Finally getting somewhere with my acne...here is what I am doing

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Dec 3, 2020
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I have not cured my acne and am still getting breakouts but I have found considerable improvement in being able to manage and reduce breakouts by implementing these things so I thought I would share...

- Raw honey mask AM & PM: leave on for 15-20 mins then wash off. Manuka or just raw local honey both seem to have the same effect at reducing redness and improving skin texture. Also works as a spot treatment if you can stand the stickiness...
- 100% pure aloe vera AM & PM after honey mask. This has helped my skin texture so much. I have oily and dry skin and this seems to provide a good balance
- This is pretty magical for spot treatment. I cannot live without it now... Origins Super Spot Remover Blemish Treatment Gel 10ml - Boots
- raw carrot salad. EVERY. DAY. no excuses. This is probably what is helping reduce the breakouts. I was doing a raw carrot everyday for a while but realised doing it with the coconut oil and vinegar is really where the magic is. Annoyingly, if I skip a day I will get a breakout so I have to be on top of it but its become such a habit now that I don't find it difficult
- dry brushing and face rolling: The dry brushing helps with the body acne and to reduce puffiness/swelling... I get pretty angry big cysts before my period so I do it twice a day during that time.

Again, it has not cured my acne-and I am still very much in the thick of trying to troubleshoot my skin problems internally- but the improvement I have seen with this "protocol" has given me some sanity back. I hope others find it useful!
 

Richiebogie

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Hi @curious_anthro,

That is great that you have found honey, aloe vera and the carrot salad all helpful.

The hormonal fluctuations are interesting.

What does your diet look like? How much carbs, fat and protein do you eat in a typical day?

Have you found any foods that make your acne worse?
 
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curious_anthro
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Dec 3, 2020
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UK
Hi @curious_anthro,

That is great that you have found honey, aloe vera and the carrot salad all helpful.

The hormonal fluctuations are interesting.

What does your diet look like? How much carbs, fat and protein do you eat in a typical day?

Have you found any foods that make your acne worse?

The breakouts are definitely estrogen and endotoxin related. Too much starch in my diet (the eternal struggle for me) definitely makes it worse...I do not seem to be able to digest oats or milk well on its own but, for some reason, I can do ground oats (like oat flour) and milk if it is cooked into things. Estrogen peaks right before a menstrual cycle and I think to make it a double whammy I crave more starch around that time.

I generally follow RP principles with my diet but I struggle to get enough calcium because of my milk intolerance. I try to add cooked greens where I can but its hard to get the recommended amount of calcium from that. I am gluten free and get most of my carbs from fruit, potatoes, OJ. Protein from diverse animal/seafood sources + gelatin. I try to stick to 40-45% carbs, 30% protein and 25-30% fat.
 

Richiebogie

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Hi @curious_anthro

Some greens like spinach appear on paper to be good sources of calcium but have all of their calcium tied up in oxalates, which can cause intestinal and kidney issues... not sure about acne though...

Cruciferous greens like kale, Brussels sprouts and broccoli are low in oxalate and have a bit of calcium!

What are your sources of fat? Is it mainly the coconut oil from the carrot salad? That is supposed to be anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-parasitic etc.

I wonder if you got your protein and fat down to 10% of calories each whether that would reduce sebum production...?

Some people who become fruitarians find acne goes away. That can be difficult to maintain though and could lead to deficiencies.

Keeping some beef, lamb or seafood for zinc and other nutrients may be the best of both worlds...
 
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curious_anthro
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Dec 3, 2020
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UK
Hi @curious_anthro

Some greens like spinach appear on paper to be good sources of calcium but have all of their calcium tied up in oxalates, which can cause intestinal and kidney issues... not sure about acne though...

Cruciferous greens like kale, Brussels sprouts and broccoli are low in oxalate and have a bit of calcium!

What are your sources of fat? Is it mainly the coconut oil from the carrot salad? That is supposed to be anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-parasitic etc.

I wonder if you got your protein and fat down to 10% of calories each whether that would reduce sebum production...?

Some people who become fruitarians find acne goes away. That can be difficult to maintain though and could lead to deficiencies.

Keeping some beef, lamb or seafood for zinc and other nutrients may be the best of both worlds...
Thanks! I do not handle brussels very well but do include well cooked kale every once and a while.

I use a mix of coconut oil and high quality butter for my fats. I have also tried the fruitarian diet and it did help but as you say its not sustainable!
 
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curious_anthro
Joined
Dec 3, 2020
Messages
202
Location
UK
Melisa Gardner discovered that her acne was due to fluoride toxicity:

The Hidden Cause of Acne: How Toxic Water Is Affecting Your Health and What You Can Do about It​

Amazon product ASIN B075CRN5KKView: https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Cause-Acne-Affecting-Health-ebook/dp/B075CRN5KK
Interesting.... my local water supply actually has pretty low levels of fluoride! And I use filtered water and natural toothpaste which doesn't mean I am not exposed still but I think its perhaps lower than average... I think @haidut is right with his chart on estrogen and endotoxin cascades. But fixing that is easier said than done...
 

eimearrose

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Sep 22, 2012
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Thanks! I do not handle brussels very well but do include well cooked kale every once and a while.

I use a mix of coconut oil and high quality butter for my fats. I have also tried the fruitarian diet and it did help but as you say its not sustainable!
That was my thoughts on your other thread about feeling bad for your age, have you tried cutting down on your butter intake, ie cut fat intake without going full fruitarian? Referring to the starch and cravings pre-menstrual, I used to get pretty strong hunger before my period but aspirin seems to help a lot.
 

eimearrose

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Sep 22, 2012
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That was my thoughts on your other thread about feeling bad for your age, have you tried cutting down on your butter intake, ie cut fat intake without going full fruitarian? Referring to the starch and cravings pre-menstrual, I used to get pretty strong hunger before my period but aspirin seems to help a lot.
I've actually been experimenting with increasing my fat intake (mostly to see if it improves digestion) and my skin is pretty stable, not better but not worse either. I don't have full blown acne but get a few new breakouts on my forehead and shoulders at my two high estrogen times (ovulation and late luteal). I think now, on balance, fat intake doesn't have much impact on my skin, far bigger is current state of my gut and my stress levels (the more I train the worse my skin).
I have been lazy about the carrot recently too, just eating it and my gut isn't great and more pain with my period this time. I'm going to get back to the salad with salt, ACV and coconut oil.
I also like doing a raw honey face mask but I only do it once a week. Maybe I will try more often on my more stubborn spots on my shoulders. I usually mix in a few crushed aspirin tablets into the honey.
 

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