One of the biggest motivations to adopt a more nutritious diet is the desire to improve skin health. Many people of all ages struggle with skin conditions such as acne, rosacea, dry skin, wrinkles, and sun damage, among others. This can be very upsetting for those who have yet to find a solution to their problematic skin. While conventional medical professionals often discount the connection between skin health and nutrition, there is strong evidence to support the influence of our food choices on the health and vibrancy of our skin.
The consumption of certain vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial compounds in the diet is one of the most effective ways to treat skin conditions and improve the look and feel of one’s skin. There are several nutrients that are known to play a role in the proper growth and immunity of the skin, and many people have found that their skin health has dramatically improved after making purposeful changes to their daily diet. For example, Liz from the blog CaveGirlEats has a great post about how eating a traditional diet has improved her skin health. As her story suggests, making simple changes to your diet can have a significant impact on skin appearance in a short amount of time.
In this series, I will discuss how vitamins and minerals from a nutritious whole foods diet can treat acne, wrinkles, and other problem skin conditions.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A, or retinol, is one of the most widely acknowledged nutrients for healthy skin. Synthetic retinoids have been used as effective treatments for severe acne and psoriasis since the 1980s, demonstrating how useful vitamin A can be in treating problem skin. Vitamin A influences the physiology of the skin by promoting epidermal differentiation, modulating dermal growth factors, inhibiting sebaceous gland activity, and suppressing androgen formation. (1) As it promotes cell turnover in the skin, vitamin A is effective in preventing the formation of comedones that cause the most common forms of acne.
Lack of vitamin A causes the skin to become keratinized and scaly, and mucus secretion is suppressed. (2) Rough, dry skin is a common sign of vitamin A deficiency, which often first appears as rough, raised bumps on the back of the arms. (3) This condition is called hyperkeratosis pillaris, and is found in approximately 40% of adults. (4) Though dermatologists believe this is an inherited condition with no cure, I have successfully treated this condition in several patients by significantly increasing their consumption of vitamin A rich foods. While physicians prescribe synthetic retinoids to treat skin conditions including acne, eczema, psoriasis, cold sores, wounds, burns, sunburn, and ichthyosis, it is possible to obtain similar effects from consuming natural sources of pre-formed vitamin A. (5)
Preformed vitamin A, which is well absorbed by the body, can be found in a variety of traditional foods. The most vitamin A-rich foods are liver and cod liver oil, but other sources include kidney, cream and butter from pastured cows, and egg yolks from pastured chickens. I recommend using cod liver oil if you wish to supplement, as this provides a balance of vitamin A and vitamin D that will reduce the risk of overdosing on vitamin A. Eating liver once or twice per week is a great dietary strategy for those looking to reduce and even eliminate stubborn acne.
Zinc
Zinc is an essential mineral that is an imperative part of many physiological functions, including structure in certain proteins and enzymes, and regulation of gene expression. It plays a role in immune function, protein synthesis, wound healing, DNA synthesis, and cell division. (6) In skin, zinc assists in the proper structure of proteins and cell membranes, improves wound healing, has anti-inflammatory effects, and protects against UV radiation. (7)
Several studies indicate that dietary zinc may reduce acne, even as effectively as antibiotics such as tetracyclines. (8) This may be because it interacts with vitamin A as a component of retinol-binding protein, which is necessary for transporting vitamin A in the blood. (9) Zinc supplementation has been shown to significantly increase the level of vitamin A in the blood, indicating an interaction between the two nutrients that may explain its positive effect on acne. (10) In fact, men and women with serious acne are found to have lower levels of serum zinc than healthy controls. (11)
Dietary sources of zinc are best absorbed from animal sources, where it is not bound to phytates as in plant sources. Organs such as kidney and liver, red meat such as beef and lamb, and seafood such as oysters, scallops, and other shellfish are the highest animal sources of zinc. Plant foods such as pumpkin seeds and other nuts can also be high in zinc as well, but are less bioavailable, as the zinc is bound to phytates if not properly prepared by soaking. To get the most zinc from your diet, include shellfish, organ meats, and red meat on a regular basis.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C has been known for decades to play a crucial role in the regulation of the structural protein collagen, which is necessary for the extracellular stability of the skin. A vitamin C deficiency causes scurvy, which is first manifested as rough dry skin and corkscrew hair growth. Inadequate vitamin C is also known to contribute to the development of the common problem of hyperkeratosis pillaris, as the follicles become damaged when collagen formation is impaired.
