Acne: How Does Gut Health Impact Your Skin?
Acne Struggles? You’re Not Alone
For those of you struggling with acne, you already know it’s not an easy road. You’ve likely tried countless skincare products, only to find minimal, temporary, or no relief. So you head to a dermatologist and try topicals and oral medications. Sometimes they help, sometimes they don’t. Then comes the esthetician route – chemical peels, acne facials, and yet another set of skincare products. Still, your acne persists!
Sound familiar? This frustrating cycle is all too common. We are here to help you tie it together with the missing piece in most acne plans: the gut! What if your skin problems aren’t just about clogged pores but a message from your body that something inside needs attention? Today, we are covering how gut health influences acne and why healing inflammation from the inside out by getting to the root cause is the exact solution you’ve been searching for. Let’s get started on your NEW journey to clearing your skin for good
Is Gut Health and Acne Related?
When we look at the skin and see acne, we immediately buy skincare products to fix this. That is how most estheticians and doctors are trained to believe. The truth is: that acne is more than just a surface-level skin condition. Your skin is the largest organ of the body and is your detox organ. When there’s internal inflammation or imbalances, your skin is the first sign to show it. Think of acne as your body’s signal of waving a red flag: “Hey! Something’s not right here!” This is why standard skin treatments fall short – they treat the symptom, not the cause. We put a bandaid on the problem and why your skin never clears up.
The good news? When you heal your gut, you’re addressing the root cause of the problem – your skin clears and stays clear. In a study done by PubMed, “Emerging data suggest that dietary factors (i.e., the Western diet) may influence acne development. A typical Western pattern diet which includes foods with complex mixture of fat, high glycemic index, and dairy may aggravate acne by raising the levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 and insulin. Diet also shapes the gut microbiota. A large body of evidence indicates that a low fiber-high fat Western diet causes fundamental changes in the intestinal microbiota, producing metabolic and inflammatory skin diseases.”
Face Mapping: What Your Breakouts Are Telling You
Face mapping, as shown in this photo, its concept is rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine. We can see how breakouts in specific areas of the face are linked to internal organs – giving us more clues to what is happening inside our body. Examples:
🔹Forehead: May be tied to digestion or liver congestion
🔹Cheek: May be tied to the intestines
🔹Jawline: May be tied to hormonal imbalances
In an article by US Dermatology Partners, “Understanding, managing, and treating acne through face mapping is an approach that developed out of traditional Chinese medicine. The theory was uncovered when medical practitioners thousands of years ago noticed a connection between where acne developed and the underlying causes of acne. By making this connection, early medical caregivers were better able to help patients manage acne.” Viewing your skin like a mirror of internal health, you unlock a whole new way of healing.
Acne without Blackheads
Our first clue that acne is internal is when we don’t see blackheads or whiteheads on the skin. We discussed this in our previous blog, “We don’t associate acne with our gut health, however, making small shifts in our diet and eliminating inflammatory foods improves the skin. When clients come in with internal acne, the skin is not typically full of blackheads or whiteheads.” Clients often come to us when nothing has worked. When clients come in for acne treatments, our consultations start with an overall assessment of their skin and full acne history. What products have they used? Do they see a dermatologist? What medications or topicals have they used? What facial treatments have they tried? We need to understand their journey. We then visually assess their skin, checking for inflammation, pore size, blackheads, and hydration levels.
Can Dairy Cause Acne?
Yes, and there are studies linking the connection between dairy and acne. Humans are not biologically designed to digest cow’s milk. By age 5, most of us stop producing enzymes to digest milk, and why many have gut issues after eating dairy products. Dairy is known to cause inflammation. In a study done by PubMed, “Intake of any dairy, any milk, full-fat dairy, whole milk, low-fat/skim milk, and yogurt regardless of amount or frequency was associated with a higher odds ratio for acne compared to no intake in individuals aged 7–30 years. Intake of cheese was associated with a borderline higher odds ratio for acne compared to no intake.” In our own experience, cutting out dairy was a game-changer. After eliminating dairy and healing her gut, Samantha has stayed acne-free for years. See her story here.
Gluten And Acne
Gluten has not been proven to cause acne directly, however, many of us are intolerant and are sensitive to it. This causes various gut problems and illnesses. Gluten intolerance can show up as bloating, brain fog, joint pain, headaches, and even inflammatory skin problems. According to a blog by Naturopathic Doctor News & Reviews, “There is a strong connection between digestive health and skin. Therefore, the popular statement “You are what you eat” is particularly true for skin; your skin shows what you eat. Consequently, if there is an inflammation in the digestive tract, it is highly likely to manifest as inflammation of the skin.” The gut-skin axis is very real. A disrupted gut from eating inflammatory foods will lead to skin inflammation. Ask yourself how you feel after eating gluten. Do you notice bloating or feeling uncomfortable in the gut, fatigue, or irritable bowel? If so, exploring a gluten-free diet may be worth a shot to help support your gut health and your skin.
Sugar And Acne
Sugar might be one of the biggest acne offenders. Highly processed and found in almost everything, sugar is a drug. Sugar spikes insulin and causes inflammation throughout your entire body – including your skin. It also feeds harmful bacteria in your gut, throwing off your microbiome. In our blog, “Our gut is home to a variety of bacteria, known as our microbiome. The foods we eat directly affect our gut microbiome in the way it processes and breaks down foods. Eating processed foods and sugars disrupts our gut microbiome and can lead to a disease called, Dysbiosis. Dysbiosis happens when our gut has too many harmful bacteria and not enough good bacteria. Dysbiosis is characterized by bloating, cramping, and even irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).” To keep your skin and gut happy, eliminating sugar is one of the best moves you can make.
Acne Types
Acne is a chronic inflammatory skin condition resulting in red bumps on the face, neck, and body. Not all breakouts are created equal. Here’s a quick guide:
🔹Blackheads: Open pores, clogged with dirt and oil that oxidize and turn dark
🔹Whiteheads: Closed pores that form white bumps, also known as Milia
🔹Papules: Small, red, inflamed bumps that don’t contain pus
🔹Pustules: Pus-filled pimples, surrounded by redness
Understanding the type of acne you have determines its cause. In our previous blog, we explain this in more detail.
How to Support Your Skin While Healing From Within
Healing your gut and acne is a journey. The good news is your skin doesn’t have to suffer. Here’s how we help support your skin during the healing process:
Skincare
👉Cleanser: A gentle cleanser used morning and night to avoid stripping the skin
👉Exfoliation: A weekly gommage to exfoliate and promote cell turnover
👉Serums: Keeps skin calm and hydrated while it heals
👉Moisturizer: Prevents dryness without clogging the pores
👉Sunscreen: Our tinted SPF moisturizer covers breakouts, hydrates, and protects
Skin Treatments We Love
👉Deep Cleaning Facials: Targets clogged pores, calming inflammation, and hydrates
👉Blue Light Therapy: Soothes inflamed skin while your body is healing and detoxifying
Ready to Heal From the Inside Out?
You don’t have to suffer anymore! Today we break that cycle of temporary fixes and get to the root cause of your acne so we can heal your skin for good. Clear skin starts with a healthy gut we are here to help you on your journey to clear skin. Book with us today to start your personalized acne-healing journey.
