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Acne cleared... now coming back


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Hi everyone,

 

My doctor recommended I follow a plan for 30 days that is very, very similar to the Whole 30. Technically it is not "officially" the W30, so I very much hope it's OK that I'm posting in here! I'm eating only Whole 30 approved foods, though carageenan and soy lecithin are not forbidden. I can't speak to my doctor about this until my next appointment which will not be for a while. If I'm out of bounds posting this, feel free to delete. :)

 

I started the Whole 30-ish with bad acne. It's been chronic since I was 12. Finally figured out it was caused by food choices. After a week on the W30-ish my skin was not perfect, but it was so much better and I was acquiring a "glow." I was so excited! 

 

Fast forward: I'm in week four. The program ends this Saturday. I have not gone off plan ONCE. As of 5 days ago my skin has been reverting to it's old appearance. It's red, uneven, splotchy, and I'm having breakouts ALL OVER my face -- including my typically clear forehead. 

 

I've never experienced hormonal acne or stress acne. It's always been 100% food-caused. WHAT is going on?! I have college homecoming next weekend and was looking forward to wow-ing everyone with my skin. Now I'm scared I'll have to cake on the makeup just like I did in college. 

 

Any explanations for this strange turn of events?

 

xoxo

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It's really hard to say without having done a complete elimination and then start adding things back.  Carrageenan is a known inflammer....so have you upped your intake of it lately? Soy is the same, a known gut disruptor and the gut and the skin are intimately linked.

 

The other thing it could be is a general increase in something that you aren't used to. Coconut products, eggs, nuts are all common triggers for skin issues. 

 

Skin issues are also directly related to where you might be in your cycle.  Is it possible that your menstrual cycle has looped back around and the skin issues are hormonal?

 

Have you been exercising more? Or going to bed late and not doing proper skin care? Using a new cleanser? 

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Hi Seven,

 

Now I have had massive skin issues over the course of my life - eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, and Hidradentis Supprativa.  But I never really had acne issues. (I have hormonal acne at best),

 

Some of the more common culprits: nuts, dried fruits, eggs

some secondary culprits (less common but sometimes can give someone problems) : tomatoes, and peppers  (think nightshade family of vegetables)

 

Carrageenan - like Lady Shanny mentions above - is a huge gut disrupter - which in turn can cause some pretty bad acne if you are super sensitive.  For me personally I cannot stand seed oils of any kind - my face will go red like a cherry (rosacea flare) within a half hour. 

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Thanks for the replies!

 

I should have mentioned: While I'm not forbidden from having carragreenan or soy, I'm avoiding it due to deeply rooted Whole 30 habits. :) Over the last month I've had a few mugs of tea that contained soy lecithin, that's it.

 

I *have* been consuming a lot more dried fruit and nuts than I typically do. I would think that would have an influence, but I've been eating the same way all month. So why would I get better, THEN get worse? I'm not eating a lot of vegetables (esp. nightshades) or eggs because we're working on digestive issues. My produce is mostly fresh fruit, sometimes celery, cucumbers, or bell peppers. 

 

Carlaccini, I'm the same with seed oils! Also gluten and processed sugar. I break out like mad! 

 

Do you think it's some kind of detox? 

 

As for skin care, I've been using the same cleanser for months, along with the same moisturizer. Last week I started using argan oil as a nighttime moisturizer. I've stopped that to see if it might be causing problems. I don't know WHY it would; I used argan oil all winter...

 

SO confused!

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Despite you eating nuts and dried fruits all along - why don't you cut them out for a bit and see what happens?  Worse case scenario nothing happens.  Best case: skin clears up.

 

Your body is a funny thing as it heals.  I have found that the more it heals, the more reactive you get to things. Or at least that is how it seems. For instance:  I have recently discovered in the last 6 months that I have some pretty major gut disruptions when I eat anything with onions.  Never before did I think I had issues with onions.  But it became more apparent over time that issues did exist that I didn't think existed previously. The symptoms just became more apparent over time.

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Hmmm interesting! Well, I need to finish up my supply of nuts and dried fruit since I had purchased a bunch for snacks this week and I can't afford to buy new snacks yet, but once I've finished the supply then I will cut back! I've always heard that almonds are excellent for skin, so I'm a little confused, but hey - there's no one-size-fits-all I guess!

 

Anyone know of a particular food that is notoriously good for skin? I might try a honey mask tonight....

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Hmmm interesting! Well, I need to finish up my supply of nuts and dried fruit since I had purchased a bunch for snacks this week and I can't afford to buy new snacks yet, but once I've finished the supply then I will cut back! I've always heard that almonds are excellent for skin, so I'm a little confused, but hey - there's no one-size-fits-all I guess!

 

Anyone know of a particular food that is notoriously good for skin? I might try a honey mask tonight....

You should not be snacking, especiall on nuts and dried fruits. If you eat enough at your meals, you don't need snacks. Nuts and dried fruits should be used as a part of another dish, a few in a salad for example.

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Quilter in VA, I'm not worried about the snacking. This is a thread about my skin. I have digestive issues that require me to eat very small meals every couple of hours.

 

Thanks, lady shanny! I've been drinking 1 - 2 cups daily for the month. Love that stuff!

 

Update: I'm breaking out more severely now. "Small" pimples have upgraded to large and noticeable. Stopped with the dried fruit. Eating more veggies and as much protein as my anti-protein stomach can handle. I'm at my wits end.

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Quilter in VA, I'm not worried about the snacking. This is a thread about my skin. I have digestive issues that require me to eat very small meals every couple of hours.

 

Thanks, lady shanny! I've been drinking 1 - 2 cups daily for the month. Love that stuff!

 

Update: I'm breaking out more severely now. "Small" pimples have upgraded to large and noticeable. Stopped with the dried fruit. Eating more veggies and as much protein as my anti-protein stomach can handle. I'm at my wits end.

What's your water intake like?

 

It's very possible that you are experiencing a detox. The skin isn't always right on at the same time as the gut with healing.  It's possible that the healing that has been taking place is now coming through the skin.

 

Have you done any Whole30's before (your comment about Whole30 habits being deeply rooted)?  When did you last do one and what was the result for your skin?

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Carlaccini, I had some homemade pork sausages last week, but other than that, no pork products. Some bacon in the first two weeks (when my skin looked its best). 

lady shanny, I tried to do a whole 30 in February '15 but I stopped 10 days in because the stringency was too much for my anxiety. The day that I stopped my skin looked quite good - about as good as it looked 10 days into this Whole30-ish round before it started to go downhill again. 

 

I'm trying to drink water regularly, but I'm not supposed to have it with meals (low stomach acid), so I often forget. I'm probably getting about 16 oz+ a day.

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I'm trying to drink water regularly, but I'm not supposed to have it with meals (low stomach acid), so I often forget. I'm probably getting about 16 oz+ a day.

 

Oh yoinks.  You need to get a pretty water bottle that you like and start carrying it with you.  There are many hours in the day that don't involve meal time and you should be drinking water during those hours.  Half ounce per pound of bodyweight.  It will do a LOT to improving your skin, really!  

 

Sounds like a bit of "detox" timing to me.........

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