I don’t know if anyone’s noticed this, but there is lots of sub par skin out there. Somebody’s putting the derrr in Dermatology. Acne is very common, and not just in teenagers anymore. Eczema and psoriasis are prevalent. Skin Cancer is off the charts, and I don’t think it’s all because of the ozone layer. What is the most sensible way to nurture the skin and avoid these maladies and poor skin in general?
Nowadays I have very healthy skin, and it gets healthier every year, but I still wouldn’t call myself an expert on skin health. I have worked hard to research and test some things out though ? enough to wholeheartedly recommend them. At the very least, my typically opposite perspective will give you another potentially more logical way to protect and nourish your skin. Brace yourself?
Do Not Use Sunscreen ? This has got to be rule number one. Skin Cancer is at an all time high and so is sunscreen use. The AMA once quietly (but definitively) noted that increased use of sunscreen is correlated with increased incidence of skin Cancer. They postulate that it’s due to the fact that those who use sunscreen spend more time in the sun?Bullshi%#*! Their recommendation is to, of course, wear more GD sunscreen.
Sunscreen doesn’t block out all of the sun’s rays. What it does is poison your skin with known carcinogenic chemicals (parabens) while allowing more solar radiation to penetrate than your skin has adjusted to handle as an added bonus. Your skin therefore never produces its natural response to cope with prolonged exposure.
Build your tolerance to the sun by spending time in it just like every other creature that ever walked the face of this earth. In fact, if you don’t, your body won’t convert solar rays to Vitamin D (an already deficient nutrient in the American dietary and the most effective anti-Cancer vitamin). The sun’s giving out free vitamins! All you have to do is go outside without sunscreen to get it.
Prepare for a day outdoors with long pants/sleeves and a hat in case you start to exceed your skin’s tolerance. Sunscreen keeps you from building that tolerance. When I was using sunscreen regularly, if forgotten, I would burn severely in 15 minutes ? especially on my shoulders where I got fried as a kid one time. My tolerance for sun now is up to 10 times greater after nearly four years without unnatural sun protection.
If you are uncomfortable with ignoring mountains of supposed evidence for wearing sunscreen and avoiding sunlight, that is fine, but at least admit that doing so completely defies nature and common logic. Is the tripling of skin cancer in women under 40 really due to a 3-fold increase in sun exposure and/or lack of wearing sunscreen? I think not. P.S. — Gloria’s comment here is the shizzle.
Do Not Use Soap ? Especially on your face. Other than hand soap, I haven’t used soap since I was a teenager (other people have soaped me up in the shower, but it was totally worth it). I don’t look dirty. Society hasn’t labeled me as an outcast for offensive odors. My skin is moist and slightly oily. The body isn’t making a mistake in sending oils out into the skin on your face or elsewhere. It’s highly protective from the elements and keeps the skin looking young and vibrant. FYI — I eliminated soap as well as deodorant (except for the occasional ‘natural’ brand when really needed) as a teenager because of recurring rashes in my armpits.
Eat Raw Fats ? Fats contain protective fat soluble vitamins and other components that protect the skin. Fats hydrate and lubricate all body tissues and cells, including the skin. Oxidized and heat-damaged fats (particularly vegetable oils) are the oils that cause acne when flushed out through the skin. Oily skin is associated with acne because vegetable oils are the most widely consumed oils on earth, but oils in the skin formed from utilizable raw fats from unheated dairy, coconut, raw meats, avocado, olives, etc. won’t cause problems. They achieve the opposite effect.
Don’t Use Skin Creams, products, cosmetics, etc. ? Unless they’re totally natural and chemical free (maybe, I still wouldn’t). There is still no better skin care cream than what nature provides us on a proper diet of unadulterated fats, properly raised and prepared meats, and organic plant foods. Unheated honey and/or coconut oil is nourishing if you really feel like you need something, especially on sunburn (real aloe straight from the plant and raw egg white are ideal sunburn ointments).
Do Not Overconsume Sugar ? Overconsumption of sugar often leads to hormonal imbalances. When hormones are out of whack, the root cause of which is usually oversecretion of insulin by the pancreas, the skin suffers. Acne in teenagers is indicative of new hormones entering the system and not being able to balance properly. Too much refined sugar, alcohol, and fruit, especially when eaten alone, can cause acne and other skin issues as they can disrupt the entire endocrine system. A poor diet in general will result in poorer skin, intolerance to solar rays, increased chance of skin Cancer, wrinkles and leathery skin after years of overexposure to the sun, and so on.
Don’t Take Medication ? A sudden explosive rash that I developed at about age 25 happened right after being doused with asthma medication (and consuming a lot of bread and beer for a couple weeks prior). Toxins that cannot properly be eliminated (for various reasons ? like a low fat, high-sugar diet, poor liver function, allergies, etc.) are forced out through the skin causing anything from acne and rashes to chronic skin disorders like eczema. Medications also typically cause liver damage with resultant skin problems as your body is forced to eliminate toxins in other ways (i.e. ? flushing garbage out through your skin).
