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Diet And Acne - Citrus, Caffeine, Cocoa, Dairy And Alcohol!

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(@fergscm)

Posted : 08/30/2013 6:54 pm

Hi all, I've been an acne sufferer my whole life. I've been on antibiotics, accutane and the contraceptive pill. All worked whilst I was on them but as soon as I stopped my acne came back just as bad as before. I'm 32 now and whilst I still get it bad I now know what triggers it. Stress is a big factor, but certain foods are also big triggers. Unfortunately they're all the fun foods! So I do still have them occasionally and I just have to be prepared for a massive breakout :(

 

* Citrus - oranges, mandarins, tangelos etc. Lemons and limes are fine. Breakouts occur (for me) around upper lip and chin area. More pustulated types (whiteheads) than cystic.

* Dairy - breakouts occur mostly on forehead. Cystic.

* Caffeine - one of the worst things for my skin :( even just one cup of tea! Cystic breakouts occur around jaw line and cheeks where hormonal acne occurs. I think this is because caffeine affects your adrenals, so increases the production of cortisol, which causes acne.

* Cocoa - same effect as caffeine for same reason.

* Alcohol - all types, even just a glass :( Cystic breakouts along jaw line and cheeks.

* Tomatoes - sometimes too many tomatoes also cause the breakouts but I have pinpointed where and what type of breakout yet. Might have something to do with the acid content.

* Fruit - especially juices, or any high sugar content fruit eg dried fruit, stone fruits, melons etc Apples and bananas are ok so I stick with these. Pears are not too bad either.

 

Interestingly, refined sugar and fatty foods don't really affect my acne! Strange! But high sugar intake can affect candida and I'm wondering if that might be linked to acne somehow. For me, I think most of my issues are hormonal and stem from high cortisol levels, which are affected by some of the food groups mentioned above.

 

So try cutting out these foods even just for two weeks and see how your skin goes. It's not fun and its not like we're not going to indulge now and then, but it might help you understand a bit more what triggers your acne.

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(@alternativista)

Posted : 09/01/2013 11:41 am

Cocoa has caffeine.

 

And everyone should go through a methodical elimination diet to determine their own intolerances.

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(@reneeawen)

Posted : 09/02/2013 8:31 pm

Half of the things you listed also caused my acne too. Thanks for sharing the same info :).

Actually, it might take more than just a couple of weeks before someone makes a decision as to whether or not a particular food was a trigger for them. Acne (especially cysts) can remain hidden under the skin for up to SIX WEEKS before emerging. The minute it's created, the formation doesn't just magically break apart. It has to grow, show up, stay put until it pops, heal, then fade away. This entire process can take around three or so months depending on how big and severe the acne is, as well as the skin type. People need to be aware that the body needs time to heal, and that acne needs to run its course before it is literally considered gone. I've had huge cysts pop but not completely empty out, and the very next week a few white heads show up around the previous cyst. What happened was that the white crap didn't completely disappear, it only moved a few more millimeters to the left/right, creating another pimple that wasn't from the original source. It was completely related to the cyst that had already happened. Taking pictures is a great way to keep track of the breakouts until they are COMPLETELY gone :).

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(@alternativista)

Posted : 09/03/2013 4:43 pm

I feel the cysts the next day after I eat citrus. And I don't mean with my fingers. And after I started eating a more anti inflammatory diet, what few I got were much smaller, much less inflamed and healed in less than a week.

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(@whoartthou1)

Posted : 09/03/2013 5:07 pm

I know what diet I need to follow if I want to remain about 90% acne free. Basically all I can eat are leafy greens, grass fed meats (100 % grass finished as well), healthy fats such as olive oil (since I live in california, it must be COOC approved), wild caught fishes.

The problem with such a diet is that there are times where I am out and about with people, and the restaurant we choose to go to has none of the above options. I notice even if I cheat a little bit my acne comes rushing back.

Not sure how I can fix this issue

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