For the longest time dermatologists and researchers were outright denying any sort of link between diet and skin. It all started in the 1960s with a study that examined the effects of eating chocolate and acne. 65 participants with “moderate acne” were asked to eat chocolate bars every day for a month. Some were even consuming an excess of 1,200 calories daily from just chocolate!

2. Anti-Acne Diet Based on
70 Studies (2024): What to
Eat for Clear Skin!
Let me first acknowledge the fact that I’m perfectly aware
there’s plenty of pushback on this topic. Some people
wholeheartedly believe in the acne and diet connection;
others are somewhat skeptical about this entire holistic
approach. I’m somewhere in the middle, and that’s
probably the tone that this article will take.
While yes, I do think health is of the upmost importance, I
have a fair warning for everybody: the journey of
elimination dieting to weed out every possible trigger or
food intolerance to achieve clear skin is a loooooong one.
Don’t underestimate the length of this process.
And more importantly, if you decide to go this route, don’t
subvert yourself to psychological stress! The last thing
you wanna do is scrutinize every morsel of food thinking

3. it’ll cause a breakout. Peace of mind is just as important
as a healthy diet. Have balance, take it slow, and treat
yourself occasionally!
Without further ado, let’s get into it. I’ll try my best to be
as objective as possible. Hopefully you find it resourceful!
What’s the Link Between
Diet and Acne?
For the longest time dermatologists and researchers
were outright denying any sort of link between diet and
skin. It all started in the 1960s with a study that examined
the effects of eating chocolate and acne. 65 participants
with “moderate acne” were asked to eat chocolate bars
every day for a month. Some were even consuming an
excess of 1,200 calories daily from just chocolate!
Surprisingly, the study found nothing. Nada. Zip.
Everyone went, “Welp. The juries out. No link here! Let’s

4. go get some snickers, chocolate shakes, and avoid this
topic for the next 40 years.” And that’s roughly what
happened. This subject wasn’t revisited again until the
mid 2000’s! Almost 40 years later. Crazy right?
What caused the
newfound interest?
The fact that acne appears to be a westernized disease.
In other words, it’s completely non-existent outside of
many industrialized civilizations! Two examples being the
Kitavans from Papua New Guinea, and the Aché hunter-
gatherers from Paraguay.
Could you imagine that? Two civilizations that have never
known what the damn of existence of a pimple feels like.
LUCKY SONS OF BEES!
So why have the skincare gods blessed these people
with pimple-free faces?

5. Turns out it’s (probably) their diet. The foods they
consume, by and large, allow them to remain free of any
blemishes.
Unsurprisingly, their cuisine is very different than the
Standard American Diet.
Staples include sweet potato, taro, cassava, leafy greens,
breadfruit, coconut, and fruits like papaya, banana,
guava, pineapple, mango, and watermelon. They also eat
lots of fish and occasionally have pork. Their
macronutrient composition is roughly 69% carbohydrates,
21% fat, and 10% protein.
You may have noticed that this is a rather low-glycemic
diet, free of dairy, grains, polyunsaturated oils, alcohol,
coffee, tea, or processed sugar. Or uh…. essentially
EVERYTHING that puts the SAD in Standard American
Diet.

6. Fun fact #1: SAD is the actual acronym for the Standard
American Diet. The insinuation couldn’t be anymore
obvious here — eat SAD and pimples will make you sad.
And that’s really the crux of the argument that kick-
started this research again. That is;
 Acne is non-existent in places that don’t follow a
western diet.
 People that follow a western diet sometimes have
acne.
 Therefore, something about the western diet leads to
acne.

7. How Does Diet Affect
Acne?
In the most basic
sense improving acne
(and health) through
diet comes down to
just 4 factors.
1. Increase nutrient density
We are what we eat. Our body is a very complex system
that requires a variety of vitamins, minerals, fatty acids,
amino acids, and antioxidants to function optimally.
Eating foods devoid of nutritional content gives our
bodies little support and hinders its ability to heal
damaged tissue and reduce inflammation.
2. Improve gut health

8. As outlined in my guide about probiotics for skin health,
we have trillions of bacteria in our guts that play a
humongous role in quite literally everything: mental
health, nutrient absorption, disease prevention, immune
system regulation etc.
Scientist don’t call our gut the second brain for sh*ts and
giggles! (6) Keep your gut health happy, and your skin
will be happy.
3. Regulate hormones
Hormonal acne, anyone? Yeah, it’s no secret that’s a
thing. Turns out a lot of foods can disrupt hormones.
Needless to say, if you’re suffering from hormonal acne
you’ll want to avoid these. Don’t worry, we will go over
those foods in a bit.
4. Regulate the immune system
This one goes hand in hand with all the points above. We
regulate our immune system by restoring our gut barrier
function, giving support to our gut microorganisms,

9. balancing hormones, and focusing on micronutrients.
This can all be done with food!
Dairy and Acne
There’s a fair amount of research on this topic. Scientists
have now found an association between dairy and acne
across 3 different populations (United States, Italy, and
Malaysia). Let’s go over the research done in the U.S.
first.
Quick disclaimer: a lot of the studies weren’t very well
controlled and relied on questionnaires, so the

