A Hidden Cause To Acne You Haven't Considered

I have been plagued with sensitive skin my entire life. It’s always been a struggle for me – keeping up with breakouts and maintaining a proper beauty routine. I’m the girl that – if I miss one night of makeup removal – will wake up in the morning with a face full of blotchy irritation.

But something has happened over the last month that made me realize the absolute cause of my lifelong struggle. And it has nothing to do with how expensive my Vitamin C serum retails for online. In fact, it really doesn’t have to do with anything that I put on my skin.

It has to do with what I put in my mouth.

A few months ago, I went gluten free. I did this because I was recently diagnosed with an auto-immune disease and my doctor suggested that the change in the diet would alleviate some of the symptoms I was feeling. I thought it couldn’t hurt to TRY the change and so I did just that – for about two months.

The results were astounding… on my skin. My face instantly cleared up and I had no trouble spots whatsoever. Even if I didn’t keep up with my morning and evening rituals, I didn’t see any negative impacts the next day.

It got me thinking! I have since started eating good ol’ gluten again and have learned a few things.

Please note: I also have a sulfite allergy (think soy sauce, anything pickled, and wine/ champagne to dumb it down but trust me, the list is hella long). If I eat food that has excessive sulfites, I break out in crazy hives and I have trouble breathing. I was actually put on asthma medication last year until we figured out what was going on! HOWEVER – over the last few weeks, I noticed that whenever I eat Chinese food, I break out and this makes sense because technically I am allergic to what’s in the food. My body is rejecting it. I’m not eating enough of the food to have a full blown reaction but I am eating enough to see a change in my face. It manifests as acne – not hives.

Over the weekend, I went out for Cuban food with my entire family. My cousin turned 22 and we all went out to celebrate. I ordered this delicious dish – stewed brisket over rice. Total heaven. Sopping in olives and drenched in flavor. I was in heaven. By the time I got home, I was SO SICK. Too much oil for me. I was beyond ill and ended up spending the majority of the night in the bathroom. Sorry for the graphic visual – but there is a point to this story. After getting sick and going to bed, I woke up the next morning to an entire face broken out with acne. The dish was just too rich for my body and as a result my body reacted. Too much oils makes me sick too and it shows on my face.

SO – the lesson – because there is one:

Food sensitivity: Get tested to see what your sensitivities are. Seek out a local doctor.
Avoid rich food that is drenched with oil: And when I say rich, I also mean fried. The dish that made me ill wasn’t fried, but there were better options on the menu and I should have went with them considering how fickle my stomach is and quickly it turns on me.
Take Note: Watch when your breakouts occur and THINK about what you ate the day before. Start being aware of your intake. You might be allergic to something or at least sensitive and that might be the cause of your flare ups! It isn’t always the moisturizer or your morning routine. I can absolutely tell you that! Because when I was gluten free, I had the same exact routine as I did every other day of my life and my skin was crystal clear.

Food impacts my skin. I have to eat plainly and cleanly in order to have a clear face and if I’m being honest with you, it’s worth it! Now that I have had this eye opener, I am totally OK with making this complete mind shift. If that’s all it’s going to take to avoid having to deal with adult acne, then I am IN!

Have you noticed that your food intake reflects your skin?