I'm looking to start getting into working out. I'm already lean but just want to build more muscle mass, so I thought about getting a supplement while working out. Whey seems to be the golden standard.
2 issues: I'm lactose intolerant and acne.
I don't get much acne (some here and there) which is much MUCH less than I used to get. Even though I'm lactose intolerant, I would still be able to consume things with cheese or some butter or ice cream. I think cutting dairy out completely (thanks to acne.org suggestions) is what SAVED me and completely turned around my acne.
There were posts where people suggested getting whey isolate and it didn't cause them issues, but these same people said they would mix it with milk or also had yogurt and didn't have issues. So for someone that DOES have acne issues from dairy, is whey isolate still fine / isolated enough from the hormones or other acne inducing parts of dairy?
I've also read on here to avoid soy due to hormones, so that seems to rule out soy protein too.
Whey is just protein, no lactose. Unless you have a whey sensitivity, whey protein should give you no issues.
Acne can result from a whey sensitivity. It'll be inflamed, possibly cystic (but it doesn't have to be). Acne could more likely result from the lactose part of the milk, which can feed bacteria that you don't want (if you have some sort of mild dysbiosis, usually asymptomatic). Hormones may or may not be a cause.
Some people on the forums noted they had a problem with whey protein while others didn't. It seemed those that didn't may also have not had a problem with milk or dairy in general - in terms of acne.
What I'm trying to figure out is whether those who break out from milk also break out from the whey isolate. I would rather find this out based on peoples' prior experience than to kick in the acne on high intensity again.
I've used just about every protein powder they make, from a variety of sources, for over 8 years. Whey protein is by far the best for your body and muscle growth. Having said that, it can contribute to acne because 1) there MAY be milk products in them and 2) whenever you build muscle you elevate various hormones like Testosterone and DHT.
I would suggest two options. You can try a high quality whey isolate powder, which will filter out much of the milk products. Some whey concentrates do have miniscule amounts of lactose; isolates usually do not. I would also recommend rice protein; it is not as good for muscls growth as whey but it is still usefull. Rice protein is very easy on sensitive digestive systems and most people don't have any reactions to it.