Hey people,

I am 21 and have had moderate acne for a number of years now and only in the past few years have I actively been trying to correct certain lifesytle factors to try and find a cause of my acne. First of all here is a list of habits I have implemented into my daily life:

Nutrition:

- I generally consume less carbs and the carbs I eat are on the lower end of the Glycemic Index (whole grain, legumes, rye etc.

- I cut outall fruits (sad) except for berries (low GI) -> cutting out bananas especially seemed to work very well for a while

- I limit anything with artifical sweeteners (e.g. rice protein powder)

- Incorporate alot more (healthy) fats (e.g. fish, almonds, hummus, avocado, organic eggs, tahini)

- cut out ALL dairy and mostly red meat too

- I intermittently fast (16/8 scheme)

- supplements : Fish oil, Vitamin D (winter), Zinc/Vitamin C complex and I also add a lot of curry (contains turmeric) to certain dishes (turmeric is supposedly strongly anti-inflammatory)

- Generally try to consume a lot of vegetables (or other potent sources of minerals and vitamins)

- drink a glass of carrot juice daily (Vitamin A/beta-carotenes) as Vitamin A is supposedly beneficial for skin health

- two cups of green tea a day (early during day so the caffeine doesnt interfere with sleep)

Sleep:

- I go to bed around 10-11pm (whenever I can) and turn off most lights and devices an hour befored bed -> goal is to get the best sleep quality I can.

- Mostly sleep 7-8 hours

Hygiene and Acne topicals:

- Use a serum with salicylic acid every night (after using a gentle face wash lotion) and moisturize subsequently. I rinse my face with cold water only (supposedly dries out skin less)

- Use some lighter topicals in the morning.

- When I work out and I sweat on my face, I never pat it dry with a towel but rather rinse my face at the sink (I only use paper tissues to dry my face at any time...what a waste I know /:)

- Showers are also always cold *feels good man*

- Change my bed pillow every 3-4 days and the rest every week

- keep the air in my room nice and clean (hoovering, open windows a lot)

I also workout a lot and ride my bike everywhere I go.. so I'm fairly active as well.

Most of these habits I incorporate into my daily life after doing a lot of online "research", especially concerning nutrition (reduce insulin insensitivity etc.), and some I'll admit are simply out of slight paranoia...although these habits don't stress me...

The one thing I feel is almost beyond my control is STRESS. I notice, during times of stress (emotional stress, Uni stress, etc.) Ibreak out more. Stress is the one thing I have a tough time managing. (I am thinking of getting my cortisol levels checked to see if they are alright) and I should probably meditate more or something.

According to a recent blood test my relevant hormone levels are in the ordinary range(testosterone etc.)

As for serious treatment: I have never taken accutane (as my acne isn't too bad and I feel that stuff could do my body more harm in the long run), but I am considering topical tretinoin ("retin-A")...although maybe after summer, as it makes your skin much more sensitive to UV light.

At this point my guess is that I have a genetic predisposition to develop acne and that my sebaceous glands are overactive or whatever... although I'm the only one in my family to have proper acne.

So I guess my questions are:

- Am I missing a big factor that could be contributing to my acne?

- Could stress alone (high cortisol) be sufficient to cause me to break out, even when I seemingly have "everything else under control"?

- Anybody else paying attention to SO MANY things, yet to no avail?

Anyway, if you made it this far (lol), thank you so much for your time and I would appreciate some feedback.Have a great day!