Increasing the amount of vitamin C in the diet can contribute to improved skin health and faster healing. Observational studies have shown that diets high in vitamin C are associated with better skin appearance and less skin wrinkling. (12, 13) Vitamin C may also help prevent and treat ultraviolet (UV)-induced photodamage by acting as an antioxidant. (14) Higher intakes of dietary vitamin C have been correlated with a decreased level of dry skin, and ascorbic acid may have effects on trans-epidermal water loss. (15) Vitamin C has an important role in wound healing and can improve the proper formation of strong scar tissue. (16)
While true deficiency in the United States is uncommon, it is possible to be consuming sub-optimal levels, particularly in a diet with limited fruits and vegetables. The highest sources of vitamin C include bell peppers, guava, dark leafy greens, broccoli, brussels sprouts, kiwi, citrus fruits, and strawberries. Certain fresh herbs such as cilantro, chives, thyme, basil and parsley are also high in vitamin C. Consuming a wide variety of colorful plant foods on a regular basis is the best way to get adequate vitamin C in your diet. It’s important to remember that vitamin C is sensitive to heat, so lightly cooking these plant foods or eating them raw (if possible) is ideal to maximize your intake of this vitamin.
Keep your eye on the blog next week for three more nutrients that can greatly improve your skin health.
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{ 70 comments… read them below or add one }
It wasn’t my motivation but my skin did indeed improve greatly when I started moving towards paleo…
I had had acne all my life prior to that. It cleared up before I went totally grain free…I’ve had clear skin for several years now, but am still tweaking my diet for other health benefits.
So many people enjoy improvements to the health of their skin when they switch to a Paleo diet, but I haven’t had the same experience. Well, that’s not totally true: I do notice that whenever I have a “gluten cheat” I get a few blemishes and a canker sore or two.
My face is clear, but I still struggle with scalp psoriasis and very dry skin. A clean diet with plenty of fats and fat soluble vitamins hasn’t touched these issues for me.
I struggle with this as well.. I eat paleo but still suffer from dry skin on certain areas of my scalp, upper lip, and eyebrow area. I am embarking on a elimination diet soon to see if I can isolate something in my diet (paleo or not) that could be causing it.
Psoriasis is an autoimmune skin issue, and may require a different approach. I’m not sure if I’ll cover that in this series, but I plan to at some point. Hormonal issues should always be ruled out as a potential cause of skin problems in women. Finally, I’m going to discuss an approach I’ve used with some success in my clinic later in the series.
I had psoriasis for over 30 years. I had cortizone injections, UV ray treatments, coal tar, several different prescription creams, and used non-prescription hydrocortisone for years. I was hospitalized once for lymph infection from scratching it so bad. My doctor told me it would never be cured. He was wrong.
My psoriasis is completely gone. I radically changed my diet over the course of two years. I’m not sure which change did it but I started with eliminating HFCS and hydrogenated oil. Progressed to eliminating diet soda, then all caffeine. Eliminated dairy but then added back raw dairy in the form of homemade kefir. Switched to pastured, free range meats and organic fruits and vegetables.
Its been gone for over two years and has never returned in that time. Truly the body has amazing healing powers when you give it what it needs.
I’m afraid you’re right and it is a hormonal issue. I have struggled with it throughout my life, some times more than others. When I was pregnant, it actually disappeared, but now it’s worse than ever. I’m still nursing, so I don’t know if that has anything to do with it. Plus, I’m underweight and can’t seem to put on pounds even though I have a strong appetite. Anyway, I think a series that addresses hormonal issues in women would be awesome (sorry guys!).
could you also cover vitiligo as well? (i know most would say eliminate gluten.
but mine popped up 2 years AFTER i had changed diet. i had been > 90% gluten free even before that. also dairy free did nothing. so i ran out of ideas of what else i could do.)
