Common Triggers for Acne Breakouts
TS Skin Care Dietary Guidelines
Common Triggers for Acne Breakouts
TS Skin Care Dietary Guidelines
Acne flare-ups are an inflammatory response to foods that are high in processed/hydrogenated fats and highly acidic foods/beverages that are full of refined sugars/carbohydrates.
We have found our clients experience a reduction in acne flare ups when they eliminate certain triggers. Your Esthetician can work with you to identify potential triggers. Below is a list of the most common foods that we have found to increase acne and rosacea flare ups;
- Dairy – Milk, cheese, sour cream, butter, coffee creamer, yogurt, ice cream, chocolate, whey protein powders
- Sugar – Fruits, fruit juices, soda, high fructose corn syrup
- Nuts – Almonds, cashews, peanuts
- Gluten – Wheat, rye, barley, flour, breads, pasta, cereals, baked goods; can also be found in canned soups, ground spices, salad dressings, condiments
- Foods high in trans fats, partially hydrogenated oils, hydrogenated oils, and saturated fat – Red meat, pork, processed meats, processed foods, fast food/fried foods, pizza, french fries, fried chicken, bacon, margarine
- Soy – Soy milk/cheese, soy protein bars/powders (soy should only be consumed as edamame, tofu, miso or tempeh)
- Eggs
Basic Elimination Diet
An Elimination Diet can help you determine the exact foods that give you problems with your skin.
Step 1. Completely stop eating any food that you suspect may be causing acne for 4 weeks.
Step 2. Choose one and only one, of the eliminated foods to eat on Day 1 at the end of the 4-week period. Then, don’t eat that food – at all – for the next 2-4 days while observing closely for any symptoms (breakouts, pimples, bumps etc.) If you don’t experience any symptoms, then great! You can completely add that food back into your diet and eat it as you normally do.
If you do experience a symptom, stop eating the food for a much longer period, about 6-9 months before you try adding it back into your diet.
Step 3. Then move to another food that you eliminated from your diet in step 1. Once again, eat the food as much as you like for one day and watch closely for symptoms throughout the next several days.
Repairing Gut Flora
By strengthening and repairing gut flora, the immune system can better fight acne infection and the digestive system can function more efficiently.
- Take probiotics: Our suggested brand is “Renew Life” with at least 25 billion
- Take prebiotics: Bovine colostrum (natural prebiotic and immune booster) and Apple Cider Vinegar
- Eat Prebiotic Foods: onions, leeks, radishes, carrots, coconut meat & flour, flax and chia seeds, garlic, chicory root, dandelion greens, Jerusalem artichoke, asparagus, yams, bananas
- Eat Cultured Foods: kombucha, sauerkraut, pickles, miso, tempeh, natto, kimchi
Remember to drink plenty of water, about 1/2-1 oz per lb of your body weight.
Eat fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, bitter greens like broccoli, spinach, and kale.
Helpful Supplements
To help bring down the inflammation/infection of cystic acne:
Olive Leaf Extract: Two 450 mg caps 3 times a day
- Olive leaf extract acts as an anti-inflammatory and has antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal activity. It is also useful for fighting various types of internal infections.
- Our suggested brand is “Gaia Herbs” because this brand has a high MG content.
Colloidal Silver: 1-2 droppers 2-3 times per day
Zinc orotate: Anti-inflammatory and immune booster, our suggested brand is “Advanced Research.”
Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids: Krill Oil, Fish Oil, Flax Seed Oil. These oils help stabilize hormone balances and flush bad fats from the body. These need to be high quality and RDA is 1000 MG per day.
- If choosing Flax Seed Oil: Buy/keep refrigerated, take 1 tablespoon mixed with a protein. Our suggested brands are “Barleans” and “Jarrow” because these brands have a high lignan content.
Aid Your Digestion
For acute flare-ups
and to aid in the digestion of fats:
Take Digestive Enzymes after every meal. Our suggested brands are “Renew Life” and “Garden of Life.”
Reduce Acidity
For highly acidic clients
(acid reflux/indigestion, facial redness):
Take 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of baking soda dissolved in a glass of water 2 to 3 times per day.
Substitutions
Sugar: Yacon Syrup
Milk: Almond milk and coconut milk