10. association here is a bit weak. With that said, I have no
doubt there may be some truth to this, but from an
epidemiological perspective the evidence is still lacking.
Anyway, here’s what the studies found:
 A food frequency questionnaire involving 47,355
young ladies in high school, found a positive
association between dairy intake and acne. The link
was strongest for skim milk, followed by whole milk,
instant breakfast drink, sherbet, cream cheese, and
cottage cheese. Surprisingly, no significant
association was found for pizza, chocolate candy,
and other dairy foods.
 A prospective cohort study (in other words, it followed
the same participants for 4 years — in this case
4,273 teenaged boys), found a positive association
between skim milk and acne through a food
questionnaire. The link was weaker for milk with
higher fat content.
 Another longitudinal questionnaire involving 6,094
adolescent girls found a positive association between

11. acne and the consumption of whole milk, low-fat milk,
and skim milk.
Moving on to the studies outside the U.S. These were
both published more recently 2012.
 A case-control study involving 88 patients from
Malaysia (44 of which had acne), were asked to log
their food for 3 days straight. The researchers found
that a higher intake of diary, particularly milk and ice
cream, was associated with acne.
 A case-control study conducted in Italy involving 563
patients between the ages of 11 and 24 (205 with
moderate or severe acne, and 358 with mild or no
acne), found a higher association of acne with
increased dairy intake via a food frequency
questionnaire. The association was strongest for
skim milk, but other types of milk didn’t reach
statistical significance. In other words, all types of
milk pretty much sucked balls.

12. Lastly, a 2018 meta-analysis (i.e. a study that reviews
and combines all other studies) found an association
between acne and dairy consumption.
And that’s really it in terms of the research! Just a bunch
of questionnaires and food surveys, all finding that dairy
(especially milk), is linked to acne.
However, the biggest problem with this data set is that it’s
all correlational. This means it’s entirely possible there
are other confounding variables skewing the results. For
example, maybe people that eat dairy also consume
more sugar which we know disturbs endocrinologic
function.

13. Questionnaires are also considered low-quality evidence
because people are notoriously bad at self-reporting
data. Case in point, do you remember what you had for
dinner three nights ago? You’re probably struggling to
think of that right now.
Why Does Milk Cause
Acne Potentially?
There are currently three different hypotheses.
1. Cow milk was intended to help little baby calves grow,
and as such contains all kinds of growth hormones and
anabolic steroids. This stuff ain’t good for acne.
“Milk contains estrogens, progesterone, the androgen
precursors androstenedione and
dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate, and 5a-reduced steroids
like 5a-androstanedione, 5a-pregnanedione, and
dihydrotestosterone, some of which have been implicated
in comedogenesis.”

14. 2. Processed milk may contain synthetic bovine
somatotropin bST or rbST.
That’s right. As if the natural hormones in milk weren’t
bad enough already, our brilliant human minds decided to
give cow’s additional ones (bST) to help increase their
milk production.
bST may increase insulin-like growth factor 1 in humans.
And long story short, enhances a person’s sensitivity to
insulin. (12, 13) Insulin being the hormone produced by
the pancreas, which basically keeps your blood sugar
levels in check.

15. Why is it bad that milk increases both of insulin and IGF-
1? Because IGF-1 and increased levels of insulin have
been linked to the pathology of acne. (14, 15, 16, 17)
Specifically by increasing sebum production and
keratinocyte proliferation.
English translation = it causes your skin to become more
oily and “sticky.” Sticky meaning that the skin cells don’t
separate like they should and begin clumping together.
This occurs because keratinocytes (a type of skin cell)
begin growing excessively, and don’t “differentiate,” or
separate as they should. (18) This excess cell growth
eventually leads to clogged pores > clogged pores lead
to inflammation > and lalalala…. BAM! A sexy new
pimple.
“Sebum production may be influenced by androgens and
hormonal mediators, such as sex hormone binding
globulin (SHBG) and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I),
all of which may be influenced by dietary factors.”
And last but not least.…

16. 3. The carbohydrate content of dairy also increases
insulin and IGF-1. Again, this is bad for the reasons listed
above.
Here’s the major takeaway: dairy is bad for acne because
it has natural (and sometimes synthetic) growth
hormones and anabolic steroids. These increase serum
insulin levels and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1),
which have been linked to the pathology of acne.
Acne and Glycemic Load
Remember those Kitavans we were talking about earlier?
Well, here’s some food for thought (pun intended)! �
Sorry, I’m bad at puns and got excited.
“The Western diet has also been researched as a
potential cause of acne. It has been noted that acne is
absent in native non-Westernized populations, such as in
Papua New Guinea and Paraguay. Therefore,
investigators have examined the role of the Western diet,
which typically corresponds to a high glycemic load diet.”

