanse, tone, spot treat and moisturize my face with all natural and organic products and incorporate omega-3 fats into my diet everyday via flaxseed. For the most part, I exercise everyday, too, and despite all this, I still battle some acne! While I refuse to go back to the days of using chemical-based products, it is very hard to live with all the pimples and blemishes on my face even with cover-up. Your article couldn’t have come at a better time for me! After reading your suggestions on further supplements to take, I am very excited to get them and start using them in my everyday routine. I couldn’t agree with you more that acne like any other ailment is caused by what we put into our bodies, so I am very relieved to know that there is more I could be doing in terms of dietary changes! Thank you!
Great article. Just wondering, how do you know you have a leaky gut? You mentioned that when you said to avoid gluten, dairy, yeast and eggs. I am gluten, dairy and yeast free but occasionally have eggs. So I’m wondering if that’s contributing to my acne issue now. Would love to hear back from you.
We need to start stating things like… pasturized cows milk is bad for acne.. becuase you cannot lump raw in with dead, or cow in with goat, and sheep or breast for that matter. Raw goat milk has healed my son’s autism and has restored good health to our whole family…however pasturized dairy ruined my sons gut and contributed to malabsorbtion of nutrients that contributed to his previous poor health. The facts need to be disseminated .. milk is not the bad guy… its what commercial food production has done to milk that makes it bad. We have a duty to get the information out there. Raw milk can change peoples lives.. and these articles miss the boat. Stepping off my soap box now. will link my sons recovery story that was published in our local newspaper
I have had acne since my teens and I’m now 41. I went vegan a year ago, and suffered more acne, due to detox, but after doing the crazy sexy diet cleanse, my skin is clear. The healthier I eat, the better it is. When I slip up on sugar and junk, I break out again. Cindy, your son may be going through detox also.
Eliminating all sweets from my diet has cleared up my skin. I was a raw vegan and sill getting big painful pimples until I cut out the fruits. Since then I have been reading the Body Ecology Diet which made clear to me that my ecology had previously been out of whack and by eating sweets I was feeding yeast in my body. Sweets include most fruits, most grains, and all sweeteners except stevia.
Hi Cindy- Yes there is a test that can detect if he has celiac’s disease but the test is not 100% accurate. The test will not be able to tell you if you are gluten intolerant though (just celiac’s which is an autoimmune disorder of the small intestine). From my own experience, I took the test and it came back negative. I then resorted to eliminating gluten completely from my diet because I still had pretty severe symptoms from gluten. I took gluten out for about a week and I immediately felt like a different person and a lot of my symptoms cleared up right away. When I ate gluten again after about a week, a lot of discomfort started happening again and my symptoms were in full swing. Also, not all whole grains have gluten but it might not be a bad idea to try an elimination diet with your son. Just be careful because gluten can be hidden in foods such as soy sauce, so just make sure to check all labels. Good luck!!
I completely agree! I was suffering sever acne for years. I’m now 25 and I’ve gone through Accutane , several topical, anti-biotics, etc… I recently changed my diet to vegan with a lot of raw foods. My Acne cleared up fairly quickly and now I’m dealing with healing and preventing scars. Thanks so much for posting!
I’ve also experienced issues with my skin since moving to a vegan diet… perioral dermatitis. Unfortunately nothing cleared it, so I’m on a three month antibiotic trial to see if that will clear things up. None of the “usual” triggers (steroids, fluoride toothpaste, heavy moisturizers, etc) can be blamed for my condition either, which is really frustrating. It seems the vegan diet isn’t the answer for everyone looking for glowing, clear skin.
Just realized…maybe its gluten thats the problem because we do eat alot of whole grains. Is there a test that confirms if that could be the problem?
