Tips On How to Get Clear Skin
With all the differing loads of information on the internet, from peers and even doctors, it's hard to know what actually works and what doesn't when dealing with acne and breakouts.
Fortunately as an acne expert, and having spent years clearing many different grades and types of acne without medications, I have some basic tips for starters on how to get clear skin.
Check your digestion and diet
This can sound redundant since again there's so much information AND dis-information out there, but there are dietary acne triggers that many people wouldn't realize are contributing to their breakouts.
Avoiding things like milk and soy are big ones. But remember that whey protein used in many protein shakes and bars is a huge acne trigger. I've seen a lot of whey based products that say "lactose free" or even "dairy free", so it's important to double check the ingredients.
Peanut butter. Gosh who would ever think peanuts and peanut butter could contribute to acne?!
Well, unfortunately peanuts are androgenic, meaning they stimulate androgenic (male) hormones which trigger breakouts and acne. So switch to almond or cashew butter if you're dealing with acne and breakouts.
Acne is an inflammatory condition of the skin and disorder of the pores, and all inflammatory issues in the body are also connected to the gut. Are you "going" regularly and is it normal? Does your stomach hurt when you eat? Inflammatory issues in the digestive system can and will make their way to the skin, so it's important to make sure your digestion is function well, also for overall health.
Check your supplements
Common acne triggers in vitamins and supplements are B vitamins and algae based ingredients like spirulina. You'll see these in energy boosing supplements and multi-vitamins, so double check for them.
Vitamin B12 leads to an overgrowth of P-acne bacterium to release inflammatory particles called porphyrins in the follicles and pores which then leads to acne.
Algaes naturally contain iodine which also then leads to acne. So check those supplements and vitamins.
Check your skincare and makeup ingredients
Contrary to popular belief, acne is not a bacterial infection. Everyone has acne bacterium in their skin but not everyone has acne. It is a disorder of the pores. Because of this, it's important to check your skincare ingredients for pore clogging offenders.
Not everyone is sensitive to every pore clogging ingredient, but I've seen people not genetically prone to acne become incredibly broken out from pore clogging products. So, in the clearing process it's important to be a detective and avoid all the offenders until clear. Then it would be easier to see what ingredients are causing the most acne triggers for you individually. But there are some big time offenders i see very commonly such as:
- coconut oil (you can refer back to my coconut oil blog post for more info)
- ceteareth-20+cetyl alcohol: These 2 ingredients are ok separately but when they are both in a formula, it makes it very pore clogging
- algae : for the same reasons i recommend avoiding the algae supplement. Algae contains iodine. There are algaes that exist that are actually GREAT for the skin and aging, but it's best to avoid and be careful for acne due to the natural iodine content.
- Olive and avocado oils: while these may contain beneficial properties for post menopausal, aging skin, they are too high in oleic acid, which will disrupt the skin barrier and trigger a response leading to acne. Sorry guys.
For my full, detailed list of pore clogging ingredients to avoid if you're dealing with acne, you can sign up to download my form for free here:
Acne is different for everyone, and there are different grades and types, but in general, checking for these things will benefit anyone dealing with breakouts.
I developed my Clear Age sets to be free of any of the said pore cloggers, to be safe for acneic skin but also anti-aging at the same time. To read more about them click here :
https://www.metaskinstudio.com/pages/clear-age-sets