17. Notice the emphasis on “high glycemic load diet”.
Turns out that certain carbs can cause acne. Namely
those with a “high-glycemic index.” I will list these in just a
bit, but first let’s go over what glycemic load is.
Glycemic load is simply the measure of how a specific
food will raise a person’s blood sugar levels. If you recall
from the information above, this is bad because having
more glucose in your blood requires the body to produce
more insulin.
“Insulin and high-glycemic index are perhaps the two
most scientifically and clinically, associated factors with
acne.”
Let me repeat that again just to make sure I got the point
across.
 Excess insulin = bad for acne.
 High glycemic-index diet = more insulin.

18. Got it? Cool. Therefore, avoiding foods with high
glycemic loads should reduce insulin levels and decrease
acne. That’s exactly what studies have found. Let’s
quickly summarize them.
 A study involving 31 dudes (males) with acne
between the ages of 15 and 25, found a low glycemic
diet reduced total acne count by 59% after 12 weeks.

19.  A 12 weeks study with 43 male participant with mild
to moderate acne found a low glycemic diet high in
protein reduced acne. Whereas a diet high in
glycemic load made acne worse. Here’s some before
and afters from 2 participants following the low-
glycemic diet.
 A 12 week study with 43 male acne patients aged 15-
25, found a low-glycemic diet helped decrease acne
count.
How Does a Low-Glycemic
Diet Help Acne?
In all these studies a low-glycemic diet did 3 things.
1. It increased insulin sensitivity so the body wouldn’t
have to create more insulin to keep glucose levels in
check.

20. 2. Reduced androgen levels, a hormone mostly known
for controlling male sex characteristics (though women
have androgens too.)!
You’ve probably heard of “testosterone” before. That
would an example of an androgen hormone. Anti-
androgen therapy (for example, birth control) reduces
overall sebum production and comedone formation. In
other words, having less androgen makes skin less oily
and prone to clogged pores.
3. It increased sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG)
levels!
SHBG is protein produced by the liver that binds to 3
different hormones: estrogen, dihydrotestosterone (DHT),
and testosterone. Think of it as the thing that keeps your
hormones in balance. The more of this you have, the
better your hormones stay regulated.
Guess what decreases SHBG? INSULIN and IGF-1!

21. That insulin and IGF-1 be causing all kinds of acne, huh?
By now you’re probably thinking, “JUST TELL ME WHAT
FOODS TO AVOID DAMN IT.” I gotchu! Here’s an
extensive list of foods with their respective glycemic index
numbers. All credit goes to the Harvard Health
Publications for this chart. Foods below 55 would be
considered low GI value, whereas foods above 55 are
considered high GI (things to avoid).
Omega 6 and Omega 3 for
Acne
Another key differentiator between the Western diet, and
hunter gatherers is the ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 fatty
acids.
Omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids are considered
“essential fats” because the human body cannot
synthesize them. They can only be obtained through

22. food. These fats play a crucial role in the health of cells
and maintaining brain and nerve function.
It is assumed that humans evolved on a diet that had a
1:1 omega 6 to 3 ratio. In other words, our primal
ancestors were eating equal parts omega 6 to omega 3
fatty acids in their diet. Moreover, the current scientific
evidence suggests that the ideal ratio for optimum health
is roughly 4 to 1 or lower.
Indeed, studies have shown that an omega 6 to omega 3
ratio of 2-4:1 is beneficial for many diseases including
rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, colorectal cancer etc.,
whereas an excessive amount of omega 6 is linked to
chronic inflammation, heart disease, arthritis, and cancer.
Excess omega-6 fatty acids from vegetable oils interfere
with the health benefits of omega-3 fats, in part because
they compete for the same rate-limiting enzymes. A high
proportion of omega-6 to omega-3 fat in the diet shifts the
physiological state in the tissues toward the pathogenesis
of many diseases: prothrombotic, proinflammatory, and
proconstrictive.

23. So what is the omega 6 to 3 ratio for the modern Western
diet? The average is 15/1-16.7/1!
You read that right! Around 16 to FREAKING 1! That
means that the modern Western diet sees an excess of 4
to 16 times the amount of omega 6 fatty acids than is
recommended! And we wonder why so many health
epidemics are on the rise. Sigh.…
Guess what the ratio is for hunter-gatherer civilizations
with no acne and few chronic inflammatory diseases?
You guessed it…. around the recommended 1-3:1.
To make matters more interesting, research has shown
that eczema, acne, and psoriasis are all linked to
abnormalities in the metabolism of essential fatty acids .

24. For example, the skin surface lipids of acne-prone
individuals are deficient in linoleic acid — an essential
omega 6 fatty acid and structural component of skin
ceramides.
If you recall from my guide about pH and the acid mantle,
ceramides and fatty acids play an important role in the
health of the skin’s barrier function. A weakened moisture
barrier is less capable of fighting off pathogens, which
can lead to various skin diseases.
This suggests that an imbalance of omega 6 to omega 3
through diet manifest itself on the skin level. This might
occur for a number of reasons. One hypothesis being that
omega 6 and omega 3 essential fatty acids have a push-
pull relationship by competing for the same enzymes,
which often leads to a deficiency of one or the other.
But the question remains, does an ideal omega 6 to 3
ratio (1-4:1) change the composition of fatty acids in the
skin enough to eliminate or reduce acne?

