If you’ve ever suffered from acne, you know how horrifying it can be. Honestly, I never had acne as a teenager, so when I started getting it in my twenties I was mortified. I didn’t really know what to do about it since I hadn’t had bad skin before. It sounds so small and maybe a little vain, but honestly it was such a point of insecurity for me. Especially in a beauty profession like mine where your face is in some ways a walking business card. I panicked and literally tried everything. I went to multiple dermatologist, tried a million creams and peels, until I finally broke down last year and did accutane. It cured my acne, but was super harsh on my body for a full 5 months. The side effects alone were a wake up call to me.
As much as I can say that I am thrilled to have clear skin now, I have really been thinking about the root problem behind my bad skin. Although I read a lot about how diet could effect skin, I honestly didn’t pay much attention to it because I thought I was a pretty healthy eater. Looking back now, I am pretty sure this is exactly what my problem was. The more I have learned, I now know that an unhealthy gut shows up everywhere, especially your skin. It can be something as simple as an slight allergy to dairy or too much processed junk, but what is happening externally is a direct reflection of the internal health of your body.
I came across this podcast by an amazing nutritionist, Kimberly Snyder. If you haven’t heard of her, google her Glowing Green Smoothie immediately, or click here to find it. I have one every morning and it has actually been a game changer for my skin and energy level. Anyway, if you are struggling with adult acne or just want to know how to clear up your skin in general, listen to this podcast. She breaks down what some of the causes may be and gives examples of things we should be taking, like magnesium, to help keep or gut and skin clear. Although I don’t struggle with adult acne anymore, I am following a lot of these guidelines to clear up my insides and keep my skin now healthy.
Find the podcast here.
I haven’t read her post yet but I will say that I had terrible acne growing up. I was on antibiotics and creams for seven years. It always came back. I did accutane. But my acne returned. No doctor EVER talked about nutrition. I did my own research and found out that dairy and sugar are TERRIBLE for acne. Once I cut those out, my skin improved drastically.
I know right. It is amazing what diet will do.