dairy and acne Archives - My Inner Shakti

Month 1 – Less Sugar + Dairy

If you follow me regularly (ish), you’ve heard me talk about 1. my skin woes and 2. how I’m working to improve the condition of my skin both from the inside out and the outside in.

After my work trip to Vancouver in early December, I came home and told my husband that something needed to change, because aside from it being a vanity thing, my face hurt. My blemishes were deep and painful, and honestly, I was just so sick of feeling helpless about it. Something needed to change!

I share a bit more about the what and the why in this post. The abbreviated version of it all is that over the course of a few months I started noticing a trend after indulgent weekends where I consumed a lot of sugar and dairy (more so than usual). My skin would errupt with new (and painful) breakouts every single time.

I thought I would be fine because I’m on birth control and have a pretty solid skincare routine. But no such luck. So immediately upon returning from Vancouver, I decided to cut way back on my sugar and dairy consumption.

Before I share my one month ‘results,’ let me define ‘cut way back.’ I didn’t eliminate the two completely, but rather looked at the opportunity to eat them as “worth it” moments. In the case of dairy (specifically cow’s milk cheese), I purposely only used 75-80% of what I normally would’ve ate. I have yet to eat a meal out that includes dairy. In terms of sugar, I’ve only really had processed sugar foods 2-3 times in the past month. And again, when I did consume them, I ate 75% of what I would have in the past. For example, earlier this week, Vishnu was having a bowl of a new-to-me ice cream I’ve been wanting to try. Instead of eating half the pint, I served myself 3 small spoonfuls. A worth it moment that didn’t go wrong!

Ok so the results…

My skin looks the better than it has in a very very long time (knocking on all the wood!). I do have a couple of blemishes that are making their way out but have not had any new ones since the holidays. My skin is also less red, irritated, and textured overall. I feel like I finally have a glow of some sort. I do, however, still have acne scars that will obviously take time to heal (if ever).

And just to show how this compares to my skin a few months ago or as recently as Thanksgiving, here are a few close-up pics. Note that I am wearing makeup in most of these, so my skin may not look that bad, but trust me…it was!

Speaking of healing scars, I should also mention that I’m using the new Drunk Elephant retinol (started on December 28th). I want to give it some time before sharing my views, but I will say that this stuff is very potent. I started using it every other day, but upon noticing how dry and flaky my skin looked/felt, I went to every three days. That was still too much, so now I use it twice a week (at night). I have high hopes that this stuff will help fade my scars but will give it some time before shouting my excitement from the rooftop! More to come!

I’m going to keep this way of eating up and will report back on the condition of my skin in a couple of months. Wish me luck!

Diet and Acne Update

written by Parita 17 Comments

I’ve been meaning to write this post for a few weeks now, but for one reason or another, it just wasn’t happening. However, an update of sorts is definitely in order as a few things have changed since my last post about My (Almost) Dairy-Free Experiment.

If you’re a regular MIS reader or you follow me on Instagram, you’ve probably noticed that dairy is back in my life. Namely in the form of yogurt and cheese. I’m not consuming either in large quantities, but they’re part of my diet again.

Let’s start right where I left off…

Back in early January, I was seeing some positive results after not consuming dairy for a month or so. If I remember correctly, this trend continued for another two weeks before my skin decided to go berserk again. I honestly have no clue what went wrong.

And it didn’t get any better. In fact, it got worse. I went from a few big bumps to full breakout mode in a matter of weeks. Even still, I persisted on with my almost no dairy plan.

Right before we left for Italy, I saw a friend of mine post something on Facebook about a new line of products from the creators of Proactiv. I texted her to learn more. After a brief phone conversation, I signed up to try Unblemish*, a line of products designed to help acne-prone skin.

Now, I know I’ve been harping the benefits of more natural treatments, but I felt hopeless (once again) and was ready to try something new, something a bit stronger.

