“All Disease Begins In The Gut”

— Hippocrates

Although acne appears to be an external problem, it actually begins its origin deep within the body. It’s our bodies way of screaming to us, HELP something is not right inside of me! Often times this something arises from problems with the gut, hormone balances, and/or nutrient deficiencies. Surprisingly, these three things are all interrelated, with both hormone imbalances and nutrient deficiencies stemming from the gut. A sick, irritated, and overworked gut leads to body wide inflammation and lowered immunity (read more about it here). Fixing the gut, soothing the skin, and de-stressing is a surefire recipe for acne free glowing skin.

THE JOURNEY

Unfortunately, there is no one step quick cure for acne as western medicine would like you to think. If you want clear skin and health for the rest of your life, you need to see it as a multistep journey. It’s a lifestyle change and it will take time to see results. But once you get and maintain those results they will last F-O-R-E-V-E-R

HERE’S HOW TO TREAT THE CAUSE

1. STOP USING HARSH ANTI-ACNE SKIN CARE REGIMENS

 Acnegenic skin is hypersensitive and irritated, which is exacerbated by harshchemicals and drying abrasive products. The common treatment regimes for acne (benzoyl peroxide, acids, etc) are exactly what you don’t need. Your skin needs soothing, calming, and hydrating… simple products.

Also, you can find the recipe for my DIY toner I used here DIY ( LINK). It is based in Apple Cider Vinegar which does wonders for acne. Do note that it can sting the skin, especially if there are a lot of open areas. However, you can dilute it or just tolerate it, the sting isn’t harming anything. ACV is a master at helping acne.

HEAL YOUR GUT

Now, this the most difficult step and the most crucial. It requires willpower, diligence, and dramatic changes to your diet. But it is the most important for long term recovery. To summarize, you will want to eat Real Food, cut out anything processed or packaged, start consuming probiotic rich foods.

FIND YOUR FOOD TRIGGERS

Find which foods cause your breakouts and find which foods you are sensitive to because of your leaky gut. For me it was chocolate, almonds, and sugar. Some common triggers are gluten, soy, corn, alcohol, dairy, chocolate, and grains. Eliminate these foods and takes steps to heal yourself.

BALANCE YOUR HORMONES

Your hormones will naturally begin to balance themselves as you heal your gut. However, it is quite possible you may need some extra help. There are simple saliva tests you can order online to test your hormone levels or you can look over symptoms of low progesterone and high estrogen to see if you fit the mold, (I highly recommend the former). Balancing estrogen and progesterone levels are key to getting rid of acne.

START KEY SUPPLEMENTS

STOP TOUCHING YOUR FACE

This is very difficult for some but you will notice such a difference when you do so. Stop picking, popping, and poking your poor skin. Acnegenic skin is sensitive and delicate…all it’s doing is spreading the acne bacteria across your face and causing your inflammatory system to go wild. A perfect recipe for more redness, irritation, and pustules. This also includes the way your wash your face, be GENTILE. Also, be aware of unconsciously touching your face during the day, for instance resting on your hand during a boring class lecture or your cell phone always on your cheek.  QUIT MAKEUP FOR TWO WEEKS…AND THEN ACTIVELY SWITCH YOUR MAKEUP TO NATURAL CLEAN PRODUCTS.

Not wearing makeup is so hard when you have breakouts, I know, I hated doing it too, but saw a dramatic difference when I did so. Your skin needs a break, to breathe, and recover without a “mask” always over it. Often your skin will be sensitive to ingredients it wouldn’t normally react to. In my case, even clean non-toxic makeup was exacerbating my breakouts. However, now that my acne is healed I wear the same makeup without issue.

Even if your makeup says noncomedogenic it can still exacerbate acne. The preservatives, formaldehyde donors, and other chemicals they contain are skin irritants. Unfortunately, makeup is a huge contributing factor, but once your skin starts to heal you will thank yourself you bared the humiliation and went without.

LOVE YOURSELF AND DE-STRESS

This is one of the most important ones…stress gives you acne and self loathing is crappy. It is hard to not get in a vicious cycle of thinking about your acne, becoming anxious, raising your stress levels, and giving yourself more acne. Here is a great article to help you start loving yourself and your skin.

STOP THE WESTERN MEDICAL TREATMENTS THAT ARE MASKING YOUR ACNE AND PREVENTING THE CURE

So there they are, 10 steps, some easier than others but all dependent on one another. These steps should ideally be done all together, or at least in a span of a month. Selecting just a few will unfortunately set you up for failure. You see, the entire picture needs to be addressed in order to really see results. Don’t give up and do have courage. Finally conquering acne is an arduous road, some days it may seem like you have taken a step or two backwards. However, if you stick with the lifestyle change you will start to see real differences in your skin and your body as a whole. If you are reluctant to give up that doctor prescribed treatment I challenge you, go read blogs and forums all throughout the internet…you will find hoards of people saying their western treatment worked to quell their acne temporarily only to come back with a vengeance later. I know it did for me and for every single one of my friends. Step bravely into your new lifestyle and step firmly.