25. It’s hard to say, but the science is heading in the direction
of yes. For example, two study on guinea pigs found that
increasing the intake of essential fatty acids through diet
increases the levels of those fatty acids in skin. (35, 36)
Of course, we’re not guinea pigs so that’s not entirely
relevant to us. But more convincingly, a 12 week study
done on women found that daily supplementation with 2.2
grams of flaxseed or borage oil had skin benefits!
Specifically, skin hydration significantly increased,
transepidermal water loss (TEWL) decreased, and major
improvements in scaling, roughness, and redness were
also seen. This occurred because borage oil has high
levels of linoleic and gamma-linolenic acid, and flaxseed
oil has high levels alpha-linolenic acid and linoleic acid.
This may be good for acne because acne-prone
individuals are deficient in these specific fatty acids!

26. And more recently another study found that daily
supplementation with 2.2 grams of flaxseed oil improves
barrier function, decreases skin sensitivity, and reduces
erythema induced redness.
In other words, this might help with post inflammatory
erythema (PIE)! (The red marks left behind from old
acne.) We will discuss this in more detail in the
supplements section of this blogpost.
Fun fact #2: there’s also some evidence that flaxseed oil
helps with multiple sclerosis. Yeah, flaxseed oil is pretty
cool.
The major takeaway: keep your omega 6 to 3 ratio in
check (approximately 1-3:1)! Doing so balances the lipid
structure of skin which could
help acne, reduce skin
dryness, redness, scaling,
and roughness. Here’s a
quote from a research paper
that said it best.

27. “The Omega-6 fatty acids are thought to induce more
pro-inflammatory mediators and have been associated
with the development of inflammatory acne. On the other
hand, intake of high levels of omega-3 fatty acids is
associated with decreases in inflammatory factors. In
addition there are epidemiological studies that
demonstrate that increasing the intake of omega-3 fatty
acids through a diet rich in fish and seafood results in
lower rates of inflammatory disease”.
As for which foods are high in omega 6 and omega 3…
List of Omega 6 and Omega 3
Foods
 Borage Oil (supplementing with this is good for skin)
 Barley (sorry beer lovers(
 Cereals
 Corn
 Cottonseed oil
 Durum Wheat
 Eggs

28.  Millet
 Nuts (cashews, pecans, pine nuts, walnuts, almonds
etc .
(
 Oats
 Oat Flour
 Pasta
 Poultry (Chicken, Turkey, Pork, Ham(
 Pumpkin Seeds
 Quinoa (uncooked(
 Rye
 Spelt
 Vegetable Oils (Soybean Oil, Sunflower Seed Oil,
Safflower Oil, Canola oil, Grape Seed Oil, Evening
Primrose Oil, Blackcurrant Seed Oil, Hemp Oil, Olive
Oil, Corn Oil(
 Wheat Germ
Omega 3 things to consume more of:
 Brussels sprouts
 Chia Seeds
 Cod Liver Oil (this is the one I use(
 Egg Yolks

29.  Fish (Mackerel, Salmon, Tuna, White Fish, Sardines,
Anchovies, Halibut, Herring, Trout(
 Flaxseed Oil (supplementing with this is good for
skin; has a 1:3 omega 6 to 3 ratio. This is the one I
use .
(
 Grass Fed Beef
 Ground Flax Seed
 Hemp Seeds
 Kale
 Mint
 Natto
 Oysters
 Parsley
 Spinach
 Watercress
 Walnuts
Vitamins for Acne: A, D, and E

30. If there were three vitamins that you should focus on the
most for skin health they would be vitamins A, D, and E.
Let’s first start with vitamin A.
By now you’ve probably heard of the acne-killing badass
Accutane (a.k.a. isotretinoin). If you haven’t, worry not.
It’s a prescription drug for severe cases of acne.
Consider it the nuclear option for all things acne
murdering. To this day, there isn’t anything more effective
for treating acne, and its success rate teeters around
90% across all users. It does however, come with its
share of potential side effects.
Why did I bring this up?
Because Accutane is just a synthetic metabolite of
vitamin A. LOTS OF IT! Hence, there is an assumption
that consuming lots of vitamin A from whole foods would
have a similar impact on skin and reduce acne. What
evidence is there of this?

31. For one, a higher level of vitamin A in the body is linked
to lower skin pH and reduced sebum content! Two things
which help reduce acne.
Furthermore, a deficiency in vitamin A can cause
numerous complications like dry skin, dry hair, brittle
fingernails, and if severe enough — blinding. Brittle skin
is less capable of healing itself, which is bad for acne.
Vitamin A is also found in the sebaceous (oil) glands of
skin.
Fun fact #3: that’s actually how the anti-aging all star
tretinoin works. It attaches to our natural retinoid
receptors which synthesizes vitamin A in the skin.
Quick aside, not all vitamin A is treated equal. We will
discuss this later, but don’t think eating copious amounts
of carrots will get rid of your acne overnight.