I’m very interested in this, my husband has pretty extensive psoriasis on his scalp and under his arms. No dietary change, herbal or topical treatment has touched it, vitamin D supplementation has improved it slightly and kept it from getting worse. But he has to take at least 4,000 a day to get an effect, CLO isn’t a high enough dose.
Since psoriasis is one of many autoimmune disease that begin in the gut, you may want to do the GAPS Intro and full GAPS diet for a time to address the underlying gut imbalance.
Thanks, Beth. I follow the GAPS diet already, but you’re right. I’m a fermented food fanatic, too.
I recently started putting my vitamin d-3 on my skin and it seems to be helping. I just take the vitamin pill and puncture it and spread it on. This is highly anecdotal, but I say give it a try.
dry skin can be a symptom of inflammation and inflammation can be caused by infection for eg,so diet changes won’t resolve non-dietary health issues.
I am an individual with hyperkeratosis pillaris – “chicken skin.” I already consume 6 pastured eggs daily and FCLO.
Perhaps I need to take a look at my zinc; since moving I haven’t found a good source of offal.
I’ve struggled with skin problems my whole life, after I switched to paleo still no major improvements… ‘m beginning to despair a little bit
Have you tried a candida free diet? i t will be a great thing to do for skin.
I had the same experience until I started taking Cod Liver Oil / Butter Oil blend. Seemed to make a huge difference.
How much do you take?
I don’t know if you will address skin cleansing, but I’m a huge fan of no soaps. This is the oil cleansing method that I use. Oil binds with trapped oils and then your warm wash cloth draws the impurities up and out. Some may have an initial breakout time from this, but that is the process pulling the impurities out. And, I use coconut oil as my only moisturizer.
http://www.theoilcleansingmethod.com/
+1 for oil-cleansing. I’ve been doing it for well over a year and my skin loves it. I can’t imagine putting soap on my face now. Eat clean and be gentle with your face: oil & a steamy washcloth is all you need.
I tried the oil cleansing method for a couple weeks and all was well until my face started getting little bumps and acne all over, worse then I’ve ever had before (I’m not one who had bad acne). I stop doing it because I was scared of what it might turn into but I really wish it had worked…
Annette, my sister suggested I use a cloth on my skin but really, she does not have youthful skin. I was told not to use a cloth, soap or very hot water so I don’t. (Such really peals off the protective skin.) I am finding that Sweet Almond Oil NF works better than anything I have tried – coconut oil (virgin seems better than cheap-o), but SAlmondO-NF seems best. I also have been painting my eczema legs below knees, one elbow and two spots on lower arms with iodine Lugol’s (now I make my own) but I have to do it four times a day and if I am too late in next painting, then the itch is incredible but if I put the SAO-NF on after the iodine or even after a shower and the skin is not dry nor too wet, that seems the best. Again, I have to re-address as soon as any indiction of dry itching starts. (What a bother.)
But so far, this is all that works. The eczema is better but I suspect there is more to do. Little steps, I guess. I do spray with Magnesium Sulphate=Epsom salts but I have found a source for Magnesium Chloride which is the best I’ve been told for rubbing into the skin. Then I would add the Almond Oil.
The other problem I think I have is mercury problems. I have at least six root canals and one is exposed since the filling fell out. None of my fillings are mercury based. The iodine, the vitamins and alkalising the body with baking soda throughout the day is supposed to help. Now, little steps seem to be turning in to summersaults.
I had horrible acne before going gluten free- bad enough to be prescribed awful Accutane. It went away. When I went paleo my skin improved even more. When I am dairy-free, it’s near perfect. I do take supplements, since we are celiac and I am exposed to wheat at work. CLO, natural vitamin A from fish liver oil, and zinc monomethionine are in my protocol.
Thanks Chris, good info as always. I’d like to hear any recommendations you might have for topical (i.e. face creams, body lotions) support of the internal nutrients you outlined. What ingredients to look for that might help moisturize, help reduce / prevent sun spots, lines, wrinkles, spider veins… Can you discuss the external use of squalene, herbal preparations, antioxidants such as Vits. C & E, that might be beneficial for the skin.
