Banish Breakouts Naturally: 5 Holistic Ways to Heal Your Skin from the Inside Out

If there’s a formula for treating acne naturally and with a holistic approach, here is the equation:

1. 1. Eat an anti-inflammatory diet

2. Take your herbs, vitamins and minerals

3. Avoid dairy

4. Try to reduce stress

5. Practice good skin hygiene

Let’s look at these in more depth:

First, what is acne?

Acne is a common skin condition that occurs when sebum – a special oil that skin creates – and dead skin cells clog pores, leading to ugly inflammation and eruptions of lesions on the skin. In medical parlance, skin lesions are abnormal changes in the skin, including damage caused by disease or trauma.

An excess of male sex hormones – including testosterone – or estrogen-dominance; a nutritionally poor “Westernized diet,” lack of proper nutrients, excessive stress and poor hygiene can cause acne eruptions.

Eating an anti-inflammatory diet helps you reduce acne holistically.

A dietary approach to treating acne holistically embraces fresh fruits and vegetables; healthy and natural fats like avocados and nuts; and wild-caught, pasture-raised and grass-fed meats. Processed, high-sugar foods like soda pop, and unrefined carbohydrates like white bread must be avoided. The same goes with any dairy and ultra-processed, nutritionally bankrupt  foods like fast food. If you stick with whole foods, you’re on the right track.

And don’t forget the supplements!

Studies show that zinc – both topical and oral – has improved acne. ¹
In addition, omega-3 fatty acid supplements reduce acne and improve skin lesions. ²

Two more helpful supplements include vitamin C and black cumin seed extracts. Topical application of vitamin C has reduced acne, while extracts from the black cumin seed have reduced c. Acnes bacteria. ^{3, 4}

Taking these skin-friendly supplements daily helps you reduce acne breakouts holistically and naturally,

Some herbs found to be helpful in treating acne include Vitex, also known as chasteberry. This supplement helps balance hormones, which prevents excessive sebum production that fosters an acne-friendly environment. And supplements made from saw palmetto berries decrease the uptake of testosterone in the body.

Try plant milk instead of dairy milk – it’s better for your skin.

Avoiding any cow-based dairy is ideal. Farmers give their cows food fortified with iodine to help prevent infection. Research has shown that cow dairy can cause acne due to high levels of iodine. ⁵

And dairy products from all species – including cows, sheep and goats – contain a hormone called insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). This hormone can trigger ovaries to produce testosterone. A 2018 meta-analysis concluded that any dairy was associated with an increased risk of acne. ⁶

Kick back and relax.

Research shows a strong link between stress and acne breakouts.⁷ Stress activates the adrenal glands – triangular shaped glands located on top of the kidneys – to produce extra androgens (male hormones), which can cause inflammation and acne breakouts in acne-prone skin. Additionally, the adrenals release cortisol in response to stress. This hormone increases skin inflammation, which can lead to acne.

Some ways to manage stress include exercise, yoga, guided meditation, deep breathing, and partaking in a relaxing hobby, such as gardening.

Prioritize skin care.

Dermatologists recommend cleaning skin with mild soap and water each morning and evening, avoiding makeup unless it’s non-comedogenic (doesn’t clog pores), and taking makeup off each night.⁸

As you can see, basic hygiene plays an integral role in preventing breakouts.

Speaking of prioritizing skin care, several natural oils have been found to treat breakouts holistically.

These include:

Tea tree oil. According to the Mayo Clinic, research suggests that a treatment gel containing tea tree oil may be helpful in fighting acne. ⁹

Eucalyptus oil. Studies have found this oil has antimicrobial properties. Not a bad thing, since this helps reduce acne scars and sebum production. ¹⁰

There you have it!

Five holistic ways to treat acne naturally. For those who want to avoid potential harsh side effects of conventional treatments, it’s worth exploring!