32. Anyhow, remember how we discussed that milk messes
with keratinocyte biology by causing skin cells
(keratinocytes) to grow excessively and “stick” together?
Studies have shown that vitamin A and D both have
“antiproliferative effects” on skin. In other words, they
help keep things working optimally on a cellular level by
regulating growth and differentiation.
This is why vitamin A and D are approved treatments for
stuff like acne, photoaging, aging skin, kaposi sarcoma (a
type of cancer), and psoriasis — they both help regulate
defects in cell biology which are a major culprit in many of
these conditions.
Perhaps you’ve wondered why Retin-A (tretinoin) is a
commonly prescribed acne treatment? That would be
because it’s a derivative of vitamin A.
Fun fact #4: supplementing with vitamin A and getting
modest amounts of sunshine (vitamin D) completely
eliminated my body psoriasis.

33. How do I know this? Because I literally did nothing else.
I’ve yet to use any fancy lotions or treatments on my
body. If you’re wondering why — no particularly reason
other than me being lazy.
Lastly, there is evidence that vitamin E is delivered onto
the skin through our sebaceous glands which might
reduce inflammatory acne. And perhaps unsurprisingly,
research has shown that supplementing with vitamin E
orally increases the vitamin E content in human sebum
(oil).
Overall, the evidence on whether vitamins are beneficial
for acne isn’t clear cut. We know they work well topically,
but ingesting them orally through diet or supplementation
is another story. I happen to believe it makes a major
difference, but that’s just my personal bias.
With all that said, let’s discuss good sources of vitamin A
and D.

34. Where Can I Get Vitamins A and
D?
For vitamin D, the sun! Yes, sun protection is important
for anti-aging but don’t go overboard and turn yourself
into a vampire. I understand the word “aging” terrifies
some of you, but let’s not forget that sun-avoiders have a
lower life expectancy of about 2.1 years on average
compared to those who get lots of sun exposure. (49)
What good is it to have sexy youthful skin if you’re just
gonna die 2 years earlier?
For most people, all you need is 600 IU of vitamin D a
day, which is about 15 minutes of sunshine every day. Of
course this will depend on your location, altitude, and
forecast but aim to be outside when the UV index is
around 3 or greater. This is generally around noon. I like
to use app called “dminder,” which allows you track
everything to let you know approximately how much
vitamin D you generated.

35. When looking for dietary sources of vitamin A, focus on
retinol not beta-carotene! Beta-carotene is great and all,
but not nearly as bioavailable as retinol. (50) This is why I
said carrots won’t cure your acne woes. Vegetables don’t
contain retinol. Their form of vitamin A is beta-carotene.
Unfortunately, naturally occurring retinol can only be
sourced from animal products. Sorry vegetarians and
vegans… Please don’t be mad at me .
The vitamin A content of vegetables also pales in
comparison to some animal products. For example, let’s
consider the most nutritiously dense food on planet earth.

36. 100 grams of beef liver has 28,571 IU of vitamin A,
whereas 100 grams of carrots has 16,705 IU of vitamin A.
ISN’T THAT NUTS? (Recall that beta-carotene is far less
bioavailable in the human body compared to retinol)
Only problem is that beef liver tastes like death. I can’t
even explain to you how bad it is. Especially when you
overcook it…. Oh god, it has the texture of a pink eraser
and taste like used bandaids. Just awful. Can’t say I
recommend.
But uh…. desperate times call for desperate measures.
And acne makes us do some pretty weird sh*t.
Fun fact #5: I once tried swallowing 6 lbs of raw beef liver
for my acne. True story. Can be found here. If only I had
known you can take desiccated beef liver supplements
and achieve the same result without the accompanying
agony! Oh, what a fool I was.
just wanted to clarify that I am NOT against provitamin A
(beta-carotene). It’s definitely possible to get an adequate

37. amount of vitamin A through vegetables like sweet
potato, winter squash, kale, collards etc. Just make sure
to consume them with other fats as this markedly
enhances their intestinal absorption / conversion of beta-
carotene.
Foods With High Vitamin A
Content
 Beef Liver (for the faint of heart, use desiccated beef
liver supplements instead)
 Butter Oil a.k.a Ghee (good if you’re avoiding dairy(
 Chicken Liver
 Cod Liver Oil (second to beef liver in terms of vitamin
A content. 4,500 IUs of vitamin A per teaspoon(
 Dairy
 Egg Yolks
 Grassfed Beef, Calf
 Grassfed Butter
 Organ Meats
 Salmon

38. For reasons outlined earlier be cautious with dairy. If
dairy doesn’t give you acne use whole milk, whole milk
yogurt, whole milk cottage cheese. It’s best to use raw
dairy.
Does Coffee Cause Acne?
Food Intolerances and Other Things to Consider