How about Carrots, Peppers, and sweet potatoes ?
I have Rosacea which I’ve come to believe is a very complex systemic issue. I’ve eaten healthy for a long time but am realizing the need to elimate sugars and starches for a while and to heal my gut. I’ve also started using sulfur soap on my face just to tame the redness for now. My question about zinc is if you recommend supplementing with it. I do eat red meat and shellfish, but wonder about adding a supplement too. Any advice?
my wife developed rosacea 1989,after she had armpit lymph nodes removed,as part of breast cancer surgery;the nodes were clear,but her previous perfect facial skin became inflamed with pustules and this condition has persisted; curiously,I have suffered a lifelong mild form of rosacea which I now believe to be a consequence of lymphatic tissue removal,ie,tonsils and adenoids removed at 5 due to chronic inflammation/enlargement,probably caused by diet,eg,dairy intolerance.
Sometimes rosacea is caused by a skin mite (Demodex) and many people have treated it successfully with sea buckthorn oil applied topically. It might be worth a try.
Is there any advantage to topical treatments for things like psoriasis? I noticed Green Pastures has a FCLO ointment… Or is the best treatment through dietary intake?
Like a few other posters here, I notice a direct link between wheat and dairy consumption with the clarity of my skin. The day after eating a couple ounces of cheese or a couple slices of bread, I inevitably have a few blemishes.
I also have hyperkeratosis pillaris and I have not found that the vitamin A and zinc helped. However, what did help was BHRT (bio-identical hormone replacement therapy) – specifically progesterone. When I was using it, I noticed my keratosis (chicken skin) cleared up 100% on my arms. I also have it on my thighs and it got better but didn’t totally clear (I used the creams for 2 months). I am having issues with a lack of energy and am on thyroid meds now so I stopped the BHRT but will start again soon.
If you google thyroid and hormones and keratosis you can see for yourself. It makes sense to me as I am having a lot of hormone problems and thyroid issues and now my keratosis has gotten even worse. I think it is all very related. I recently had a hormone test and my hormones numbers are incredibly low.
I noticed improved skin after transitioning to a WAPF traditional foods diet, and one astonishing change was that I no longer sunburn — and I’m fair with blonde hair and blue eyes. Or it takes a very long time to turn pink, and then it turns to tan quite quickly. I attribute this to getting all those industrial fats and oils out of my system and replacing them with traditional ones. I believe the fake fats make our skin much more reactive to the sun and other things. And of course, our ancestors didn’t evolve using sunscreen!
I would heartily recommend the products that Daniel Kern sells on http://www.acne.org for all those still struggling with acne. His protocol (gentle cleanser, 2.5% benzoyl peroxide gel, and gentle moisturizer plus jojoba oil and alpha hydroxy acid) has completely cleared my acne, better than any prescription from 10+ years of dermatologist visits. I also take a supplement of chelated zinc daily per Daniel Kern’s recommendation, and so Chris’s article today really resonated for me. For me, finding Daniel Kern’s products has been as revolutionary for my acne as finding Chris Kresser’s site has been for my general health (and I’m sure the paleo eating and daily CLO have also been beneficial to my skin).
I’ve tried many different types of oils for my very dry eczema prone skin. The only one that it responds well to is red palm oil. I found out that RPO is rich in beta carotene so I started taking retinol and it has helped a lot. I also see great improvement on large amounts of vit D3 and zinc. I had been eating paleo, with a lot of eggs and FCLO, for over a year and haven’t seen the type of improvement I saw after 1 week on the supplements. This is a great article.
I would love love love if you could include some information about eczema in this skin series. Thanks, appreciate all the knowledge you put out there on this blog!
My eczema cleared up after I quit eating tomatoes. I understand that most eczema is caused by food sensitivities. Dairy and wheat are probably the top causes. Sometimes it takes a little experimentation with the elimination diet to see which food is the culprit.
