No milk/No Dairy : Dairy Free Diet

I started a new diet and workout routine a few months back. the popular 21 day fix. I never ate super bad before hand but wanted to see results (I'm thinking and lack muscle tone) and specifically needed to up my protein consumption. one of the easiest ways to do this was with dairy products...cheese, milk, yogurt. I was having multiple servings of these a day. after about a week, I felt sick to my stomach (thought I had the stomach flu, but no temperature), was breaking out in the middle of my forehead (with actual pimples, not the little annoying comedonal acne I am prone to), and felt very gassy and bloated. I cut back on my dairy consumption for the next week and the breakouts disappeared along with my uncomfortable stomach. another thing to keep in mind is protein shakes, lots of those are milk proteins. I also had started drinking these at the time. I don't care for milk or yogurt really and never consumed much of it to begin with but things got worse once I did. I would definitely recommend trying to eliminate dairy if you are acne prone, just to see what happens.

I am 30 years old and had never suffered with bad skin, even in my teenage years I had great skin. However, I was on BC pill for approx. 8 years from age 19-27 but then at 27 decided I wanted to give myself a break. I quickly lost around 20lbs without changing my liefestyle / diet at all, BUT my skin started breaking out like crazy - I suffered with Perioral Dermatitis as well as acne all around my jaw / chin area. After over 2 years of trying all sorts of topical things I decided I'd had enough and read into it a little bit more. It screamed hormonal issues to me, seeing as though the problems arose when I stopped BC pill and the acne was centred around my jaw / chin, so no amount of topical treatments will really help the issue. I came across lots of people saying cutting dairy really helped... well, I am three weeks in to cutting dairy (changed to soya milk and olive oil spread (bertolli)) and my skin has never looked better, I have gone from having lots of deep cystic breakouts (where one would clear and another would pop up next to it on a daily basis) to having pretty much nothing and the clearest skin since I was a teenager! I have also read that it doesn't work for some people, but I would definitely say it is worth a shot! As I am getting married next year and was constantly fretting about the pictures etc. I can't express how happy I am!!! :)

I've struggled with acne, especially cystic acne, since I was a freshman in high school. I spent years experimenting with dermatologist products, I tried every face wash, astringent, moisturizer, spot treatment and sunscreen on the market. Nothing really worked, and many products burned my skin chemically. One day I came across a blog about dairy being the culprit of acne, so I gave it a shot. I cut out all dairy for three weeks, and the results were incredible. My skin immediately stopped breaking out, and the acne that was there dried up completely. After experimenting, I now know which foods cause breakouts, and which I can get away with eating from time to time. There are SO many dairy free options; yogurt, milk, ice cream, cheese, cream cheese...so eliminating the real thing wasn't impossible. However, I will cheat occasionally with real ice cream or cheese, but I know the consequences now. I encourage all of you to try it, even if its just for a week! It's so nice knowing the cause of my breakouts.

For 8 years I suffered from acne during the time that I was pregnant and breastfeeding, so my acne could not be treated with medicines. I tried everything that I could until I finally gave up 100% of dairy products, and anything made or cooked with dairy and within a couple of weeks the cysts on my face flatted and the acne went away. I was acne-free for about two years. I recently went on and off the BC pill (due to excessive hair loss) and have suffered another bout with severe acne. I think that becoming vegan would help my skin even more, but on the dairy-free diet, I've become so thin (I'm over 5'5" and 100 pounds), that I think that I might wither away on the vegan diet.

I eliminated dairy for 3 months and I still get acne breakouts, eliminating daiy from my diet didn't do jack sh*t

Had acne for a decade. Since i eliminated dairy from my diet it took just 2 weeks for my back acne to clear!! Substitute your milk for almond milk and your whey protein for vegan blend, or high quality izolate since it has considerably less lactose than concetrate.

Eliminating dairy completely from my diet has cleared my acne 95%. For a while I had eliminated all dairy except butter, which I liked to cook with. However, I found that even butter was behind my severe back acne. In my view, the key is to make sure that everything that you are ingesting is free of dairy and milk products. When I go out to eat, I make sure that the dishes that I order do not have dairy, or I go to a vegan restaurant to be 100% sure. I've had moderate to severe acne since my teenage years (I'm now 28), so such an unpleasant dietary change I am willing to do for clear skin.

