Improving Acne

[TheVeganFoodie]

I've been strictly vegan for 3 months, and eating zero overt fat for around 2 months. I eat simple, whole plant foods, and drink plenty of water and am not stressed out. I also use a natural facial cleanser, and yet, I still have acne. It is not horrible, but it definitely needs improvement. I was recently reading about the connection between proper intentional and liver function and skin clarity and was wondering if anyone has heard of this as well. What should I try to help keep my skin clear?

[docscience]

My suggestion to begin with is, keep a detailed diary of everything you eat and post for several days. That will help anyone here who would have any suggestions.
Also, what does "zero overt fat" actually mean ?

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[Vegankit]

You might find you have to completely eliminate all high fat food, such as nuts, avocado etc.

You might want to try an elimination diet - I have found that one of the reactions I have to foods that I can't tolerate is to break out in lesions that resemble pimples.

[Jack Monzon]

What soap are you using on your face? You might be washing your face too much.

[kpank101]

Hey there! I am having the same problems--I've been on a strictly WFPB diet for 3 months now, and my acne has gotten worse. I've been keeping a food journal and the last several days, have only been washing my face with water, hoping that would help. Nothing is working. I'm 23 and never really struggled with acne before (minor flair ups sometimes but nothing consistent), but now I can't get rid of it. Also, I don't understand the elimination diet.....even when I'm monitoring everything, the acne persists, no matter what I switch out. I don't know how to isolate what the problem is--something in my diet, my environment, or my skincare products? It could be anything!

Mostly getting cystic acne on my chin and upper lip. I'm not on birth control or any pills, only use natural products on my skin (evanhealy for awhile, till it stopped working), get a 20 minute walk and some yoga in most days, plenty of sleep, not a lot of stress, and eating all the right foods. To top the acne, I've lost weight....which I can't afford--I'm 5'8" and was 116 lbs, now I'm 112.....eating as much as I can and always feel full! My period was late the last time, too. What gives?

I read contradicting things that say female hormones need fats in the diet to properly work....so could it be because I'm not really eating any fats (just what naturally occurs in this lifestyle, plus the very occasional spoon of olive/coconut oil for sauteeing, handful of almonds or sunflower seeds on my salads, which I was doing before I switched to this diet and wasn't breaking out then)? I've tried eliminating nuts/seeds and oils but no positive results with my skin, which I figured, since I wasn't breaking out when I was eating them in higher quantities before I started this diet/lifestyle.

If you find a solution, please let me know! I'm desperate and just want clear skin.

[flowerblue]

Go to YOU TUBE and watch nina and randa. They have a video telling their acne story and what worked for them.

[Desir9]

I've been strictly vegan for 3 months, and eating zero overt fat for around 2 months. I eat simple, whole plant foods, and drink plenty of water and am not stressed out. I also use a natural facial cleanser, and yet, I still have acne. It is not horrible, but it definitely needs improvement. I was recently reading about the connection between proper intentional and liver function and skin clarity and was wondering if anyone has heard of this as well. What should I try to help keep my skin clear?

I've been a vegan for almost 2 years now (not very stick because Even though I haven't had any type of meat I occasionally had cheese and sushi, twice a month or so)

Still my acne improved, slowly but I could see an improvement over time, specially those months where my diet was clean (no animal products at all)

Now that I'm low fat my face has gotten even BETTER, the less fat I eat the better my face gets!!

Now, you have to give some time to your body, it takes MONTHS for your skin to get better just because you are probably still "expelling" all the dirt that has accumulated in your skin for the past years (remember, the skin has 7 layers) To speed up the process I would recommend you to go get a facial and get all those dark spots extracted BEFORE they become a pimples.

Also, how old are you? Acne can be hormonal as well and even thought diet HELPS A LOT if your acne is hormonal your face would need other treatments apart from a clean diet to get perfect!

Hope this helps! and Excuse the bad grammar

[Desir9]

Hey there! I am having the same problems--I've been on a strictly WFPB diet for 3 months now, and my acne has gotten worse. I've been keeping a food journal and the last several days, have only been washing my face with water, hoping that would help. Nothing is working. I'm 23 and never really struggled with acne before (minor flair ups sometimes but nothing consistent), but now I can't get rid of it. Also, I don't understand the elimination diet.....even when I'm monitoring everything, the acne persists, no matter what I switch out. I don't know how to isolate what the problem is--something in my diet, my environment, or my skincare products? It could be anything!

Mostly getting cystic acne on my chin and upper lip. I'm not on birth control or any pills, only use natural products on my skin (evanhealy for awhile, till it stopped working), get a 20 minute walk and some yoga in most days, plenty of sleep, not a lot of stress, and eating all the right foods. To top the acne, I've lost weight....which I can't afford--I'm 5'8" and was 116 lbs, now I'm 112.....eating as much as I can and always feel full! My period was late the last time, too. What gives?