Can you explain how you went about figuring out that it was tomatoes? I have done 2 elimination diets at separate times (gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, corn, citrus, refined sugar, alcohol, caffeine) but did not find that my skin noticeably cleared up, although the general itchiness did seem to get better. The only consistency I notice in pattern is that my skin tends to flare up right before my period, other than that I just can’t seem to figure out what helps and what makes it worse. I had an IgG/IgE test done a couple months ago by genova diagnostics which showed low amounts of sensitivity to lots of different foods, high IgE to oats/corn, and ridiculously high to specific molds (pityrosporum orbiculare, mucor racemosus). I know these tests aren’t greatly accurate but I think it just shows at least that my immune system is just out of whack and hypersensitive to everything it comes into contact with plus likely gut permeability since basically everything I ate during the elimination diet prior to getting my blood drawn showed up as “very low” sensitivity. So I’ve been attempting a fairly paleo/wap approach to my diet with the inclusion of occasional dairy and white rice, but am so envious of people who have figured it out!
I was fortunate that I finally figured out the pattern. I only like local vine ripe tomatoes, so I used to eat very little tomatoes through the winter and then gorge on them as soon as they became ripe in the early summer. So, when that finally dawned on me, I did the elimination diet and confirmed it.
I would say that the monthly cycle connection that you have found could be significant in one of two ways. Either you are craving and eating a certain food more at that time of month or that time of month allows your body to be easily overcome by inflammation and the food you are eating regularly plus the stress of your monthly time overwhelms your body.
I find that some people are not doing the elimination diet strictly enough. This is the way that I recommend:
First, and this is the crucial part, you must completely eliminate the food from your diet for at least five days. Then, you add it back in on day six. If you have eliminated several foods you add them back in, one food every two days. So, if on day six you experience any symptoms from depression, insomnia, headache, sinus problems, aches in joints to gut problems, then you know you have a problem. If you are not sure, continue to eat that food for another day. It may take 48 hours for the symptoms to show up. This is why many people fail to connect their illnesses and aches and pains to a particular food.
Since mold may be a problem for you, that is a difficult one to isolate. Check out the BulletProof version of paleo because it goes the extra step of eliminating micotoxins. Mold hides easily in cheap coffee and many spices and dried herbs. Irradiation is actually a good thing for spices and dried herbs to try to eliminate molds. I prefer to use fresh herbs whenever possible.
In addition to wheat, grains and dairy, consider soy, yeast and nightshades (tomatoes, white potatoes, peppers and eggplant), eggs, nuts (often tainted with micotoxins). Also, I found that I can’t eat any fermented foods. The yeasts they contain were just too much for me. And, I tried several brands of probiotics before I found one that works for me without any bad side effects. Klaire Labs is the probiotic that I ended up with. Also, when I say eliminate dairy, I mean even cream, butter and ghee. Good luck!
I am happy to answer any more questions.
Also, the skin clearing up takes weeks. What you are looking for when you do the elimination diet are other symptoms that I list above that are obvious quickly. Then if you suspect a food, eliminate it from your diet for several months to give your eczema time to heal. Mine took months to heal, and never came back because I haven’t eaten tomatoes since I figured it out.
ReneeAnn,
Thanks for taking the time to respond with such a thorough reply! I think you are right about not doing the diet strictly enough. My difficulty was, however, that both times I very strictly eliminated the common offenders for 6 weeks, but still did not notice enough of an improvement to feel like I could reintroduce and hope to gain any information. So I did not follow through with careful reintroduction, and have just avoided items that I feel more commonly contribute to leaky gut type problems.
Im wondering what you mean by finding a probiotic that doesn’t have any bad side effects? The reason I ask is, I have taken Jarrow and Bio-kult (separately) and both have caused me to have quite a flareup after which I know can be die-off, so I guess what I wonder is what you differentiate as something that is an expected bad reaction to something that just does not fit with you?
Thanks for the BulletProof recommendation. Seems to have a wealth of information. I am just so impressed with everyone who is so in touch with themselves. Part of my difficulty in attributing lethargy, or insomnia, or headache, or whatever symptom is that I just can never be sure if something really is caused by a food group I have introduced. Ya know? I just dont feel sure. Wish I had a mood ring or something haha that would tell me conclusively.