Anyway, I started using Unblemish and within a few weeks, my acne was subsiding. I still had a few bumps, but they were less painful. I used it for 60 days and ultimately decided to only continue with the blemish treatment (a benzoyl peroxide lotion). This stuff isn’t cheap, and I felt that the lotion was making the biggest impact for me.

Well, that was exactly a month ago. I just got around to ordering more of the Unblemish treatment.

But guess what? In the last month, I haven’t been using any fancy products (just a little tea tree at night) or following any particular diet, and my skin is the best it’s been in a long long time. I even ran errands the other day without makeup (this was a HUGE step for me).

I’m totally waiting for the other shoe to drop and my face to go crazy again, but we’ll see. I’m crossing my fingers that the “not doing much of anything” approach keeps working. Time will tell.

I should also mention that Vishnu thinks stress is a major contributor to my acne. I’m what you would call a chronically stressed person but not in an obvious way. I’ve always just thought it was part of my DNA, but Vishnu now has me convinced otherwise. And he may be on to something. Since the beginning of this year, I’ve been constantly stressed/worried about one thing or another. But over the last month, particularly the last few weeks, I’ve been trying really hard to chill out. I’ll share more on what I’ve been doing in a separate post, but overall, I think my efforts are helping. Sure, I still get a little stressed, but I’m not holding on to it anymore. And of course I have absolutely zero proof of this, but in the past few weeks, my face has been clearer than ever before. So maybe Vishnu’s right. I’m going to pay more attention to my skin during high stress times to see if it’s a factor.

So where does that leave me? Well, as of right now, I’m sticking to a very simple routine that includes the Soothe face wash, my Desert Essence face wash, tea tree oil, Trader Joe’s moisturizer, and Cetaphil face cream as needed. I also plan to use the Unblemish lotion as a spot treatment (if things get bad again). In terms of diet, I’m sticking to a vegetarian diet that includes a little dairy here and there. And most importantly, I’m trying to be as stress free as possible!

Like I said, we’ll see what happens next month, but for now, I’ll take as much clear skin as I can get!

*The Unblemish face wash contains sulfur as a main ingredient. After using it for a couple of weeks, I found out I’m allergic to sulfur…the hard way (i.e. SUPER itchy, red skin). My friend was kind enough to send me the Sooth face wash to try. I’ve been using that for the past few weeks and love it.

Thanks for reading and happy hump day! 🙂

Acne Update: My (Almost) Dairy-Free Experiment

written by Parita 17 Comments

Unless you have seen/will see me in person anytime soon, a part of you will think this post is a bit exaggerated. And right about now, I wish I had taken a few pictures of my face before going (almost) dairy-free. But because I didn’t, please do me a favor. Believe me when I say my acne was bad and painful. And also when I say nothing has ever worked for more than a couple of weeks, I mean nothing…not antibiotics, not Proactiv…nothing.

Until now.

Before I delve into how my skin is doing, here’s a timeline of how my (almost) dairy-free diet has evolved.

November 6 – I made the decision to experiment with an almost dairy-free diet. At the time, this meant I would drastically cut down on how much dairy I ate. The almost part of the equation was about allowing myself some room to eat dairy if there was nothing else to eat, I really wanted to try the food, etc.

My skin was obviously not doing so great during this time (hence the experiment!). Lots of little bumps all over my face.

Thanksgiving weekend – During our friend Kartik’s wedding weekend, I ate more dairy than I had since the start of my experiment. At one of the pre-wedding events, there was nothing to eat but pizza…so I ate it. And because the actual wedding food was delicious, I couldn’t say no a few items filled with paneer. Even though my face paid the price, I don’t regret my decision. That was some of the best Indian wedding food I’ve ever had!

I remember going to Houston with a fairly clearish face and leaving with acne on my cheeks and chin.

December 2-4 – After the wedding, I buckled down for a bit only to fall back off the wagon during the training I attended in Atlanta. There wasn’t much vegetarian food to begin with, and the majority of the things I could eat were filled with dairy. This trip made me realize I have to change my approach when travelling. Ultimately, this means I’ll have to plan and research ahead of time and bring a few things from home if necessary.