I read contradicting things that say female hormones need fats in the diet to properly work....so could it be because I'm not really eating any fats (just what naturally occurs in this lifestyle, plus the very occasional spoon of olive/coconut oil for sauteeing, handful of almonds or sunflower seeds on my salads, which I was doing before I switched to this diet and wasn't breaking out then)? I've tried eliminating nuts/seeds and oils but no positive results with my skin, which I figured, since I wasn't breaking out when I was eating them in higher quantities before I started this diet/lifestyle.

If you find a solution, please let me know! I'm desperate and just want clear skin.

Hey! (I'm from Spain so excuse the bad grammar)

I'm not a doctor but I've struggled with acne and I think I can help you with some reasons a think can be causing your acne:

1. Most people when they become vegan go through a "Detox Phase" that often last a few months and lasts until the face its completely clear (When the skin has gotten rid of all the dirt it has accumulated) Your body is now working properly from the inside and has more "Time" to focus now on the outside and its expelling all that has accumulated over the years

2. Are you drinking/eating soy products, vegan meats or any kind of processed soy products ??? Soy products, specially the highly processed ones (like soy milk) contain astronomic amounts of HORMONES, usually when people break out in the chin/lower cheek area its due to hormones (I would break out in my jaw line and my dermatologist suggested me to eliminate soy mil.. when I did,the brake outs stopped) I would recommend to stop consuming any type of soy products whatsoever.

3. Have you gone to a doctor to check your hormone levels? if no you NEED TO GO ASAP! just to be sure you acne is not caused by an hormonal imbalance. This will let you focus on other factors. If you are not getting your period regularly I'm afraid that you might have indeed and hormonal imbalance (My worst acne was due to that, my period was not regular at all, I could spend months without it or have it for 15 days at a time, my acne actually stopped when I got on the pill and when I went off of it my acne and my period where still better!

Anyways you will have to figure this out by yourself, listening to your body! I don't think oil in the problem since you are not eating much of it, don't worry about that, If you crave more oil (like to eat nuts, seeds or avocados) DO IT!!! you have to listen to your body and what its telling you, This diet can be adjusted and it HAS to be adjusted every body type its different. (I would ditch the coconut(olive/Any type of processed oil tho, if you want you can still eat olives or coconut milk)

Hope this helps!

[Jeepsterhound]

I had few acne problems before I started eating this way, but after I started for a few months it got worse, then totally went away. If I eat foods with added oil, it sometimes pops up a little, but as long as I stick to no added oils there is no problem.

[Librarian]

Are any of the acne sufferers posting in this thread seeing any improvement yet? I am also struggling with acne and hoping this diet will help. I used to eat paleo/low carbish so coming from quite a high fat diet to this is quite a change. To those whose acne cleared, do you think it is normal for the body to need a few months to adjust? I cant seem to handle sugars. When i eat fruit i get a headache and feel spaced out and i think this is what is aggravating my acne. I like eating this way but i makes me so depressed when i see my acne getting worse.

[Doug_]

If you are female it's most likely imbalanced hormones. Are you using hormonal birth control? If not, do you have regular periods? What is your BMI?

[soul food]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Qdwn2itsgg

How We CURED Our ACNE - Nina and Randa

links under the video.

soul food

[Librarian]

If you are female it's most likely imbalanced hormones. Are you using hormonal birth control? If not, do you have regular periods? What is your BMI?

Yes i agree my hormones may be imbalanced but i dont know why or how to fix it? I dont take any birth control or other medications. My periods are regular. I dont know my bmi but i am not overweight, slightly on the thin side of "average." I tried taking vitex herb and DIM for hormone balancing but they didnt help. I went to a naturopath, that didnt help. I went to a dermatologist, that didnt help.
The only thing that ever helped my skin was eating low carb/paleo but i dont like eating that way because i lack energy and concerned about the health ramafications of eating meat.
I am just so confused. Eating carbs makes me feel better and healthier - but my skin! I feel crying

[Librarian]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Qdwn2itsgg

How We CURED Our ACNE - Nina and Randa

links under the video.

soul food

Thanks i have seen nina and randas video. I have been trying to follow the mcdougall diet for the last few weeks and although i feel more energetic, my acne is worse! How long before i see improvements? I cant take it for much longer

[docscience]

trying to follow the mcdougall diet for the last few weeks

It is difficult to see what exactly "trying" is.
As I mentioned to someone else, if you log and post everything you eat, for a few days, someone here, might be able to give some suggestions about that.

I noticed that the OP (original poster) has not logged in since posting on Oct 29, 2015. They may be reading, without logging in, but we have no clue if that is the case. It just is a bit discouraging to those people that reply to help.
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