I was fortunate not to have acne as a teen and I’m sure if I had, I would’ve tried any product or medication to make it go away. Skin issues can feel humiliating for those experiencing them, whether they’re facing acne, redness, psoriasis, eczema or the like. Skin problems can be impossible to hide, so if your skin is “misbehaving”, it’s on display for all to see.
While my skin didn’t act up in high school, when I was around 28, things changed. I began getting cystic acne on my neck and breakouts around my chin. For a short time, I convinced myself that it was hormonal changes associated with having kids. Turns out, it had little to do with my hormones and a lot to do with my diet!
When I removed dairy, the breakouts disappeared as well.
I’ve since played with this by adding dairy back in and taking it out. Not only does my digestion slow to a halt each time I eat dairy, but my neck acne and chin breakouts appear within 24-hours. It is a direct effect. This experience shaped how I approach skin conditions with my clients.
How food sabotages your skin
The relationship between the gut and skin is an area of research that is just beginning to draw focus, although the concept has been circulating for over 100 years.
In fact, the skin and gut have a lot in common. A 2017 study, focused on the gut-skin axis, notes “Both contain rich vascular supply, diverse microbial communities, and act as vital interfaces between the internal human body and the external environment. Additionally, the skin and gut both operate as neuro-immuno-endocrine organs, and participate in essential communication with the nervous system, immune system, and endocrine system.”
When you consider the fact that both the gut and skin have to interface with the outside world (via food, beverages, medications, microbes, toxins, etc.), it makes sense that these organs are armed with similar defenses to keep the good things moving into our bodies and the bad things out.
The relationship between inflammation in the gut and inflammation in the skin isn’t a simple concept. It’s thought to involve many factors including nerves, immune cells, hormones, diet, and medications.
Figure 1. Vaughn AR, Notay M, Clark AK, Sivamani RK. Skin-gut axis: The relationship between intestinal bacteria and skin health. World J Dermatol 2017; 6(4): 52-58
Scientists are exploring some really interesting interactions between the gut and our skin that help explain how these two organs affect one another.
- In response to stress (emotional, psychological, physical), gut microbes produce neurotransmitters that enter the bloodstream and circulate causing negative effects throughout the body.
- Gut microbes produce SCFA (short-chain fatty acids) that impact the skin.
- Diet can increase long-chain fatty acids, changing the nutrient signaling throughout the body, impacting hormones pathways that impact the skin.
- Damage to the gut microbiome even in utero or in childhood can lead to skin problems later in life.
Fix your skin for good
While the science is still developing, I’ve seen incredible improvements in my clients’ skin with the following approach. The trick is that no two people are the same, so improving skin by fixing the gut is highly individualized. However, anyone can follow this step-by-step protocol and not only boost skin health, but overall health and longevity!
Step 1: Identify and remove YOUR inflammatory foods
While there are well-known anti-inflammatory diets, my experience is that there is no hard-fast rule for what inflames people. While some might be inflamed by dairy, others are reacting to corn, wheat, sugar, soy, eggs, etc.
For that reason, I prefer to use my favorite comprehensive food sensitivity test through Vibrant Labs that looks not only at each person’s response to whole proteins in food, but peptides (the small pieces of proteins broken down through digestion) within a handful of the most common inflammatory foods like dairy, egg, wheat and soy. Based on the results, I help my clients design a diet that omits those foods and includes a diverse diet of foods that keep their intestines happy. If you’re interested in food sensitivity testing, click here to contact me about your options.
If food sensitivity testing, which can cost up to $600, is not in your budget, you can try an elimination diet which removes the most common “triggering” foods. This approach is free but can take more time to experiment with. If you’re interested in trying an elimination diet, I suggest this thoughtful approach designed by the Institute of Functional Medicine.
IFM Comprehensive Elimination Diet
IFM Weekly Meal Planner
Step 2: Introduce a clinically supported probiotic
Poor microbiome diversity and dysbiosis (overgrowth of harmful microbes) are directly linked to skin problems. That is why it’s critical to improve microbiome health by not only individualizing diet but taking a clinically supported probiotic.
I’ve had the best luck with Microbiome Labs Megasporebiotic and Microbiome Labs MegaIgG gut immune support. I advise my clients to begin with 1 probiotic at bed every other night, increasing to 1 every night after the first week. After 2 weeks, I have them increase to 2 per day (AM and PM), all the while taking 4 MegaIgG per day.
Step 3: Increase fiber
Eating a diversity of the right fibers not only increases your healthy microflora but helps your body detox by pulling waste from the gut. I suggest the following a fiber plan to all of my clients:
- 1-2 scoops/day Thorne Fibermend
- Include 1-2 tablespoons chia seed and flax seed each day
- You can add these to salads, smoothies, or just mix with water and chug
- Eat at least 6 servings of vegetables and fruits each day
- If you tolerate whole grains like gluten-free oats, quinoa, brown rice, etc. – add 1 cup per day.
- Include prebiotic foods such as
- Onion
- Garlic
- Banana
- Jerusalem artichoke
- Asparagus
- Note that if you experience bloating or other signs of SIBO or dysbiosis, these foods might make things worse.
Step 4: Use natural anti-inflammatory supplements
Alongside probiotic and fiber supplements, reducing the inflammation in the gut is imperative for healing and improved skin. I recommend the following for each of my clients
- Biotics Curcumin – 1-2g per day
- Biotics Biomega1000 – 2-4 g per day
- Biotics BioMulti Plus – 3/day to improve nutrient levels
Final thoughts
As frustrating as skin problems can feel for the person experiencing them, the reality is that they are a helpful red flag that signals a problem under the surface. I see skin problems as the “canary in the mine”. They can be a warning sign that, if handled, can prevent health problems down the road.
These skin issues rarely happen in isolation. Most of my clients that are suffering skin issues are also experiencing symptoms like depression, anxiety, headaches, digestive distress, cardiovascular problems, blood sugar imbalance or more. By healing the gut, and fixing the skin, you’re doing wonders for your long-term health!