Welcome to Ask Whole9 Canada, where Summer Innanen and Sarah Ramsden answer all of your health and nutrition questions. In this week’s episode, Corinna in Nuremburg, Germany asks, “What are the common reasons for skin breakouts in adults?”
Unfortunately, many adults (especially females) suffer from acne, and the root cause is generally the result of things going awry inside the body. Acne that you find around your jaw line is often the result of hormonal imbalances, specifically low estrogen, high progesterone, high testosterone as well as any abnormal patterns in their rhythm. Adult acne can also be attributed to compromised digestion and poor gut health, as well as increased chronic systemic inflammation in the body.
In this episode of S&STV, we discuss the primary causes of adult acne and give you specific direction as to how to heal it.
Here are the key things to address when you are trying to heal adult acne:
- Address food sensitivities & eat a nutrient dense diet – Start by completing a Whole30 as this will remove inflammatory foods, help to balance hormones and heal the gut.
- Heal the gut – You may need a more comprehensive gut healing protocol
- Nutrient deficiencies and gut dysbiosis – Too much ‘bad’ bacteria in the gut can promote skin redness and irritation, so eating probiotic foods is critical. In addition, consuming foods that are rich in omega 3, vitamin A, D, E and K2 are critical to balancing inflammation in the body. Supplementing with fermented cod liver oil gives you the bulk of these nutrients and you can obtain K2 from ghee and egg yolks.
- Consume gelatin or bone broth
- Change your skin care routine – While fixing what is going on inside the body is critical, you must also change what you are using topically. Switching to body care products that are chemical free is the best way to do that. We love the Primal Life Organics skin care line or if you don’t want to spend the money, take the time to make your own.
- Sleep and de-stress – Lack of sleep and chronic stress can alter your hormone levels and rhythm, in addition to promoting inflammation in the body.
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I have been battling acne since I was a teenager (about 10 years now) and I have been paleo (at least 80/20) for about 2 years. I have tried every face product out there and have been using the oil cleanse method for the past year or so as well. This has helped but has not cleared it up completely. After this January Whole30 when my skin didn’t get any better I knew I needed to work on what was causing this from the inside out. I started taking fermented cod liver/oil blend capsules (4 a day) and from the first day I started I have not gotten one new breakout. My skin has continued to heal and clear up and I am finally loving the way my face looks in the morning.
Hi Whole9! I agree with what you said in this post, and love that you are addressing skin health because it is something that is not always talked about in regards to nutrition, but nutrition is vital to understanding your skin. That said, many people who eat a very clean, traditional and primal/whole9 diet still suffer from acne, and other skin ailments. It is unfortunate, but given enough time, the skin often gets better. It is just not as immediate as the way that you feel after implementing healthy eating. I know that for me, and my clients, avoiding certain foods is key. While dairy is sometimes the step child and blamed for many skin issues, I actually see more results when limiting nightshades and other inflammatory foods. Sleep is also a key contributor, so I am happy you included it. Anyone getting off of birth control or those that have taken low dose antibiotics multiple times for acne are at increased risk for residual skin problems, and unfortunately again, you must just give it time. There are other things that you can do to help move the process along, but being kind to yourself and accepting that it will improve is paramount and what I preach to people the most often. Thank you for covering this topic, as it is near and dear to my heart. I am a HUGE Whole9 fan and have used it to change my own life.
@Emily – Thanks for sharing your story! I love how you mentioned being kind to yourself and accepting that it will improve. Changing your mindset is a huge part of any health transformation and I love how you preach that.
@Merky – That’s great to hear!! FCLO for the win!
I’m in my mid-fifties, and have never had much of a skin problem, even when I was a teenager. Since going paleo a few years ago, my complexion has looked really good – tight, no wrinkling, no blotches.
For the last two months or so, I’ve had an obnoxious rash on my stomach. It started as an itch under my left breast and quickly migrated out from there. Sometimes the itching is so bad, especially during the night, I’d like to take a wire brush to it. One spot will appear to clear up, only to get itchy somewhere else.
While being mostly paleo, I’ve liked whole milk in my coffee and occasional sharp cheddar with my apples. Since that’s the last stumbling block to being “properly” paleo, and a dairy intolerance/allergy is the only thing I could think of to cause this rash, I started a Whole30 eleven days ago.
I feel wonderful, but the rash is showing no signs of going away. I realize eleven days is a very short time to expect a big change; can you suggest anything else I might try?
Thank you!
Jeanne
Hi Jeanne,
Sometimes it can take longer to see improvements with skin issues, however you should probably see a doctor or holistic health care practitioner to identify the type of rash that you are having, as that would determine the proper protocol and treatment.
Summer
Jeanne, not sure if you’ll ever see this but if you’ve incorporated mango into your diet recently before the rash appeared it may be causing the rash. A tenth or so of Americans are allergic to mango to varying degrees (the allergy is actually to the sap of the tree, so handling raw mango will give you a contact skin reaction, but something already mixed into a mango salsa or chutney or smoothie will be internal, and the rash might appear less severe and stay in your system longer).
