First off I will introduce myself! I’m Marissa Schillinger and I help women with acne get clear, glowing skin naturally! I struggled with pretty severe cystic acne in my past and am currently in the process of healing my pitted acne scarring. You can find all sorts of acne tips and information within my blog!
Now let’s get into these 5 acne myths!!
Myth about acne #1: Acne is caused by bad hygiene
Many people think that acne is caused by bad hygiene, however, this is NOT true! Acne is a symptom of an internal issue, and is not a direct result of lack of hygiene. Just because someone has acne, it does not mean they’re a “dirty person” or lack good hygiene; a lot of the times people struggling with acne actually have REALLY good hygiene!
Also, because of this myth, many people believe that since they have acne, they need to wash their face 2+ times a day. This can actually make acne worse, as your body will produce extra oil since your skin gets stripped of oil from being washed with face wash/soap so often. A great routine is to wash your face at night, and then in the morning you can rinse your face with just water while you’re in the shower, for example.
Myth about acne #2: Acne only affects pre-teens & teens
When people think of acne, a lot of the times young teens come to their mind. Many believe that acne always develops during puberty and then goes away before someone is in their early 20’s. I actually used to believe the same; when I was struggling with my bad cystic acne, I thought to myself, “well at least I know my acne will go away by the time I’m in my mid-20’s” (which turned out to be true for me, however, not because of my age, but rather because of my change in lifestyle).
Acne can develop at any point in anyone’s life, and acne in adults is actually on the rise! In an article by the American Academy of Dermatology, there are statistics that revealed that acne “may continue into one’s 30s and 40s” and ”acne occurring in adults is increasing, affecting up to 15 percent of women”.1 While these statistics were from a few years ago, they still are relevant and give good insight.
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Myth about acne #3: Acne is not at all affected by the food you eat
To me, this is one of the most frustrating myths about acne. Some people believe that eating lots of processed foods (prepackaged meals, donuts, ice creams, Doritos, etc.) and very minimal whole foods (veggies, beans, whole grains, organic chicken, fish, fruit, etc.) doesn’t affect their acne. Well, it DEFINITELY does!
The food we eat has an effect on our microbiome and our hormones. Acne is a symptom, and hormone imbalances and poor gut health can lead to acne.
For example, eating a greasy, 3-meat & cheese pizza has a different effect on our hormones than having a bowl of brown rice, veggies, avocado, and wild-caught Alaskan salmon. As well, that pizza can cause inflammation, while the bowl of veggies, brown rice, avocado, and salmon can help reduce inflammation.
Myth about acne #4: Consuming oil and lots of overt fats leads to acne
This was a myth that I once believed. I would refuse to eat foods containing oil or cook with oil because I thought that my acne would get worse. I also ate a low-fat diet because that was known by some to be a big part of a “clear skin diet”.
To be honest, my acne did improve a little at first, but overtime it started getting worse. It wasn’t until I learned about how IMPORTANT consuming healthy fats is for our hormones, and started incorporating a lot of healthy fats, that my skin improved SO MUCH!
Don’t get me wrong, certain fats are better than others. For example, olive oil and avocado oil are 2 of the oils that can help reduce inflammation due to their high omega-3 content, so they are known as healthy fats; while canola oil, vegetable oil, and rice bran oil on the other hand are 3 of the oils that can actually lead to inflammation in the body, so they are known as unhealthy fats.
Also, eating fats in their whole form can be SO important! Whole food sources of healthy fats include avocado, olives, nuts & seeds, and coconut. Whole food sources of healthy fats are best, as they are nutrient-dense!
Myth about acne #5: There is a specific “clear skin diet” that will clear acne
There is no such thing as a diet that will work for everyone. To put it simply, everybody’s body is different, and so there is no one “diet” to follow that is going to work for everyone.
Some people may see clearer skin when consuming lower amounts of fat, while others may see clearer skin when consuming higher amounts of healthy fats. Some people may experience breakouts when eating corn, soy, and/or gluten, etc., while others may not. Macro and micro nutrient needs are different for everyone, and they change during different stages in life as well. Each different person’s dietary needs all depends on each person’s current health status, exposure to environmental toxins, current health conditions (ex. diabetes, Hashimoto’s, PCOS, etc.) and genetics.
I really hope this blog post was helpful! If you have any questions, comment them below!
Have an amazing day! <3
Love,
Marissa
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