39. Firstly, the caffeine levels of coffee negatively impact the
body’s hormonal stress response by increasing levels of
cortisol (a stress hormone). This is bad because stress is
linked to acne.
Secondly, remember all that info above about how
excess insulin is bad for acne? Well guess what else
messes with insulin? Coffee.
Thirdly, coffee can interfere with iron absorption and
sometimes contains mycotoxins. Two things that could
cause systemic inflammation and worsen acne.
Fourthly, coffee is often consumed with milk and sugar.
Two more things that are bad for acne. Wah wah wah. So
on and so forth.
There you have it: coffee causes acne. Boohoo.
You see what I’m doing here? I’m trying to show you that
literally EVERYTHING and ANYTHING can be an acne
trigger if you reach far enough. That’s the problem with

40. acne and diet. If you dig too deep, you’ll paralyze yourself
with research and begin scrutinizing every morsel of food
thinking it’ll make you break out.
It’s what happened to me, and it’s the last thing you need.
Trust me on this one — having an unhealthy relationship
with food is a million times worse for stress than any
nefarious effects of coffee.
So did I just make this all up, or does coffee actually
cause acne? It depends.
The problem is that everyone is unique! No two people
respond identically to the same stimuli. For example, I
just showed you how the caffeine levels of coffee can
negatively impact cortisol levels. Does that mean coffee
negatively impacts everyone’s cortisol levels? No!
Turns out that 50% of people have a subset of the
CYP1A2 gene that leads to the slow processing of
caffeine. If you’re one of these unlucky souls it means
that your body can’t metabolize and eliminate caffeine

41. from the bloodstream as quickly, resulting in a constant
stream of cortisol.
Oh… and people with this gene also have an increased
risk of heart disease if they drink coffee. Bummer right?
Coffee and heart disease all from having a stupid gene.
Point being, that at the end of the day everyone has
different food sensitivities or intolerances. You may be
sensitive to coffee. You may be sensitive to oranges. It
depends on your unique genetic makeup (among other
things), and it’s not something you’ll know unless you do
an elimination diet (e.g. AIP) or get medical testing.
I’ve done both. Even got my stools examined once! I’d
show you the little tube I had to put my poop in, but that’s
probably TMI. Here’s a picture from a food allergy test I
did instead.

42. Note: this was a skin prick test. Skin prick test are helpful
for determining food allergies, not food intolerances! To
determine what foods you’re sensitive to, an IgG blood
test is best but even these have their flaws.
Here’s the major takeaway: everyone is different! Literally
anything can cause acne. Just because some online guru
tells you X food causes THEM acne, doesn’t mean it will
cause YOU acne! Remember this when trying to eat
healthier for clearer skin. You need to have balance and
a healthy relationship with food before anything else!

43. Best Supplements for Acne
Now that we’ve discussed all the major foods that can
cause acne, let’s quickly go over some supplements that
are beneficial for skin. I will make an extensive blog post
about this in the future, but for now I’ll only list the
supplements I think are worth taking. These are the ones
I use personally.
First and foremost..…
Cod Liver Oil
If you don’t plan on eating beef liver or using desiccated
beef liver supplements then this is the next big thing in
terms of vitamin A
content. One teaspoon
of cod liver oil contains
approximately 4,500
IUs of vitamin A, which
is about half that of beef
liver.

44. I know drinking the oil of fish liver might sound disgusting
to some, but compared to eating beef liver it’s a million
times better. More convenient too. Simply pop a
teaspoon, swallow, BOOM — you’re done.
If you decide to take cod liver oil, please don’t try
overdosing on this stuff thinking you can mimic the
effects of accutane. Vitamin A toxicity is very real and can
cause liver damage and bone degradation (among other
things).
Keep the dosage below 10,000 IU per day. This is the
recommended amount for a healthy adult. I personally
only do one teaspoon a day (4,500 IU) and that’s enough
for me to notice its effects on skin.
Another reason to supplement with cod liver oil is it’s
vitamin D content. This will be especially important if you
live in a region that gets very little sunlight. One teaspoon
of cod liver oil has approximately 500 IU of vitamin D.

45. Lastly, when looking for cod liver oil supplements try and
find one with roughly equal DHA to EPA proportion as
this is what the most thorough study on acne showed.
One reason we take cod liver oil is because of it’s omega
3 fatty acids. DHA and EPA are both omega 3s. Recall
how excess omega 6 fatty acids are bad for inflammation
and health?
And don’t get capsules. It takes several pills to match the
daily serving of liquid, which makes it way less cost
effective per ounce.
As for which cod liver oil supplement is best — Garden of
Life’s Icelandic Cod Liver Oil and Green Pasture’s
Fermented Cod Liver Oil are two popular choices.
I used Green Pasture religiously until there was some
controversy about their products being rancid. I won’t go
into details, but it was enough for me to question the
purity of their supplements. You can read a full
breakdown of what happened here.