Thanks again
Now that I am at the point that I feel great most of the time, I can usually tell if something disagrees with me within 48 hours. I am so well now, that I don’t consider die off anymore because I believe I have already gone through that stage and have a balanced system. So, when I took probiotics that didn’t agree with me, I noticed insomnia very quickly. That was enough for me to move on to another brand. I think you have to be pretty well to distinguish some things.
I don’t have to be *sure* to eliminate something. If I suspect something, I eliminate it. Then, in six to 12 months I may try to reintroduce it again. It never hurts to eliminate a food or a food group for a time. I does cause problems to eat any food that disagrees with you. I err on the side of caution in the beginning and then become more daring when I am feeling great and have gone months without the food. With some foods, I find that I can reintroduce if I keep them rotational, say once per week max. I don’t think it is wise to do this until you are well and the problem you are trying to solve is completely gone.
Hi, Chris.
I hope you will address the ladies’ hormonal acne issue. I have chin acne that has been completely recalcitrant to any interventions. It is finally clearing, one week post my first post-partum period (baby is 18 mos). Did I really just have 6 mos of PMS acne?
I have had rosacea (more acne than redness) for years which was only managed by doxycycline. Sulfur washes and topicals did nothing and the breakouts would get progressively worse if I stopped the antibiotics. Also seemed to get worse with age. No change when I went gluten free, but then I had the Cyrex Array 4 done and was shown to be sensitive to eggs and dairy. Within a couple of weeks of eliminating eggs (which I was eating daily for breakfast) and the 1 oz. slice of cheese I had with them, my face has completely cleared. I have been off the antibiotics for months and my skin looks great.
Wow, Jennifer! That’s awesome!!
Im very excited for this series! I’ve had rosacea forever it seems.
Hi Chris,
I occasionally take Cod Liver Oil in “softgel” form, but I always feel lousy after taking it, and have bad gas and stomach problems. Do you think this is related to the Cod Liver Oil, and if so, is there an alternative form that is as effective?
Thanks!
For those with psoriasis, you may need to look into supplementation in addition to dietary changes. My Dad’s psoriasis is much much better with zinc supplementation and evening primrose oil. Not advocating that this applies to everyone, but it certainly would to many considering acceptance of the need for zinc and fatty acids for skin health.
It’s important when looking at food sources of zinc, to take into account the copper levels those foods have as zinc and copper must be in balance. This is a very very common nutritional imbalance, so for anyone with an excessive copper:zinc ratio, certain foods such as organ meats may not be ideal to promote zinc levels as there is a lot of copper in those foods too which will just block the action of the zinc where it’s needed.
I am also suffering psoriasis and i agree it is both dietary changes and supplements. In some cases you should also consider changes in your lifestyle to reduce stress. I have been totally grain-free few months and it makes me feel so much better. I consider my diet as an autoimmune paleo (i am still eating some quality sausages). I hope I can see the good feeling soon on my skin..
I see that zinc is essential along vitamin D and vitamin C. I am not so sure about evening primose oil because of high omega-6 content. I think cod liver oil is better. Next thing I am going to try is curcumin capsules.
I hope Chris would write an article about psoriasis soon. I believe he has a lot to say for this annoying disease.
It is interesting to note that cortisone and hydrocortisone deplete zinc levels. I used hydrocortisone for years on my psoriasis and I’ve been struggling with low zinc levels. Howevert, the diet changes cured the 30 year bout with psoriasis even with low zinc levels(see earlier comment). Maybe my zinc levels were dramatically improved by the diet even though they are still below optimum.
It’s easy to test your zinc levels by taking a tablespoon of aqueous zinc and holding it in your mouth for 20 seconds. If you experience no bad or metallic taste, your zinc levels are very low.
Chris, you write “It’s important to remember that vitamin C is sensitive to heat, so lightly cooking these plant foods or eating them raw (if possible) is ideal to maximize your intake of this vitamin.”
Isn’t fermenting an even better way to maximize the nutrition you can get from vegetables and fruit as that actually raise some of the vitamin levels especially vit. C among many other things that makes fermenting a very beneficial approach?
Hi Chris,
I think you have some of the health writing out there and wondered if you will cover intertrigo in this series?
