“Skincare” isn’t just about what you smear on your face (although that matters too!). It’s also about what you put in your mouth. From dry skin to aging to acne, a surprising number of skin problems have at least something to do with your food. And even if there’s nothing specifically wrong, a healthy diet can still help you get that beautiful glow that no amount of makeup can really fake.
This isn’t to say that all skin problems are caused by diet – they aren’t. For example, acne also has a powerful genetic component that has nothing to do with what you eat. But a huge number of people do notice dramatic skin improvements when they go Paleo, so it’s worth trying to figure out why that might be, and what might be worth trying if you’re not seeing the magic for yourself.
The Problem: Acne/Greasy Skin
The idea that diet affects acne is controversial to begin with, and some doctors still maintain that there isn’t a relationship at all. But clearer skin is such a common side effect of going Paleo that acne has a whole article of its own. To quickly summarize:
Gut health and skin health are connected. If your gut flora aren’t happy, your skin probably won’t be happy either. So if you have any acne trouble, your first stop should be healing your gut: think probiotic foods, bone broth, and potentially a consultation with a medical professional to talk about issues like SIBO or FODMAPs intolerance.
Dairy is a commonly cited acne trigger; it’s worth a 30-day elimination trial to see if it helps.
Eating a lot of simple carbs may trigger hormone fluctuations that cause acne. This doesn’t mean “go off the deep end and eliminate everything but meat,” but you might have some luck eating smaller servings of starchy foods as an experiment.
This study found that acne patients had lower serum levels of Vitamins A, E, and zinc than controls, suggesting that deficiencies might possibly have something to do with it.
Some research also suggests that overdose of Vitamins B6 and B12 could cause breakouts. This isn’t an issue for most people, but if you tend to eat a lot of liver, it might be worth cutting down to see if it helps.
It’s possible that different people might have specific individual acne triggers as well; chocolate in particular is a food that gets a huge variety of anecdotal reports each way.
It’s also important to remember that acne can sometimes be the symptom, not the problem. Sometimes, it has hormonal causes that go well beyond your skin – problems like Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) or thyroid issues. In that case, a good diet can help treat the underlying problem causing the hormonal changes, but the wisest thing is to see a doctor, not try to treat yourself with elimination diets.
