Ugh, acne go away.

[cameoabigail]

My skin is generally fine. I had acne badly in high school but for the most part, some tinted moisturizer will do now. However, I'm on Day 8 and my skin is a hot mess again! I read somewhere that my body has to detox from the junk I've pumped it full of and van often do that through skin. Anyone else had this experience?

[jmcbn]

Are you eating a lot of nuts by any chance? Or trail mix? They are known to cause skin break outs...

[GFChris]

This member posted yesterday that they discovered that the BPA liner in their coconut milk cans was causing their breakouts.

[cdebruhl]

I've also started to break out, particularly on my chin which I know is usually a symptom of hormone imbalance. It started on day 3 and it's getting worse now that i'm on day 6. The biggest change to my diet is that I started eating a lot more meat. (Used to eat it roughly 3-4 times a week. Now I'm eating it twice a day.) Before whole30 I ate mostly veggies and fruit, with some beans and some kind of grain at meals. I cut out most processed foods a few years back.  I'm not eating more nuts then usual or using coconut milk.
Is it possible that the acne is connected to the meat intake? 

[jmcbn]

Just going on your other post it could be that your stomach isn't digesting the proteins effectively causing excess stomach acid and/or inflammation which could in turn cause the acne - or it could just be that your body is detoxing as you're still in the early stages of the program.

I'd probably start with a digestive enzyme & take it from there...

[Emily T]

As I am sure you know, acne is an infection and subsequent inflammation of pores that have been blocked by oil. If you are having a hormonal imbalance, particularly the production of excess testosterone, it will cause overactive oil glands which results in acne. Since it is caused internally by hormones, this kind of acne cannot really be prevented until the hormone issue is addressed. Nothing you apply topically will prevent new acne, which is so discouraging! Further, a lot of the traditional treatments and cleansers can make your skin worse by strip it of natural oils (causing overproduction) or ripping your skin to shreds (like that Apricot scrub). 

 

So, while you wait for your hormone levels to balance out, some natural remedies might help with reducing inflammation and redness. I struggle with hormonal acne and I am trying to make dietary changes to address, but in the meantime I follow a strict "natural" skincare regimen that I think really helps. As I said, it is not really preventative but it does reduce inflammation and shorten the time pimples stick around! 

 

The best is, you likely have a lot of these remedies in your kitchen right now. Good luck! Acne is soooo frustrating! 

 

Morning:

1. Wash my face with warm water and raw honey, which is a probiotic - the good bacteria can clear out pores. It can brighten skin, help skin retain moisture, and help with acne scarring as well. It must be unfiltered, raw - not the crap in the grocery store (and dont worry you are not eating it so yes its w30 compliant!!)

2. Wipe down skin with an apple cider vinegar toner (dilute it with water). Apple cider vinegar can cut down on too much oil and will balance the pH of your skin.

3. Spot treat with tea tree oil. Tea tree oil is very effective at disinfecting skin and won't strip your skin of natural oils. 

4. Moisturize - I use Clinique dramatically different gel - coconut oil works well and is antibacterial, but I prefer to use it at night since I do wear makeup during the day and the oil seems to sit heavily on my face, especially in summer. Any light, noncomedogenic moisturizer works, though I do prefer gels to lotions as they don't sit as heavy on my face.

 

Evening:

1. I use a mild makeup remover and face wash by estee lauder (I think it is called perfectly clean). My face is dirtier at night so I feel the need to use soap. I have heard of a lot of people using coconut oil to remove makeup though.

2. Tone again with ACV.

3. If I have large inflammed pimples (especially if they have popped or opened) I spot treat with honey or tea tree oil.

4. Finish with coconut oil as a moisturizer. 

 

Once a week, I exfoliate with a baking soda mask (balances pH, has antiinflammatory and antiseptic properties). I also usually do a steam treatment once ever week (boil water in a pot, stick my head in the pot with a towel over it and let the steam open my pores). 

[Emily T]

One more thing. Be careful with coconut oil. It will discolor all of your bathroom towels! If you use it to wash your face or remove makeup, designate a special towel or a white towel to dry your face! 

 

I use coconut oil to shave my legs and ruined literally alllll of my towels haha. 

[MeadowLily]

Simply laying off all of the nuts that mess with the skin is a good place to begin and end.  Individuals that start relying on fruit and nutty bars for meal replacements can end up with skin woes and acne after 30 days of them.

[ShannonM816]

 

4. Moisturize - I use Clinique dramatically different gel - coconut oil works well and is antibacterial, but I prefer to use it at night since I do wear makeup during the day and the oil seems to sit heavily on my face, especially in summer. Any light, noncomedogenic moisturizer works, though I do prefer gels to lotions as they don't sit as heavy on my face.

 

 

Just to note, coconut oil works well for some people, but not everyone -- it actually can clog pores. (It's mentioned a little in this post from Crunchy Betty on oil cleansing, but I know just recently I read a blog post from somewhere else where someone had used it as their main oil cleansing oil and ended up with breakouts. I can't remember where I read it now though.) Again, some people have great luck with it, but people who don't, really don't, and if you're already fighting acne, probably worth trying something less likely to cause more problems.