Best health writing…
While the article mentioned crucial vitamins it failed to give dosage information making it problematic for majority of people to follow your guide. I would suggest at least 25k-35k IU retynol per day, 50-100mg Zinc and 2-10g of vitamiin C per day to get good skin.
There is no mention of probably crucial factor – shower. Cold shower protects skin oil and chlorine doesn’t evaporate. Furthermore, since many people like to think in therms of paleo style, anything but cold shower is definitely not paleo.
My skin began breaking out at puberty, and still has not stopped now that I am 56 and one year of having no periods. When I was a kid the fam took me to a derm who put me on tetracycline for a few years (horrors when I think about that now), as well as ultraviolet light on my face. Of course it didn’t work. I became a healthy food “organo” person in high school, so it’s been most of my life sans crap (no junk, fast food, processed foods). I’ve basically tried it ALL (except Accutane) and nothing has ever changed. Diet, supplements (all the ones Chris suggests), natural hormone-replacement, no hormone replacement, candida diet. Low on nuts. 2.0 salicylic acid kind of helps to dry out breakouts but doesn’t prevent them. Three years ago the skin on my shoulders began breaking out as well, something that had never happened before.
A couple years ago I became almost totally Paleo (hard as I have never like red meat since I was kid) and totally gluten-free and very low dairy (half and half in morning coffee) because I hoped it would help with allergies and the recurring sinus infections I’ve also had in the past few years, one so bad last winter that I did take an antibiotic and prednisone so I could freaking breathe! Soy free, nightshade free. Eggs yes or no doesn’t mater. I lost the 20 lbs. I had tried to lose since age 40 (yay!) but no change in skin or allergies. I’ve tried Chris’ suggestions for sinus infections, no dice. I am stuffed up a lot of the time. Have air filtration in the house. I eat so incredibly well with high quality food and supplements, and yet see people who eat crap, wheat, dairy, smoke, etc. and have no acne or allergies or sinus infections and it is beyond frustrating. I meditate (and actually teach meditation) and my stress levels are not high. I really don’t know what else I can do except accept it – yet I wish I had a “cure.”
Zannie,
It doesn’t matter how good you eat if you don’t digest and assimilate the nutrients. Adequate stomach acid is essential to the proper digestion of proteins. Proteins are broken down into amino acids, the building blocks of antibodies, hormones, enzymes, and hemoglobin. Have you had your stomach acid levels tested? It is a common problem and may be related to your dislike of red meat.
Proper digestion of fats can also be an issue. Fats are essential for cell membrane construction and function and the delivery of fat soluble vitamins. Stools that float are a sign that fats are not being assimilated. Supplemental bile salts can help in this area.
Just some ideas of other things to look at. Don’t give up.
Thanks Peter, I do take HCL/pepsin and digestive enzymes with each meal, plus strong probiotics. Just never liked meat. I eat eggs, chicken, turkey, fish, seafood and eat protein at every meal. No floaters!
Zannie you might look into the GAPS diet, it’s a very specific full detoxification and then healing regimen. The GAPS Guide is particularly helpful in navigating the Intro part of the diet, which might help you cleanse out any lurking baddies in your gut. Anyway it’s worth a look, for a lot of people who have tried everything, GAPS ends up their skin & health savior, us included.
Thanks Christine.
My diet is close to GAPS as it is but I’ll look into it more. The meat stock is the biggest challenge for me.
Have you gone through Intro? Intro is tough but following it to the letter and slowly moving into the full GAPS diet was the way to go for us. I suggested the GAPS Guide by Baden Lashkov because it’s the most straightforward explanation of Intro that I’ve found. Dr. McBride doesn’t outline Intro in her book.
Zannie,
I’m glad to hear you’re on to the HCL/pepsin and fat digestion is working.
Another idea you might try is the Coca Pulse Test to determine the source of the allergens. This can be done on a mini-scale as opposed to the procedure described in Dr. Coca’s book. Take a seated pulse for a full minute, chew but don’t swallow a suspected food for 30 seconds, retake a full minute pulse. If it rises by more than 6 beats per minute the food is likely a problem. You can also test personal care products with this method (although I’m assuming you’ve already cleaned those up along with your diet, still they should be tested). Environmental toxins can also be tested (cleaning products, off-gassing from upholstery, carpets, etc)
Don’t discount foods you really enjoy. The body can release endorphins in response to foods we are very allergic to. Essentially giving us an injection of feel-good chemicals whenever we ingest something toxic to our system.