46. I now use Garden of Life’s Icelandic Cod Liver Oil and it
works great. Way cheaper too. The fishy taste is very
mild, and it has kept my acne at bay just as much as
Green Pasture.
Fun fact #6: Skinacea (one of my favorite bloggers)
accredits fish oil supplementation for clearing up her
hormonal acne. That woman helped me get through
some very dark times.
Flaxseed Oil
This is something I just bought and am currently using.
So far so good!
Like I briefly mentioned above, some recent studies have
shown flaxseed oil has tremendous benefits for skin.
To quickly highlight some of the main takeaways from the
research, 3 months of daily supplementation with 2,220
mg of flaxseed oil did the following:
 Reduced transepidermal water loss (TEWL) by 31%.

47.  Increased skin hydration by 39%.
 Decreased skin roughness by 30%.
 Decreased scaling by 31%.
 Increased smoothness by 7%.
 Reduced capillary blood flow by 66%!
Why should you get excited about this? Because post
inflammatory erythema a.k.a. PIE (the red marks leftover
from acne) are incredibly hard to get rid of, and at this
point in time there’s really only one viable treatment
option — vascular lasers. These can get incredibly
expensive, especially if you need more than one session
which is often the case.

48. Vascular lasers are the only thing that work for PIE
because it disperses the dilated capillaries (small blood
vessels) that are causing the red marks. Unfortunately,
treatments geared toward post inflammatory
hyperpigmentation (PIH) don’t work for PIE, because PIH
is a problem with melanin — PIE is not! You can read
more about treating PIE vs. PIH in this blog post.
Anyhow, supplementing with flaxseed oil reduces the
redness caused by capillaries! Or as the researches put it
themselves,
“After supplementation with flaxseed oil, both erythema
formation and capillary blood flow were diminished.” (66)
Whether this will help PIE directly is just my hypothesis,
but at the very least it will definitely reduce overall skin
redness.
The benefits of flaxseed oil come from its omega 3 and
omega 6 essentially fatty acid content. It’s considered

49. one of the highest containing omega 3 foods to date.
Even more so than cod liver oil and other fatty fish like
salmon!
However, unlike fish whose omega fatty acid comes from
docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid
(EPA), flaxseed oil’s omega fatty acids come from linoleic
acid (LA), alpha linolenic acid (ALA), and gamma-
linolenic acid (GLA).
If you recall from the information above, this is particularly
good for acne prone individuals because their surface
lipids are deficient in linoleic acid.
As for which flaxseed oil supplement is best, I use
NatureWise Organic Flaxseed Oil.
This is the most characteristically similar flaxseed oil
supplement I found to the study above. In other words,
it’s fatty acid content is approximately 16% omega 6 and
49% omega 3 (15.61% LA, 48.76% ALA, 0.14% GLA).

50. The most important skin care
tips and products to remove
acne forever!
Cleansing: the foundation of a clear skin routine
Cleansing is a crucial step in any skincare routine,
especially for acne-prone skin. Choose a high-quality
cleanser that is clinically proven, non-comedogenic,
contains pore-refining ingredients and has anti-
inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Revamin Acne
Cream is a great option, designed for oily or acne-prone
skin.
If your skin is red, sensitive and acne-prone, choose a
gentle cleanser like Revamin Acne Cream.
Remember to use a professional cleansing pad too, like
our Eco-Friendly Reusable Facial Cleansing Pads to
ensure thorough removal of dirt and grime that can lead
to clogged pores and breakouts.

52. Inflammatory changes caused by
acne
The inflammatory changes caused by acne play a vital
role in preventing clogged pores and pimples by
removing dead skin cells. Look for a gentle product with
ingredients that contain lactoferrin.
Consider trying Zinamax which contains lactoferrin,
which has been shown to have a positive effect on
inflammatory changes caused by acne. It is a multi-potent
protein with extraordinary properties as it contains
antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and antiparasitic
properties for a daily supplement that promotes smooth,
clear and glowing skin.

53. Acne Spot Treatment: Targeting
Blemishes
Topical treatments are designed to target specific areas
of the skin with a high concentration of active ingredients
such as salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide. These
ingredients help remove and prevent pimples. Try
Nonacne anti-acne.
It is a treatment that effectively
supports skin affected by all
types of acne. It has anti-
inflammatory and anti-bacterial
properties and targets the
source of the problem. It also
helps eliminate spots,
blackheads, papules, pustules
and redness.
Contains completely identical
and unique ingredients used in
natural acne treatment methods,

54. including red clover, sarsaparilla mushroom, grape seed extract,
and nettle leaf.
Anti-acne diet
An anti-acne diet is crucial for all skin types, including oily
or acne-prone skin. Choose a weight loss product that
does not clog pores.
Matcha Extreme is a
modern nutritional
supplement for preparing
delicious tea. The product
contains ingredients that
help control body weight
and contribute to removing
excess water from the
body. In addition, the
supplement supports the body's
detoxification processes and
has a positive effect on blood
sugar and cholesterol levels.

55. Combine a healthy nutritional
supplement and a healthy
lifestyle
In addition to skin care, maintaining a healthy diet and
lifestyle can positively affect acne. Night Mega Burner is
a multi-ingredient
nutritional supplement
that supports the
reduction of fat at night.
The use of the product
contributes to weight
loss and increases the
body's resistance to
stress.

