Here’s a little secret the pharmaceutical industry doesn’t want you to know…

Acne is a disease is related to the condition of the digestive tract and its microbiome. (1)

If you’ve battled with adult acne, you know that really stubborn kind that pops up along your chin line at the worst time or makes you feel like you’re 14 again, I hope that statement grabbed your attention!

Pimples on your face have so much to do with your digestive system. Shocking, right?

Acne is one of the top complaints I hear from many of my clients who are approaching menopause (perimenopause) or are actively in menopause. 

Even though acne is one of the top complaints, it is also one of the most common resolutions my clients see after they complete a gut support protocol. 

Unfortunately, most women don’t know that addressing their digestive health can help to improve or in many cases, completely eliminate their acne. Instead, they often reach for harsh creams and gels, questionable medications, or even consider going back on birth control pills.

As a side note, did you ever use toothpaste on zits as a teen? Please tell me I’m not the only one who’s tried this! I distinctly remember my pillowcases would be bleached from this minty-fresh attempt and zapping zits overnight. I’m not sure where that advice came from, but luckily, there are better options!

In this article, we’ll discuss the connection between acne and the gut microbiome and why traditional treatments may not be the best course of action. I’ll also share three things I did to heal my adult acne that have nothing to do with food because the gut-skin connection involves more than just the food we eat!

Standard acne treatment

I used to have terrible acne in my late 20’s and early 30’s. It would be worse with my cycles but never fully resolved in between periods. And the worst part was that everything I did seemed to make it worse. My zits had zits. And when the zits themselves finally went away, I was left with scars, so they never really “went away”.

I hated talking to people face to face, I felt like everyone was staring at my zits, and I avoided pictures the best I could. My confidence at work definitely took a hit and I questioned whether people were taking me seriously or just staring at my acne.

Luckily, this was a time before selfies took over the world! lol

Like many women who ask their doctor for a solution to their acne, I was offered birth control pills, heavy-duty topical creams, and some other random drugs to control oil production in my skin, fight possible skin infections, and “soften” my hormones. 

Yes, those typical treatments can help in some cases. However, there is some concern about their safety. Recent changes to guidelines limit oral antibiotics and other medication usage to no more than 3 to 4 months at a time. (2) Most people are on them a lot longer than that.

Personally, I said no to the drugs and instead went all in on “natural” skincare products and cosmetics. 

The more expensive, the better! (Which is SUCH bad advice! Please don’t do that!) EEK. 

I tried using tea tree essential oil and every product with it. I eliminated dairy and tried to ditch sugar, which is actually very good advice. (3) But I couldn’t stick with anything long enough to see a difference. And for many people, simply ditching dairy isn’t enough.

Many people have also started incorporating probiotic supplements into their health routines to help heal their acne. (4) I can get on board with that logic a little easier, but there’s more to it.

These drugs, or even random probiotics, don’t address the root cause of the problem. And many natural skincare products do not either.

What’s the gut got to do with it?

The gut microbiome (in particular the gut bugs living in your large intestine) is greatly linked to the formation of acne lesions and immunity. (5) The health of your skin is directly related to the health of the digestive system. 

Remember, at least 70% of the immune system lives in the gut so if infection has anything to do with your acne, your gut definitely needs to be addressed!

We also know that eating fruits and vegetables, drinking more water, and exercising can help improve both skin and gut health. I’ll share three other things that helped clear up my skin below.

If you want to fix your acne, fix your gut.

There is still a lot we don’t know about why this connection exists. But does it matter? In my opinion, no, it doesn’t. Since your skin is your largest organ and just like any other organ, if you are not digesting your food well, your organs can suffer and infections can take over.

What we do know beyond a shadow of a doubt is that the typical American diet consisting of excess sugar, fat, salt, chemicals, and preservatives and way too little fiber, fruits, and vegetables harms the gut microbiome. 

So if the way most Americans eat is harming their gut microbiome, it’s also harming their skin because the health of the skin is directly connected to the health of the digestive system. Eating healthy will help to improve both the gut and the skin.

Ok, great. We’ve made the connection. Now what?

This article isn’t about food (I know, weird for a Nutritionist to not talk about food, right?!). There are many other really easy things to help with your acne. I wanted to focus outside of food because a true “skin health-promoting” diet will be very individualized for each person. I can certainly do that for you if you want to go deeper. If you’re interested in learning more about how I would use food to help you, let’s chat!

Here are 3 things I did to heal my adult acne that have nothing to do with food: 

Get some sun.