I stopped eating dairy 2 months ago and it has dramatically reduced my acne and now on the extremely rare occasion when I do eat something containing dairy I get huge & painful cysts. I've also reduced my oil and sugar intake and that alongside of being dairy free has made all the difference. I only have about 5 active breakouts the rest is just mild scaring that will go away on its own and with a lot of water intake. Skin Type: Acne Prone / Combination Skin Skin Routine: This is my current skin routine that has been really working for me, eventually I'm going to transition into more natural products. - Acne.org Cleanser & Spot treatment - THAYERS alcohol- free Aloe Vera Toner - Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture - Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture with SPF - For make up I use Cover Fx which is good for acne prone skin Suggestions: - Drink A LOT of water or tea (green tea and I've heard that Rooibos tea is also good for acne but Ive never tired that) - Substitute cows milk with almond milk or soy (I like almond milk) - If you really want to eat cheese you can buy Vegan cheese (I don't) - When eating outside ask if your meal contains dairy and try to eat fresh foods that don't require a lot (salad, sandwiches, beans etc) or eat at vegan / vegetarian spot.

If you are struggling with acne wether it be light, moderate or severe I STRONGLY suggest you go milk/dairy/meat free JUST FOR 6 MONTHS so you can see a difference. If it has no effect on your skin, then maybe dairy isn't a factor in your acne. For me, I went vegan one month ago and my acne COMPLETELY VANISHED. I am eating a lot of organic fruits and vegetables and nothing that comes in a package. I've been struggling with acne for as long as I can remember and I know for a fact going vegan helped tremendously. I was also using the Indian Healing clay mask (with AVC) and I was drinking A LOT OF TEA. Green tea, white tea, black tea, etc. I hope all of you at least try this method, It has been a life saver for me!

I suffered from severe acne starting in high school, and it continued into my undergraduate career. I'm now 26 and acne free with the best skin I've ever had. I even get compliments from strangers! My acne was so bad, I would want to stay home from school so people could not see my face. I was so embarrassed, I would take being sick to stay home. I'm sure my parents knew the real reason, but they went along with it anyway. The amount of times I went to the dermatologist is uncountable and the number of medications I took to clear my skin is enormous. I have taken several types of daily antibiotics over the course of yeas that I am paying for still today in the form of several digestive problems. If your are taking antibiotics for acne, please, please, please, try and discontinue! They are pointless and will cause so many terrible side effects. I was becoming desperate and depressed. I also was developing small scars on my face, so during times when my skin was relatively clear, I was still embarrassed about my appearance. I was giving up. When I was 22 and finishing my undergrad degree, I developed a lactose sensitivity and severe irritable bowel syndrome stemming from the antibiotic use to treat my acne. I now had to begin cutting out dairy. It was very difficult! I loved ice cream, pizza, and especially those string cheese sticks! Over a few months I was able to cut out nearly all dairy. As a result my skin cleared along with how much dairy I removed from my diet. My mind was blown! Because of this, I started to pay very close attention to what else I could eliminate to help my skin. I reduced sugar, began drinking more water, and cooking only with olive and coconut oil to name the bigger changes in my diet. Over the past four years, my skin has changed completely! My skin is nearly flawless. My lactose sensitivity has been bittersweet - a blessing in disguise. I highly recommend removing dairy from your diet or at least greatly reducing it. Even triggers that caused breakouts before do not affect me - dehydration, stress, lack of sleep, etc... I just completed my graduate degree. It was the most stressful and exhausting time of my life thus far, but I never had a problem with my skin! Diet changes take time, and the clearing of your skin may take more time. I understand that diet alterations may not work for everyone, but it is worth a try! There is also research to support the inflammatory affects of dairy on the human body. An article titled "Evidence for Acne Promoting Effects of Milk and Other Insulinotropic Dairy Products" by Bodo C. Melnik (2011) discusses the relationship between dairy, inflammation, and acne. Do your research! Best of luck with your fight against acne! -CJ