Thanks for posting these instructions, Peter. I have heard of this method but did not know the details.
thanks to all for your kind suggestions
And also check out http://www.acne.org (and the products he sells at http://www.danielkern.com). Not to sound like a shill (I’m not), but I just wish after 15 years of prescription acne meds and 2 courses of accutane that I had discovered Daniel Kern’s regimen sooner. He has done so much research and I am now completely clear.
FYI, I learned through the Weston A. Price Foundation that another reason for getting zinc from animal foods is that if you try to get it from plants, the copper-zinc ratio is way off and you wind up with too much copper in your system.
I wonder if zinc might be my missing puzzle piece. I have reason to believe I’ve got too much copper in *my* diet most of the time. I get a decent amount of vitamin A but am still plagued by keratosis pilaris.
Re Vitamin A – Weston Price Foundation advocate fermented cod liver oil. Unfermented quickly goes rancid.
So what if your skin doesn’t improve? I was diagnosed 15 weeks ago with candida albicans in my lower intestine. I was on a stricter diet than paleo. No sugar of any kind, including sugars from fruits, starches, sweet potatoes, etc. No dairy. No carbs really (no breads, corn, etc….I was gluten free to begin with any way). No molds (no coffee, no mushrooms, etc). Basically all I have been eating is a ton of veggies and meats and drinking a ton of water. All, or let me rephrase, 99% of my symptoms have vanished during treatment. I have dealt with the following symptoms for over 4 years: extreme anxiety/worry, headaches, extreme fatigue, acne, mental fogginess, shakiness, extreme moodiness (anger/weepiness), horrible stomach issues, the list goes on and on and on. All of those symptoms are gone and I feel like a new woman……all but my acne! I was always the classic 2-3 pimples before getting my period and then my face would clear immediately. Over the last 4 years, my once nearly clear face is constantly erupting, so I chalked it up to it being a part of the candida. I thought for sure when going on such a strict diet and seeing such an amazing change in all my other symptoms, that clearer skin would be one of them. Especially after 15 weeks. I just don’t get it?
Thanks for the information about “hyperkeratosis pillaris”. I’ve always had the bumps on the back of my arms, nice to know there’s a fix!
I’m reluctant to use cod liver oil because of oxidation concerns. What do you think is the safest source? I’ll have to learn to cook liver in the meantime.
Great site with great health tips!
I also have keratosis pilaris and even asked my dermatologist if this could be a deficiency and he simply said no. I’m not going back to this guy.
Doc, do you have any advice for people who have seborrhoic eczema?
And I also notice that my skin is pretty saggy/stretchy and lacks tone. I’m 31 now and I have a scar on my cheek. This scar is now approximatively 1 inch deeper than it was originally when I got it! Anything I can do against this? My skin is generally stretchy and I asked my doc if this is abnormal and he said it’s still normal but I’m not sure. My brother has the same stretchy skin. I thought about EDS but I’m not hypermobile.
I am very glad to read this stuff and especially i want to give thanks to for this valuable and impressive quality content.Studies have shown that eating plenty of fruit and vegetables like carrots and plums enhances skin color. A survey was done and people preferred the natural colour which was the result of eating fruit and vegetables than spray tanning or tanning in the sun. Also, drink lots of water.
Where you write about cod liver oil, could that also be replaced by “normal” fish oil? If they are very different, would you recommend to substitute the one for the other? It sounds to me as if it might be a bit too much to use both at the same time, but I could be wrong there.
Cod liver oil is primarily a fat-soluble vitamin supplement (A & D, with lesser amounts of K2, E and various quinones) with some EPA & DHA. Fish oil is primarily and EPA & DHA supplement, though some less purified forms like wild salmon oil have vitamin D. So it depends what your goal is.
Interesting, thanks for your reply Chris, I will look into it some more!
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