by Rosari Sarasvaty

Having an acne breakout can be devastating. Despite how common the problem is, people who suffer from severe acne are at a higher risk for depression. And with this, I couldn't agree more.

Less than a year ago, I was battling cystic acne that came out of nowhere. Apparently, having a flawless skin during my teenage years does not serve as a life-time acne-free pass card. It was tough, I was constantly feeling unhappy about the way I look. There are some days when I do not feel like myself and do not feel motivated to interact with anybody. It takes away all of my confidence and no amount of foundation can make up for it.

There are times when I feel unjustly picked by the universe and I was mortified. Decided to work for the better, I went to a dermatologist to get my face situated. I was prescribed with Tretinoin and Doxycycline. However, it was not until I changed my diet into a plant-based, that I started to see a significant improvement in my skin. 

The infamous saying you are what you eat has shown us that we all understand that the food we eat has a huge impact on how our body looks and feels. Food is our fuel and source of energy, our organs simply cannot function without proper nutrients. Our skin is no exception. As the largest organ in our body, food significantly affects the well being of our skin. Taking this into account, I know I need to dig deeper when I am not seeing a visible improvement in my skin after consistently applying tretinoin and taking doxycycline twice a day for months.

I exhausted every possible resource that I could find and all of a sudden I found a book that changed my acne journey forever – The Clear Skin Diet by Nina and Randa Nelson. The clear skin diet promotes different approaches in healing acne. Instead of focusing what we put on our face, it encourages us to heal acne problems from within by changing our diet.

Dr. McDougall who initiates the clear skin diet has an observation about acne and diet. He then realized that people in parts of the world like Okinawa and Kenya, who do not eat the standard American diet do not have acne problems. The population studied in the area where acne does not exist sat somewhere between 6 and 10% of their calories from fat. The populations that eat this low fat diet not only avoid acne, heart disease and obesity. They also live significantly longer lives. Hence, one way to get rid of acne problems is to mimic the diet that people have in that region – a low fat, minimally processed diet. The clear skin diet is heavily inspired by this. It is a low-fat, whole-food, plant based diet. During this diet only plant foods allowed and no animal products such as meat and dairy. It is also advised to not consume any high-fat plant foods such as oil, soy milk, avocado, peanut butter, nuts or vegan cheeses. And starch will be the heart of a plant based diet. 

I did a clear skin diet for a month. I eat plant-based food only and do not consume any animal product. It was very challenging at first, as I had to say goodbye to my favorites like fried chicken, pizza, ice cream, cheese, and Oreos. I also have to adjust my food inventory by making several switches. I switch everything into whole wheat; bread and pasta. I also made a switch from soy milk into oat milk. I stopped consuming white rice and opt for brown rice instead. I also stocked a lot of fruits such as strawberries, dates, and kiwis to satisfy my sweet tooth. And I only bought brown rice cereal since it has no added sugar in it.

Not giving in to the craving and temptation was really difficult. Here is where starch like potato and whole wheat become my best friend. Starch fills me up and once it does, I no longer crave greasy food. Nevertheless, eating out during a plant-based diet is difficult because most restaurants are not plant-based diet-friendly. Although several options like salad and vegetarian burrito are on the table, I still choose to avoid eating out while on a clear skin diet. 

I sincerely hope those who are struggling with acne problems do not lose hope in this battle. Healing cystic acne is a journey that takes a lot of patience and courage. While giving it time to heal, always know that acne is a very common skin condition that can be treated. And always know that you are still beautiful and worthy. Acne does not define who you are. I know exactly how isolating social media can be during this time, but trust me you are not alone in this journey. Remember to be extremely patient and kind to yourself. My acne journey clearly helped me to see my worth beyond my appearance and allow me to accept myself wholeheartedly despite my skin condition. I learned how to unconditionally love myself and decided to spend more energy focusing on more positive things like working out, learning something new, and making a new connection instead of constantly obsessing about the way I look. It is also humbling to see how powerful food can be. From this experience, I have no doubt that food can serve as a medicine and not merely a fuel that keeps us functioning as a human. I learned to be more mindful about what I consume on a daily basis because after all, a healthy diet is often a solution to many health issues.

References:

Jeanette Settembre, Moneyish, People with Acne have High Risk of Depression

Nina and Randa Nelson (2018).The Clear Skin Diet.New York: Hachette Books.