I want to share my personal experience with you all. If you’ve struggled with acne at any point, you’ve probably spent your fair share of time googling what foods trigger acne. We all know the main culprits; milk & foods high in estrogen, and high-glycemic carbohydrates… but sometimes it’s more than that.
For me, my acne really had absolutely nothing to do with my hormones. I wish I knew then what I know now. Countless medications and endless skincare products could never fully clear my supposal hormonal acne. I say I suppose because all my blood work always showed my levels to be fine, and your typical acne diet didn’t work.
Imagine how annoying this is (and can be) for someone like me whose job and purpose is to help others clear their acne!!!
Our skin is an extension of everything else going on inside our bodies.
Acne and other skin conditions like eczema, rashes, dermatitis are all ways in which our body is sounding that alarm that something isn’t right!
The tricky part is figuring out what on earth that issue is. We are lucky if it is one simple tweak…most of the time, it is a combination of what we put on our skin, what we put into our body, and our overall lifestyle.
When I do consults, I really try to look at and understand the entire picture. I also need you to understand that as much as you’d love to clear your acne overnight, we didn’t get acne in a day therefor we need to be patient and know it is a process.
So, what was my issue?
Well, it only took me 32 years to figure out my body hates gluten with a passion!!!
My neighbor, a super hippie, natural path, convinced me just to try eating gluten-free. Not just TRY for a day here or there but to fully commit. She made me agree to a full 30 days before I cast judgment on it. Thankfully she showed me all the delicious gluten-free carbs so that I didn’t get hangry along the way.
Because truth be told, I LOVE carbs!! There was about a zero percent chance I would have committed to a carb-free diet…not even a little! I know this about myself.
Among breakouts, I also struggled with bloating (I’m talking pregnant-looking bloat) and eczema. In fact, I had the same patch of eczema behind my ear for ten years. It came when I graduated into an adult and had to bust my butt to pay my bills, and it never went away no matter how hard I tried.
I’m not going to say it was easy;
I 150% cheated a few times and had to start over, but when I finally got through that FULL 30 days….I knew my days of gluten were over.
I no longer had bloating, the tiny bumps on my face, neck, and chest were significantly better, my eczema was almost gone, and I just felt better.
Still, it’s human nature to question it. Do you know why? Because I wanted to eat whatever I wanted. Especially when I was on the road, and my options at every on route was deep-fried goodness.
Soooo…I tested my limits. After about three months of being gluten-free, I caved and ate some fast food. I was a little boated but okay, nothing crazy until BAM….I got a massive rash. A painful, hot, itchy rash all over my back and my first pimples in months, only 24hrs later. I was in pain and having major regrets. Still, I have cheated probably three times since then, and I’m hoping this last time was my last.
My skin had been essentially perfect, and after minimal gluten, I broke out in little bumps all over my face. NOTHING else changed. I wasn’t more stressed; my hormones were normal, the rest of my diet, sleep, and lifestyle were the exact same.
For me, it’s not acne. It’s GLUTEN!
In fact, my skincare routine is probably the most basic it has been in a good five years.
All this isn’t to say stop eating gluten, and your skin will be clear because each person’s acne is unique, but to understand that me, as an industry professional, with the best skin care and treatments available, I still went through the process of understanding my skin through a lengthy trial and error.
I want you to use my experience not to be discouraged, be patient, go back to the basics, listen to your body and watch for triggers.
I recommend that everyone keep a skin and food diary. It’s annoying, I know it, but it can truly be so helpful. Write down everything you eat in a day and also make note of how your skin is. Look for any common patterns. Maybe for you, it’s too much-processed sugar or caffeine, and every time you crush a few too many sugary drinks, pimples pop up to say, “Hiiiii remember me, yah, we are your body telling you to cut that out!”
There is no magic skincare routine, no perfect facial, no fancy gadget that will make your skin perfect overnight. It is a daily grind; it’s finding what works for you, listening to your body, and dedicating the time to figure it all out.
Lucky for you, I am here to help. I’m not perfect, I understand the struggle, but I promise you I am invested. I am here to put in the time even when you don’t want to because I know how good it feels to come out the other side. It’s as easy as making that first step, so…Let’s Talk!
As always, Your Skin Revival,
Alexis Fry