Cindy, a couple of years back I did a blood test for food intolerance. Eggs, wheat and dairy showed up (as well as sunflower seeds, red kidney beans). I had cut all that stuff out, but continued to get acne. Also, years before my food intol test I had taken antibiotics, the contraceptive pill and accutane. what a mistake! Anyway, fast forward to 3 weeks ago, my nutritionist suggested I cut out gluten (I was eating rye bread and other stuff with gluten in it, just not the wheat). and guess what, it’s working! I’m shocked at the difference. I also increased my water intake at the same time.
http://www.doctoroz.com/article/gluten-sensitivity-self-test
^ Dr. Oz has a great Gluten Intolerance Self Test because there is a blood test for Celiac Disease – it is more difficult to diagnose the intolerance. If you are a defective then you can diagnose yourself. Good luck
Unfortunately my son seems to be the rare child that got severe scarring acne after going to a healthy vegan diet. I had no choice but to put him on antibiotics and even that isn’t helping yet. It was so strange but we eliminated all dairy and introduced more and more vegan meals and then we were almost fully vegan and his skin went nuts. We do have a pretty balanced diet…definately way better than we had before…but my heart is broken that our new diet seems to have scarred his face at 16. I wanted to avoid the extremes with medicine but felt helpless after trying alot of the recommended natural ways to help with no results at all.
I have a very similar story… Have you ever tried estroblock. It may just do the trick for him if her still struggles. You can read all about it on their website. All four of my children have been on Accutane (last resort for me to make that decision) # of them… Acne returned. I found Estroblock and my kids face is clear! It’s all natural no side effects and from cruciferous veggies… Anyway I hope I can be of help.
Great article! I was in my late 20’s when I had a cystic acne on my face, I was also anorexic too, so my body was not getting any nutrients to heal my skin and now I have these scars on my face which I desperately want gone I am obsessed…. I was on accutane and it did get rid of my large cysts but I was left with the scars. I have changed my diet so much, I rarely eat cheese and never drink milk. I juice and eat alot of veggies! and when I keep to that my skin glows, I am not perfect I do give in to some junky food sometimes and when I do my skin automatically response with acne! I think dermatologist need to expand their practice, If my dermatologist at the time really asked the right questions, get to know my diet (which had zero nutrients) I may be scar free today! but in the long run I do take full responsiblity for my own actions, I should have been more in tune with myself!
Moving to a vegan diet really helped clear up my skin all of the way. However, as of a few months ago, I began to experience more problems again– and I feel like these problems began when I moved to a very high raw diet and started eating a lot of fruit. I have only recently realized that this may be the problem, can anyone cite some good resources on links between eating large amounts of fruit as a cause of acne?
Hi, I am no expert of any kind however I was thinking that maybe high intake of fruit may cause acne because of all of the fructose (sugar) in them.
Could be a couple reasons for that, one being the high sugar content. I went raw vegan for 8 months, and while my skin was totally clear during that time, I lost an unhealthy amount of weight and had a high fasting blood glucose level, probably from eating so much fruit sugar. Here’s a study showing that high carbohydrate intake worsened acne:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25059055
Could also be nutrient deficiencies, in animal-source vitamin A (retinol), B12, zinc, etc., that tend to be low on vegan diets.
This article is spot on and so informative for those who are not aware of the effects that diet has on our skin and acne. I was one of the many who had no idea there was a correlation between what we eat and acne. Therefore I succumbed to accutane when I was a teen because I was told it would be the answer and a quick fix to heal my acne after years of struggling with topical ointments. Although accutane did heal my acne, I suffered with depression while taking it. Fast forward almost 10 years later and I found myself suffering with mild acne once again. This time I got down to the root of the problem, but only after I went to the dermatologist and the topical treatment she prescribed did not work. I found out that the culprit was dairy and gluten. Now that I have been off of both dairy and gluten for 7 months I have not had an acne breakout since and my skin has never looked this good.
The steps I took to fight acne was to perform an elimination diet. This led me to discover that I have a gluten intolerance and soon after I found out that I was lactose intolerant as well.