My skin hated me at this point in time. I had a few big pimples, a few that were small and super red, etc.

December 12-13 – I did ok food wise during this trip. My only slip-up was ordering risotto for lunch, only to realize after it was brought out that parmesan cheese was a main ingredient. Other than that, I think stayed away from dairy products.

My skin was still very angry with me. The skin around my chin was inflamed and bumpy.

Post December 13 – The last few weeks have been much easier, and that’s probably because I haven’t had to travel at all. Even when eating out, I’ve been able to stay away from dairy for the most part. I did allow myself a few bites of mac n’ cheese, a sprinkle of goat/feta cheese on salads, etc. AND (this is the biggie) I ate Andiamo’s pizza last week. This was a very conscious decision because the pizza is freaking delicious, and I wanted it.

And now? My skin is 98% clear. Yes, you read that right. I’m not on any prescription medications, and I’m not using any over-the-counter acne solutions. All I’m doing is staying away from diary as much as possible and using jojoba oil and tea tree oil to moisturize and “treat” my skin.

And while there may be (and probably are) other key factors involved – weather, the fact that no acne equals no touching, no dairy equals less sugar, etc. – I’m left to believe I’m one of those (poor!) people whose skin just doesn’t agree with regular dairy consumption.

My plan going forward is to continue with an almost dairy-free diet, allowing myself certain “splurge” foods every now and then –> Andiamo’s pizza for example! Also, knowing my own skin and it’s history, this change definitely needs to be monitored over the long haul. As convinced as I am that my acne is linked to the amount of dairy I eat, a part of me is just waiting for major flare ups to start again. I really hope this isn’t the case, but only time will tell. I also want to figure out which dairy products are the major culprits. For example, the pizza I ate last week hasn’t affected my skin yet (no new pimples). Does that mean pizza in moderation is ok? Not sure. Again, only time will tell.

BIG TAKEAWAY –> An almost dairy-free diet (along with using jojoba oil and tea tree oil) has contributed to an almost acne free face. But only time will tell if this is a permanent solution.

Not exactly the 100% clear cut answer I was looking for, but I will take 98% acne free any day!

Have you seen a connection between your diet and the condition of your skin?

Acne Update – Going (Almost) Dairy-Free

written by Parita 15 Comments

In my last acne update post, I talked about taking antibiotics and using Tazorac to treat my acne. To be honest, I was hoping it would only get better from there. Not exactly the case. Since August, I’ve been experiencing minor flare ups a week or two before my period every month. The dermatologist warned me about this, so I knew to expect it.

This past month (October/November) my acne was the worst it’s been since July/August. It was painful and stubborn (the bumps didn’t want to go way), although not as bad as it’s been in the past.

Come mid-last week I knew I had to do something. However, I didn’t want to go back to my dermatologist. While the antibiotics she had me take helped clear my skin to a degree, I don’t want to rely on them. As it is, I’m still using the Tazorac gel she prescribed. No more medication!

I then thought back to all times where I’ve gone from a major acne outbreak to clearer skin and what I did to get there. Or should I say the one time, which happened to be six months before our wedding.

This was when I stopped (cold turkey) drinking regular milk and switched to almond milk, stopped (cold turkey) drinking diet soda, and stopped (also cold turkey) using artificial sweetners. During this time, my skin cleared up in a big way. And I had ZERO breakouts the weeks leading up to our wedding. I wasn’t on any medication and I didn’t make any other changes. In my opinion, the only big change I made was to go from drinking 3-4 glasses of skim milk a day to maybe two glasses of almond milk a day. And I’m 95% sure my cheese and yogurt consumption was a lot lower than it is now.

So after thinking about this [unintentional] experiment quite a bit, I’ve decided to try it again for a month or so to see if it helps calm things down. But this time around I’m intentionally trying my best not to consume any dairy at all (I still don’t drink diet soda or use artificial sweetners).

