Curing My Acne

And why doctors never actually helped

I think anyone who has tried anything outside the norm with their health has usually gone through something challenging and gotten to a moment where they were simply fed up. Fed up with being told there was a solution yet never reaching it. Fed with being given answers that never amounted to anything. And fed up with feeling like they were some anomaly. That was me in 2020. I had dealt with cystic acne for 10+ years and had tried everything. Cod liver oil, diet changes, oil pulling, prescribed topicals, accutane, spironolactone, changing my towels, swapping out my pillow cases, and anything else that was mentioned to me. But the flares just kept coming. So I kept seeing doctor after doctor until a dermatologist said one sentence and I finally said fuck this. After our 3 minute conversation about my acne: “We can just prescribe you an antibiotic and clear everything out.” That was my moment. That was my absolutely fed up moment.

And that’s when everything changed. So I thought I would put it all in a condensed format here for you. Here is everything I would do if I could go back in time. I would not take accutane, I would not take spironolactone, but I would start taking a deeper look inside at what was missing and what was off within my body, and this is what I would do moving forward:

1. I would eat fiber. FIBER FIBER FIBER. Both soluble and insoluble, 30-40g/day. Fiber will help the body detox of excess hormones instead of recycling them back into the body which can in turn cause more acne. Not only will your poop be better, but you’ll also be much more satiated, all while supporting your skin.

   1. Best sources of soluble fiber: beans, oats, peas, apples, citrus, and carrots

   2. Best sources of insoluble fiber: whole grains, veggies, potatoes, nuts, and chia seeds

2. I would take zinc. Zinc is all around a killer supplement to help support your immune system, but it also is an essential mineral for wound healing. I prefer a 15mg zinc + copper supplement (zinc can deplete copper in the body so it’s great if you can get one that has both), but there are great foods with zinc in them as well.

   1. Best food sources of zinc: oysters, beef, crab, pumpkin seeds, and lentils.

3. I would reduce my stress. If you have a sensitive body like I do, stress will forever plop a cystic zit on your forehead. The less stress on the body, the better. And that even includes exercise. Little did I know, I was creating a really unhealthy environment in my body when I was doing CrossFit and any high intensity exercise.

4. And last but not least, I would remove skincare and makeup with pore clogging ingredients. I put this one last because after eating enough fiber, taking zinc, and reducing my stress, I don’t need to change my skincare or makeup so this one hasn’t held true over time. It may have helped some so I’m leaving it on this list, but not enough longterm.

I still eat dairy. I still eat sugar. But the main difference now is that I eat fiber-rich foods every day, I take a daily zinc supplement, and I have completely changed my lifestyle in terms of stress. It wasn’t my pillowcase or my towel breaking me out. And it definitely wasn’t my need for an antibiotic. It was the fact that my diet was not supporting me and my needs.

When I was at my fed up moment, I found out about The Bean Protocol and my entire life changed. And even though I no longer eat beans 6x/day, I still eat 30-40g of fiber per day because of that experience. I also no longer deal with gut issues (needing to eat gluten free or staying away from certain foods) because the beans created such so much beneficial bacteria in my gut over time. My gut microbiome has never been healthier and therefore my skin is healthier.

In a world where we are constantly prescribed medication (which definitely does help at times, let me be clear), I hope to be a voice of healing through simplicity. And these simple steps made all the difference with my acne. I normally have a breakout or two during my period or times of travel, but I usually can keep things under control with these steps. And I hope they can do the same for you if you are struggling.