Okay, so I’m super excited to bring you all what I’ve been researching. And, wow what an insightful journey. I have yet to put any of these in practice because I’d rather gather all my information, so I’m no longer doing this in the dark, and spending so much time and money on something that isn’t going to heal me.
First, and foremost, I’m not a doctor, so please understand that you should always consult your physician before changing anything in your routine. I’m a student studying nursing so, I can say that this is a route I’d rather take than experimenting with topical creams.
Acne is a deeper problem than the skin
Acne is not only a skin problem. It is a symptom of something deeper; it is a result of physiological reactions within the body. These reactions within the body are causing a body imbalance, and the skin is trying it’s best at eliminating the waste the body is unable to efficiently cleanse through its normal processes.
The five root causes of acne
Inflammation of the Gut
Our gut is lined with microbes, beneficial bacteria, that is necessary for our well-being. And, eating foods that irritate your gut, throws off the balance of good and bad bacteria. The gut microbiome, the community of microbes, is intimately connected with the skin micorobiome. So, if you’re bacteria is off-balanced scaling towards the bad bacteria, it will lead to acne.
Insulin Resistance
Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas and helps convert glucose into energy. Glucose is a sugar that has been broken down, within the digestive system, from carbohydrates. If you are insulin resistant, insulin is unable to efficiently convert glucose into energy and transfer into the bloodstream. Instead, the pancreas produces more insulin in order to achieve the desired effect. Thus, the body is flooded with large amounts of insulin, which triggers a domino effect of hormonal reactions. These hormonal reactions lead to increases of sebum production, oils, that cause acne.
Stress
Now, I know everyone here knows that stress is linked with acne, but the problem is that most of us don’t manage this when it comes to acne treatment. We usually turn to acne ointments, creams, and washes to resolve our problem. But, the reality is that stress releases cortisol, which then in turn increases more oil production. That is why acne flares up before an exam or before an important job interview, and seems to continue on because you’re now stressed about two things, the stress induced incident, and now the acne.
Toxins
Our body rids unwanted waste through the colon, liver, kidneys, lymphatic system, lungs, and the skin. If one or more of these organs are compromised, it affects the entire cleansing system. So, your skin may be the last resort to cleanse the body of your toxins if your other organs are unable to do the job because they are being overworked. Alcohol, polluted environment, drugs, even over the counter drugs, and food additives all may be flooding your system. This will lead to acne break outs.
Imbalanced Hormones
So, originally my series was going to be about hormonal acne, but as I delved further in my research I learned that imbalanced hormones are caused by inflammation of the gut, insulin resistance, stress, and toxins. Thus, if you can control and heal these areas, you’ll also be likely to balance out your hormones as well, as long as nothing else is affecting them, for instance, birth control.
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This was so informative! Thank you for sharing this! ❤
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And, thank you for reading! 🙂
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Very educational this post. I struggle quite a lot with spots and blemishes myself – but not exactly the typical acne. Thank you so much for sharing this post! ❤ xx Keep up your good work
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Thank you Karen, and hopefully this series may be of use to you. x
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Thanks for sharing this with us. I knew about the stress and toxins and the hormonal imbalance but not the other two, i will definitely have to look into my diet and start changing it up a bit because a lot of times when I’m not stressed I get the feeling that it’s what I’m eating. *sigh* I hope I get to figure it out for myself eventually lol. Acne sucks ha
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Haha I feel you Rossy! I hope we both can figure it out sooner rather than later 😉
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Good info. I thought I had adult acne but come to find out I had rosacea. Some of it’s symptoms look like acne.
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Oh yes I have heard of that as well, but I hope you were able to figure out how to handle that now that you know what you have! xx
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I never knew inflammation of the gut or insulin resistance had any connection with acne! I’m not sure I’d even know how to recognize these issues, but it really is fascinating that they have an impact on acne. It just goes to show how everything in the body really is connected in one way or another. It’s so true with stress though, because I have noticed especially lately that if I have a stressful event coming up, I will get terrible breakouts leading up to it, and then once it’s over, my skin clears up again. It has a major effect for sure!
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Yes! It’s pretty crazy that I was unaware of this, but I’ll for sure have more posts coming up about how to recognize if your acne is related to those issues. And, I feel you with the stress – it’s the worst
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I am looking forward to reading those posts! It will be so interesting to figure out if my acne is stemming from any of those.
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I totally agree with stress factor. I struggled with adult acne for so long. I kept focusing on my diet and various acne vanishing products but it didn’t work until I put a check on my stress levels. So amazing how well the mind is connected to our body. Keep up the good work.
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Yes, at least though you were also focusing on other important areas! I’m glad you were able to get a handle on your stress. 🙂
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