5 ways to live ACNE free

No it’s not a super skincare routine – but if that works for you go for it! (It’s also not birth control).

By the way when did skincare become so bouji?

Our grandmas didn’t’ suffer with acne so what’s going on?

A few spots in high school sure, but now we are in our 20s, 30s and 40s suffering with acne.

I have my own personal struggle with acne so trust me, I get it. It's not just an acne flare it's your self worth, your confidence, your identity, it's a big deal.

Some possible root causes to consider if this is a chronic issue:

• Gut health – poor gut lining and possible dysbiosis

• Poor detoxification – when the liver is struggling the toxins need to get out so they will through the skin. Alcohol and processed foods are the worst players here. Also throw out our toxic air fresheners and toxic candles.

• Hormonal imbalances – PCOS, endometriosis, low sex hormones, high cortisol

• Insulin resistance (goes hand in hand with PCOS) – when we live in carbs and sugar our bodies go on an insulin rollercoaster all day creating inflammation and growth factors

1.        Eliminate dairy – milk, yogurt, cheese, ice cream, chocolate, cream

Note: Kerrygold butter tends to be fine due to low in lactose.

Swap for Plenish almond milk and COCOS coconut yogurt.

2.        Eliminate sugar – this causes huge inflammation spikes and an adrenaline rollercoaster all day. Sugar also plays havoc with our gut microbiome

3.        Balance your protein – seriously – why aren’t they teaching this in schools!

This may be as simple as adding 1 tbsp chia + 1 tbsp flaxseed to your porridge in a morning, adding salmon to your lunch and adding chicken to your evening meal. Also snack on some brazil nuts at 3pm and some almond butter – your skin will thank you!

4.        Stress management – high cortisol is another big player in acne and skin issues. We run around at 100mph, we think rest is lazy and unproductive, our nervous system are very dysregulated, our bodies think we are needing to run away from danger so it’s keeps your cortisol high, which then lowers your sex hormones – estrogen and progesterone because it thinks now isn’t a great time to have a baby because we are in “danger” – this is a huge factor in 21^st century infertility levels (I believe).

5.        Drink water – filtered, pure water 2-3 litres every single day. Flush out your skin and detox organs.

I don’t use LED masks, I don’t use expensive facials, or regimes. Our grandmas used to use a flannel and water everyday, yet they had brilliant healthy skin. We have much to learn.

Functional Testing with a qualified Nutritional Therapist:

If you wanted to take it to the next level a DUTCH test would be fantastic to see where your hormones are sitting. Are you running on adrenaline? How is that impacting your hormone levels?

Or a stool test would also be great to see if there is microbiome issues, gut damage or dysbiosis.

Reach out if any of this resonates with you. We don't have to live with chronic acne, but finding the root cause is key.