It’s been eight days since I started on my (almost) dairy-free journey, and so far things are going…well. Not eating yogurt is easy for me because it isn’t something I consumed on a daily basis. Cheese, on the other hand, is a completely different story. I love cheese almost as much as I love chocolate, so purposely staying away from it has been a little challenging. And speaking of chocolate, most of the chocolaty treats I enjoy contain dairy…so there’s that.

My plan is to see how my skin reacts to this change after about 30 days and then slowly reintroduce different dairy products one at a time. If my skins goes from mostly clear to acneville, I think it’ll be safe to say that dairy contributes to my acne. If that is the case, I’ll continue to be (almost) dairy-free because let’s be real, I can’t completely give up cheese and ice cream the way I did skim milk!

I definitely plan to blog about the outcome of this little experiment and also share any dairy-free recipes that come out of it.

Wish me luck!

3 Changes for a [Hopefully] Clearer Face

written by Parita 25 Comments

Acne has been an unwanted part of my life since I was 12 years old – not always horrible but always present. In fact, I honestly can’t remember a time when my face was completely clear. Not fun.

In an effort to reduce/eliminate the bumps, I’ve tried numerous products over the years – Clearasil, Neutrogena, Clean & Clear, Noxzema, Proactiv, and a number of prescription medications as well, including birth control. My most recent purchases were a Desert Essence face wash and blemish stick, of which I’m still using the face wash. As far as acne lotions are concerned, I’ve gone back to the Proactiv Repairing Lotion because the flare ups were getting really bad again.

After going to a dermatologist and learning that my acne is hormonal, I pretty much gave up my [lifelong] dream of having clear skin one day. My doctor prescribed Spironolactone to help with excess oil production as well as the blemishes, and generally speaking, it’s been helping. But just not as well as expected.

With a wedding coming up, I knew I had to try something different. In January, I started researching new acne products and even found a few that I wanted to try. Around the same time, I made some dietary changes – not at all for acne reasons. In fact, one of the changes wasn’t even something I intended to do.

Change #1: So, as I stated in my January goals post, increasing my water consumption was a top priority for me. And believe me when I say, the H20 has been flowing in these parts! On average, I probably drink anywhere from 64 to 80 ounces of water a day.

Change #2: Since January 1st of this year, I’ve eliminated artificial sweeteners from my diet – no more Diet Coke, no more Splenda in my coffee and yogurt, etc. I’ve always known that a little bit of real sugar is better for me than fake zero calorie sweeteners, but I loved the idea of no added calories. But my mindset has slowly changed to where I now opt for raw cane sugar in my coffee and yogurt and accept that a little bit of sugar won’t cause me to gain weight.

Unintentional Change #3: Late last year I started buying a carton of almond milk every week along with a half gallon of skim milk. I enjoyed almond milk in my smoothies and protein creations and skim milk in my cereal and with my meals. Slowly, I started phasing out skim milk, and now I only buy almond milk. It’s really grown on me! I had no intention of doing so – it just kind of happened.

Now, you’re probably wondering, where the heck I’m going with all this.

Here’s my hypothesis – I believe that because of some combination of the three changes listed above, my face has started to clear up and stay clear. I have ZERO evidence or proof that this is indeed the case, but it’s the only thing I can come up with. Since January, there’s been a noticeable improvement in my skin, and I can’t attribute it to any new products because my regimen has been the same for the past six to eight months. If anything, the improvement may just be due to change #1 and #3 because there have been studies done on the effects of increased water consumption and decreased daily consumption on acne, but who knows, #2 may also be a factor.

I’ve always thought that my acne problems were genetically passed down to me, but over the past two months, I’ve seen awesome results by making three easy and healthy changes – more water, no Splenda, and less dairy*. Experimentation has been the name of the game for the past 16 years, and since this experiment is good for my body and my face (so far), I’m a happy camper! Again, I have no proof that these things are directly linked to my clearer skin – only time will tell. I’ll keep y’all posted.

*Eliminating skim milk from my diet is the only change I’ve made with regard to my dairy consumption. I still eat small amounts of cheese and yogurt a few times a week.