I was raised in the Caribbean and discovered this little gem when I climbed a mango tree and picked and ate mangoes with my friends, I was twelve and it took 8 months and several rounds of steroids and heavy doses of benadryl for the rashes to finally stop recurring.
Just something to look into :)
Thanks so much for this super informative video! I recently stopped using Proactiv (because I realized it was bleaching my sheets…and anything that bleaches sheets shouldn’t go on my face!!) and I have a ton of breakouts–along the jawline and on my forehead and cheeks. I’ve been eating clean for a year and a half now and my skin has looked great the whole time (probably due to the Proactiv, in part). But I also recently came off birth control and am suffering from pretty severe adrenal dysfunction, so my hormones are a little wacky. I’m going to try several of the things you mentioned and hopefully look for some improvement! Thanks again for offering so many great approaches to such a frustrating issue.
Coconut can cause acne breakouts. It clogs facial skin pores.
Coconut oil is really wonderful for oil pulling.
@Lourdes, for me personally, coconut oil cleared up my acne completely. I was breaking out horribly on my chin and after using a coconut oil based face wash I made at home, within 3 days my face was cleared up. Just a thought.
@Lacey When I was a teenager I had acne but for years , I’m 58, I had no breakouts. I think that using just pure coconut oil as a moisturizer might have been what caused my new acne. Maybe using a cleanser with covonut oil is totally different. But I love CO I use it for my hair and skin, except for my face now :).
My daughter, who is 16, has been struggling with severe acne for the last 18 months. She has tried everything from Proactiv to antibiotics from the Dermatologist. We are considering Acutain but are concerned about the side effects. My wife and I are moving more and more into a paleo diet through Whole 30 and wonder if the diet would help our daughter.
Do you have any suggestions?
Thanks,
Philip
Hey Phillip,
Did you watch the video? The first step to dealing with acne is to do a Whole30 to eliminate foods that create the hormonal imbalances and gut issues related to skin. So yes, it would absolutely be a good idea for your daughter.
Summer
Acne breakouts are manifestations of an underlying health problem that is why it is important to cure it internally first like Whole9 suggested. I have read an article about this too, they had scientific research about this and they even provided a chart of the acne areas in the face that corresponds to an internal body ailment. But before it gets worse, pay attention to the food that you eat and observe how your body reacts to it. Your eating habits and lifestyle are the highest possible cause of your ailment.
I did ‘clean Paleo’ for 30 days (no grains, no dairy, no sugar or alcohol) and my acne was worse than ever. I’ve had acne since about age 12 and I’m in my mid-40’s now. Every time I’ve had my hormones checked they’ve been within a normal range. I remained grain free for 4 months but just gave up as nothing seemed to work. I’m now just taking some supplements. Any suggestions on where to go from here?
I’m the same Renee, I’ve had serious acne since I started middle school, I am now 41. I have tried everything, eliminated every dietary cause I could think of, taken probiotics and supplements, gone chemical free.
Coconut oil was HORRIBLE for me, I have been doing topical antibiotics as a last resort to try to recover from that mistake.
I can’t do fermented foods, I found that out when I started having daily migraines from all of the tyramine.
It’s so disheartening, 30 years of acne now and the only time my face is clear is if I have to take antibiotics for something, which I only do if absolutely necessary. Those few days of being clear are like Christmas though, to be able to walk out if the house makeup free and not self-conscious, priceless.
Sounds like me. I’m ready for freedom from this or at least to catch a break. Anything help you yet?
Hey Laura,
I may be jumping the gun, but I have been taking Evening Primrose for a few days now, 1300 mg, and I swear I see improvement. The old spots seem to be healing more quickly and the new ones less inflamed and deep. Remind me in a few weeks and I can come back and give you an update.
-Ericka
@Renee, you may need to do some additional gut healing (as per links above in the post) or a further elimination diet to see if there are any other trigger foods in there aggravating the issue (i.e. nuts, eggs are sometimes culprits in certain people). In addition, make sure your skin care regime uses totally natural products. Beyond that, you may want to work with a practitioner to help you dig a little deeper to possible root causes. ~ Summer.
Could you give some insight into how to find a good practitioner? I’m surrounded by standard western medicine mentality and most of that barely scratches the surface of gut health.
thx!
Hey Renee, good question! We’ll cover this in a future episode. In the mean time, both Summer and I work with clients online if you’re not in the Toronto area. You can find us here:
http://summerinnanen.com/
http://www.sarahramsden.com/
Hi, Renee. Just happened to notice your comment.
You can search for a naturopathic doctor in your area here:
http://www.naturopathic.org/AF_MemberDirectory.asp?version=1
Good luck finding one to work with your insurance, though. They aren’t cheap!
I tend to get a full-face rash before my period. Not necessarily acne, just redness, sensitivity, some splotchiness and flaking through my cheeks and chin. Does this sound familiar to anyone?
Amanda – it sounds like possible rosecea – check with a doctor.
A Whole 30 isn’t the complete solution to PCOS. It sure wasn’t for me.