The sun has gotten a really bad reputation over the last several years. We’ve been told that it damages our skin, causes cancer, and needs to be avoided. Sure, too much sun can cause skin damage and some cancers but most skin cancers are not caused by overexposure to the sun. In fact, the sun can help to prevent several types of cancer while under-exposure can increase our risk.

Exposing my skin to the beautiful sun rays helped to clear up breakouts. Now, I will admit, this probably also has something to do with not slathering on toxic, pore-clogging sunscreen every 5 seconds. If you’re going for skin health, I think it’s a Goldilocks situation, not too little and not too much. Find your happy middle and enjoy some rays!

Stop wearing makeup while exercising.

Back when I was a group fitness instructor, I was expected to be “made up” in order to teach my classes. That included mascara, lipstick, and foundation. Obviously, it was more about looking a certain way than it was about the workout. That’s just terrible advice for your skin! And I learned the hard way. May acne skyrocketed during this time.

To make matters worse, I was working jam-packed days and often went right from class to work meetings without washing my face (or showering – sorry to my in-person clients!). Caking on heavy makeup and then sweating is a really bad combination. It clogs pores and can prevent sweat (which carries toxins) from leaving your body. Imagine toxins piling up on your face or just beneath the surface of your face with nowhere to go. Eek. 

If you’re not able to wash your face before your workout, definitely don’t skimp on washing immediately afterward. At the very least, you’ll be swiping off that pile of toxic garbage from your skin. 

The ironic part is that I felt like I needed to always wear really heavy foundation and concealer to hide my blemishes and make me look more like a human, but when I switched to a clean powdered foundation, my skin felt so much better. I think my old foundation was actually contributing to my acne. Even better than powdered foundation, go au natural for your sweat seshs.

Ditch the alcohol.

Alcohol is a toxic substance, let’s be honest and call it what it is. Alcohol is a form of sugar and sugar spikes your blood sugar levels. That sudden spike causes inflammation in the body and contributes to a whole slew of health issues, one of which is acne. Even if you’ve never been told you have blood sugar issues, like prediabetes or diabetes, you still have these spikes. And spiking over and over again causes damage. 

Does that mean you can never have a glass of wine or kick back with a beer? No, I’m not an absolutist when it comes to health. You don’t have to be perfect to be healthy. But I will tell you that any amount of alcohol increases your risk for certain diseases, including many types of cancer, but also contributes to acne for many women. I used to have a few glasses of wine almost every night. Now, I rarely drink, but when I do, guess what happens (besides the obvious hangover due to zero tolerance!)? My skin breaks out. 

Next time you drink, pay attention to your skin. Does it get worse? Then try going dry for a little bit. Does your acne lessen? If so, you might have found a major contributor to your acne!

As a health coach, I work with my clients to resolve their embarrassing and painful digestive issues. To the surprise of many, this also includes skin health! By learning to support your gut health, you will improve the health of your skin. You cannot have healthy skin with an outta whack digestive system. 

Ready to learn more about how I can help resolve your acne by supporting your gut health? Book your FREE consultation and I’ll develop a customized plan just for you. It’s time to ditch the chemicals that don’t work and expensive skincare products that drain your pocketbook. Let’s get to the root of the problem!

Referrences:

1. Chilicka K, Dzieńdziora-Urbińska I, Szyguła R, Asanova B, Nowicka D. Microbiome and Probiotics in Acne Vulgaris-A Narrative Review. Life (Basel). 2022;12(3):422. Published 2022 Mar 15. doi:10.3390/life12030422

2. Zaenglein, A. Acne Vulgaris.  The New England Journal of Medicine. 2018;379,14. doi: 10.1056/NEJMcp1702493

3. Melnik B.C. Evidence for acne-promoting effects of milk and other insulinotropic dairy products. Nestlé Nutr. Workshop Ser. Pediatric Program. 2011;67:131–145.

4. Natural Marketing Institute. 2024 Supplements/OTC/Rx Consumer Trends Report. 2024. https://nmisolutions.com/research-reports/supplement-otc-rx-reports/supplements-otc-rx-consumer-trends-report-2024/

5. Benson K.F., Redman K.A., Carter S.G., Keller D., Farmer S., Endres J.R., Jensen G.S. Probiotic metabolites from Bacillus coagulans GanedenBC30™ support maturation of antigen-presenting cells in vitro. World J. Gastroenterol. 2012;18:1875–1883. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v18.i16.1875.