Sep 23 / Star Khechara

Functional Nutrition for the Holistic Treatment of Acne

If you're on this page the chances are high that you have (or know) a client with acne. They're suffering but none of the usual treatments are working for them. Or the client doesn't want to use harsh topical treatments because the side-effects are not worth it.

You want to treat your client's acne holistically -from within - but you don't want to guess. You want solid scientific strategies that will work. Because the last thing you want to do is distress your client further with a bunch of dietary changes that won't actually help.

Treating acne has to start at the cellular-level

Acne (and other skin eruptions) is not a skin disorder it's a whole-body disorder. Skin is the largest organic of the body and one of the main eliminative channels of the body's detoxification systems. 

Following a whole food plant-based diet will help reduce acne via several mechanisms: A whole food plant-based diet has a naturally low glycaemic index and improves insulin sensitivity. Reducing dairy intake will reduce Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1) and therefore decrease sebum production.

Doctors for Nutrition | https://www.doctorsfornutrition.org/

THINK: SHINDIG

In the accredited acne nutrition masterclass we teach the acronym SHINDIG as a way to remember all the different acne-aggravating factors that go into treating or preventing acne.

  • Skin Barrier Health
  • Hormonal Balance
  • Insulin Resistance
  • Nutrition & Diet
  • Detoxification
  • Inflammation
  • Gut Microbiome


A truly holistic, integrative approach to acne treatment must include attending to all 7 of these areas. It be impossible to erase you client's acne if all of the acne-aggravators are not investigated and treated.

Skin Barrier Health

The health of the skin barrier (as a structure) and having a thriving, flourishing skin-microbiome is an essential focus point for all skin disorders including Acne

Hormonal Balance

Perimenopause can cause acne flare ups but it's not just Estrogen in the firing line, other hormones also play a part in Acne prevention and Acne treatment

Insulin Resistance

It's a scientific fact that high blood sugar is a huge problem for Acne but carbohydrates aren't the problem - insulin resistance is the issue (and that is caused by high levels for dietary fat)

Nutrition & Diet

Not only does nutrition & the foods your client eats have a massive impact on their skin and Acne, diet also influences Gut health. Insulin Resistance, Inflammation and Hormones.

Detoxification

Skin is one of the organs of elimination so if the body's systems of detoxification (waster removal) are overworked, skin can become 'sick' from the extra toxins coming out via the skin. 

Inflammation

Acne is an inflammatory skin disorder so it's essential to target cellular-level inflammation as part of the holistic treatment of Acne

Gut Health

The gut microbiome has such an impact on skin-health that scientists named it 'The Gut-Skin Axis'. It's impossible to treat Acne without addressing your client's gut health.

Functional Nutrition & Dietary Pattern are the most important 

Although there are 7 SHINDIG areas for the integrative treatment of Acne - nutrition and diet is the glue the holds them all together.
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Multiple  nutrients are needed for a healthy skin barrier
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Insulin Resistance (linked strongly to acne) is caused by - and can be cured by - changing the dietary pattern.
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 It is well documented that anti-inflammatory foods and diets reduce the levels of inflammation in the body.
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 The gut microbiome is a living eco-system that is literally fed by the carbohydrates in the diet. Specialised microbes in the gut even create Short Chain Fatty Acids that can help with Acne.
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 Certain food components (such as Leucine in Dairy) can promote acne formation
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 Diet has a HUGE impact on hormones especially during perimenopause.
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 The body's detoxification and elimination systems are susceptible to overwhelm by dietary components. 

The cause is the cure

These 7 acne-aggravators form a 2-pronged approach where the cause is also the cure.

For example: Inflammation
A pro-inflammatory diet can cause or flare-up acne but an anti-inflammatory diet can heal acne at the cellular-level. When working with the inflammation aspect to acne, you want to move the client away from a pro-inflammatory diet towards and anti-inflammatory diet.

Another example: Insulin Resistance
Insulin Resistance causes glucose to build up in the bloodstream instead of it moving into the cells when it is needed. Most Doctors only treat the symptom which is the raised blood sugar but when you treat the underlying cause of insulin resistance you can move your client towards a state of insulin sensitivity which then naturally lowers the blood sugar without needing to cut out essential carbohydrate foods (which are necessary for gut--health)

Article by Star Khechara

Professional agehacker, author, speaker, founder of skin nutrition institute
About me
Ex-skincare formulator and beauty author turned skin-nutrition educator: Star distilled her 20+ years of skin-health knowledge into the world’s first international accredited skin-nutrition school to teach skin therapists, facialists, face yoga practitioners and estheticians how to help their clients feed the skin from within for cellular-level rejuvenation and vibrant beauty. 

References

  • Sutaria AH, Masood S, Saleh HM, et al. Acne Vulgaris. [Updated 2023 Aug 17]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan
  • Baldwin H, Tan J. Effects of Diet on Acne and Its Response to Treatment. Am J Clin Dermatol. 2021 Jan;22(1):55-65.
  • Flores-Balderas X, Peña-Peña M, Rada KM, Alvarez-Alvarez YQ, Guzmán-Martín CA, Sánchez-Gloria JL, Huang F, Ruiz-Ojeda D, Morán-Ramos S, Springall R, Sánchez-Muñoz F. Beneficial Effects of Plant-Based Diets on Skin Health and Inflammatory Skin Diseases. Nutrients. 2023 Jun 22;15(13):2842. 
  • Baldwin, H., & Tan, J. (2020). Effects of Diet on Acne and Its Response to Treatment. American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 22(1), 55-65.
  • Kucharska, A., Szmurło, A., & Sińska, B. (2016). Significance of diet in treated and untreated acne vulgaris. Advances in Dermatology and Allergology/Postȩpy Dermatologii i Alergologii, 33(2), 81-86.
  • Xiao X, Hu X, Yao J, Cao W, Zou Z, Wang L, Qin H, Zhong D, Li Y, Xue P, Jin R, Li Y, Shi Y, Li J. The role of short-chain fatty acids in inflammatory skin diseases. Front Microbiol. 2023 Feb 2;13:1083432. 
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