56. Night Mega Burner facilitates sleep and achieves a state
of relaxation. In addition, the product contributes to the
regulation of hormonal activity and the maintenance of
normal protein and glycogen metabolism.
Night Mega Burner's effectiveness is due to 10
ingredients, among which you will find certified plant
extracts, vitamins and minerals. This rich complex of
ingredients guarantees excellent results.
Summary
Alrighty. Now that we’ve gone over the all major research
on diet and acne let’s sum it up into 2 sections — foods
to avoid or reduce, and foods to consume.
Note: most fruits and vegetables aren’t listed below but
these are completely fine! In fact, it’s recommended that
we consume about 5-9 servings of vegetables a day. The
more variety the better. Keep the fruit intake below 4
servings a day. Fruit comes with fiber which slows the

57. absorption of sugar into our blood, but it can still cause
problems with insulin if consumed excessively.
Foods to Avoid for Acne
Avoid or reduce your intake of diary. This includes:
 Butter (grass fed butter might be okay because of it’s
high vitamin A content)
 Cheese (cottage, parmesan, mozzarella, cheddar
etc .
(
 Frozen Deserts (e.g. ice cream cake)
 Ice Cream
 Milk (especially skim milk)
 Milk Powder
 Sour Cream
 Yogurt (probiotic yogurt might be okay)
 Whey Protein
Avoid or reduce your intake of foods with high
glycemic loads. These include:
 Bagels
 Cereals

58.  Instant Oatmeal
 Pasta
 Pineapple
 Pumpkin
 Popcorn
 Potatoes (White and Russet)
 Rice
 Rice Cakes
 Sodas (Coke, Fanta, Dr. Pepper etc. )
 Wheat (this is in many foods! Check the ingredient
list for this sneaky one)
 White Flour (e.g. pita bread, white bread, pizza
dough, muffins, waffles, pancakes etc.
 Watermelon
For a more extensive list see the chart above in the
glycemic index section.
Reduce your intake of foods rich in omega 6 fatty acids.
These include:
 Borage Oil (supplementing with this is good for skin)

59.  Barley
 Cereals
 Corn
 Cottonseed oil
 Durum Wheat
 Eggs
 Millet
 Nuts (Cashews, Pecans, Pine Nuts, Walnuts,
Almonds etc.
 Oats
 Oat Flour
 Pasta
 Poultry (Chicken, Turkey, Pork, Ham)
 Pumpkin Seeds
 Quinoa (Uncooked)
 Rye
 Spelt
 Vegetable Oils (Soybean Oil, Sunflower Seed Oil,
Safflower Oil, Canola oil, Grape Seed Oil, Evening
Primrose Oil, Blackcurrant Seed Oil, Hemp Oil, Olive
Oil, Corn Oil)
 Wheat Germ

60. Foods that Prevent Acne.
Eat more foods rich in omega 3 fatty acids. These
include:
 Brussels sprouts
 Chia Seeds
 Egg Yolks
 Fish (Mackerel, Salmon, Cod Liver Oil, Tuna, White
Fish, Sardines, Anchovies, Halibut, Herring, Trout)
 Flaxseed Oil
 Grass Fed Beef
 Ground Flax Seed
 Hemp Seeds
 Kale
 Mint
 Natto
 Oysters
 Parsley
 Spinach
 Watercress
 Walnuts

61. Eat more foods rich in vitamin A (retinol) and D.
These include:
 Beef Liver (YUM! Sarcasm. Use desiccated beef liver
supplements to save yourself some agony! )
 Chicken Liver
 Cod Liver Oil (second to beef liver in terms of vitamin
A content)
 Egg Yolks
 Fatty Fish (e.g. Salmon)
 Ghee a.k.a. Butter Oil (good if you’re avoiding dairy)
 Grassfed Beef, Calf
 Grassfed Butter
 Organ Meats (Offal)
Eat more probiotic-rich foods. These include:
 Kefir
 Kimchi
 Kombucha
 Miso
 Natto
 Raw Dairy
 Sauerkraut

62.  Tempeh
 Yogurt
References:
 Skin lipids: an update.
 Downing DT, Stewart ME, Wertz PW, Colton SW, Abraham W,
Strauss JS.
 J Invest Dermatol. 1987 Mar;88(3 Suppl):2s-6s. doi: 10.1111/1523-
1747.ep12468850.
 PMID: 2950180
 Dilutional effect of increased sebaceous gland activity on the
proportion of linoleic acid in sebaceous wax esters and in
epidermal acylceramides.
 Stewart ME, Grahek MO, Cambier LS, Wertz PW, Downing DT.
 J Invest Dermatol. 1986 Dec;87(6):733-6. doi: 10.1111/1523-
1747.ep12456856.
 PMID: 2946783
 Lipid mediators in acne.
 Ottaviani M, Camera E, Picardo M.
 Mediators Inflamm. 2010;2010:858176. doi: 10.1155/2010/858176.
Epub 2010 Aug 25.
 PMID: 20871834