There’s no such thing as a magic bullet for acne. It doesn’t exist.

Sure, you can take antibiotics, the pill, or Accutane – but those come at a cost. They impact the health of your gut, overwhelm your liver and contribute to hormonal imbalances. The very body systems that need to be fixed in order to correctly clear up your skin long-term.

So what do you really need to do when it comes to acne? Let’s go through the 12 acne-clearing strategies we use with clients over in my 6-month program, The Clear Skin Solution.

1. Fix your gut.

The health of the gut is one of the most critical parts of getting rid of acne. The most common culprits are overgrowths of yeast and/or bacteria, low stomach acid, intestinal permeability (leaky gut), and constipation/diarrhea. 

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2. Love up your liver.

Your liver is your body’s main detoxification organ. It’s responsible for filtering toxins and hormones. When the liver is overwhelmed by the things we eat, drink and apply, it calls in the skin for backup (the body’s largest detoxification organ).

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3. Balance your hormones.

The gut and liver must be in tip-top shape before you can consider balancing hormones. One those two body systems/organs are feeling food, the hormones can be addressed. Most importantly your estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, cortisol, and insulin.

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4. Focus on an anti-inflammatory diet.

The food you eat sets the foundation for healing. Anti-inflammatory food helps to reduce inflammation in the body and provides optimal nutrition the body needs to heal. Pro-inflammatory foods irritate the gut lining, tax the liver and trigger hormonal imbalances.

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5. Optimize nutrient intake.

When your gut health has been less than optimal, nutrient intake is generally low due to poor absorbability. This results in being chronically malnourished. And too little or too much of one nutrient can set off the correct vitamin/mineral ratios in the body. We see this often with our clients’ results from their Hair Trace Mineral Analysis. In addition, women are chronic undereaters of protein and fibre. These nutrients help to keep blood sugar levels happy and mood stable.

6. Stabilize your blood sugar.

Eating a diet high in refined sugars/carbs spikes your blood glucose and insulin levels. This often results in chronically elevated insulin levels which increase the production of androgen hormones. An increase in androgens signals for the skin to produce more pore-clogging sebum.

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7. Avoid food sensitivities.

Foods that you’re sensitive or intolerant to can impact the gut-barrier function and increase systemic inflammation. Consider trying an elimination diet or look into IgG Food Sensitivity Test to discover if you’re dealing with intolerances.

8. Move your body.

Mild to moderate exercise can help improve mental health and reduce cortisol in the body. High levels of cortisol can stimulate an increase in pore-clogging sebum. It also helps improve your quality of sleep.

9. Reduce stress.

Elevated stress levels cause your adrenal glands to overproduce hormones like cortisol, androgen and DHEA. As previously mentioned, these hormones can prompt your oil glands to make more sebum, which clogs pores and then results in additional acne. Stress also increases blood flow and expands your blood vessels, causing your skin to look more inflamed. Finally, stress increases your need for nutrients that help keep acne at bay.

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10. Cultivate a positive mindset.

The power of your mind cannot be overlooked on any healing journey – skin included. There is a feedback loop between your brain and the rest of your body. Actively working to shift your mindset from negative to positive is a must.

11. Prioritize sleep.

Sleep is critical when it comes to the overall health of the body. When you’re lacking in this department, it leads the way for not only hormonal imbalances but also mood swings, brain fog and increased appetite.

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12. Eliminate toxic products.

Most of the makeup, skincare and personal care products on store shelves contain endocrine-disrupting (and cancer-causing) chemicals. Endocrine-disruptors mimic hormones in the body that can create imbalances or worsen existing ones. These chemicals also tax the liver which, as we learned, is a critical organ for clear skin.

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Will these things take time, effort and hard work? Absolutely they will. But allowing your body to heal itself is the key to clearing up acne for good.

If you need next-level support on your acne-clearing journey, learn more about working with us here.

Want to go more in-depth?

Listen to our podcast episode “5-Steps To Acne Free Skin” here