Do a Raw Food Cleanse ? I noticed a huge surge in the quality of my skin when I first tried some raw food cleansing. At the time I only ate vegetables and fruits, fresh juices, etc., but raw dairy, meats, and fats can and should be included, especially if you have poor sugar metabolism. Liquid-only fasting clears skin as well, but can be damaging and is excruciatingly difficult.
These are the basics. As usual, I’ve found proper diet to be the most significant. Even when otherwise taking great care of my skin I noticed damage occurring when eating an insufficient diet. Less than a year ago I noticed small raised lesions just below my breastbone from sun exposure. When I switched from a sugary, mostly-fruit diet to a high-fat, high-protein, no sugar diet the damaged skin disappeared almost instantly. Slight forehead acne also cleared completely in a matter of days.
Our skin is designed to protect itself. Plain and simple. Step out of the way and let it do its job.
Alohas Matt,
Howz it, Bruddah?
What do you recommend for seniors with this purplish skin, with scab,
brusing, etc. (purpura) I was thinking Vit A, E, Coconut oil to apply on skin and also take internally.
Barb
when I did fruit only (well some lettuce and vegetables), I also got acne increased on my forehead. I’m still trying to get rid of it!
How long did you do it for?
Hi,
Is this still what you reccommend to people suffering from acne? I’ve been doing everything this pages says for years (except the sunscreen, which I only stopped last year), but I’ve still got some pretty bad acne…not the worst I’ve seen, but it’s still very debilitating. Even when I was eating only raw foods it didn’t clear up (I’ve been thinking of going back to it, but I feel so much better when I eat cooked foods–I can’t eat things like carrots raw, for example, because I feel ill afterwards). Plus, I do seem to remember reading a comment on one of your articles by someone who had acne despite how he ate–but I think this was much later than when this post was written–so I wonder if there’s anything new about acne that you can think of that may help it?
I’ve suspected for some time that it’s due to poor digestion that I have it, but nothing seems to fix it–not even cutting out milk or other common acne ‘trigger foods’. I am drinking some herbal teas that are supposed to help with overall body function and have been successful with most all acne sufferers that I’ve read about who used it, but I’d obviously prefer not having to buy the teas for the rest of my life if it came down to it (I’m not quite twenty, but the idea of adult acne scares me quite a bit, even though I don’t want to ruin my skin or health using products like Pro Active or Accutane).
Thanks
I would certainly make some ammendments to this after learning more over the years. Feel free to contact me and we can discuss it.
I’ve been on a whole food healthy diet for years, but recently decided to include more carbs in my diet. It’s after reading your site btw, that I realise low carb is good only in the short run, as it keeps the toxins locked into my body, and I did start to realise realise the slightest amt of carb will cause an increasingly serious reaction acne-wise. I wasn’t totally no carb, but I was pretty paleo -ish with the occasional sourdough/soaked grain. I did emphasize a lot more on fats (saturated) and protein and fibre (from vegetables). I ate a lot of saturated fat to feel satisfied, I could finish a block of butter in less than a week! Now, I just eat a more balanced diet, the way I grew up eating i.e. (white) rice! (I’m asian) and though I’m still no longer afraid of sat fat, I do not use that to sub calories from carbs.
This decision coincides with my switch to natural skincare. I used to be using differin and antibiotics on my skin, but now only use raw honey and tea tree oil as a face wash, and jojoba oil as moisturiser, no sunscreen.
As expected, I’m breaking out, especially around the forehead. I’m trying to give myself and my skin time to adjust to the changes but I’m getting very worried since it’s been 4 months now. Is the persistent acne a sign that I’m doing somethign wrong (maybe i shouldn’t be eating grains, but some other form of carbs liek potatoes? or continue with soaking brown rice instead of eatign white rice?), or is it a detox period for me to get rid of all the pufas (and in that case should i do as you advice in one of your blog posts’ comments to go low fat even saturated fat and high carb?), and if it’s a detox, how long before I’m rid of it all?? To be honest, I’m still having pufa in some instances, just a minimal amount. I don’t believe its the ultimate evil, because my ancestors are healthy and they’ve definitely included sesame oil and walnuts and such in their diet, though much more minimal than the paleo diet.
But grah, I don’t know. I know this is definitely a digestion issue because I don’t have the best bowel movements, but this was so whether or not I was eating low or high carb, but just in different ways. Or it may very possibly be a stress issue because I’m stressing out over it, as you can tell!
Please update this page ):
Adult acne is caused by sebum, an oily substance produced by the skin’s sebaceous glands. Sebum clogs pores, which attract bacteria and become inflamed. For some adults, breakouts are a result of hypersensitivity or overproduction of androgens (male hormones). But an imbalance in both male and female hormones (estrogen) can also cause breakouts. For women, this can happen during pregnancy, perimenopause, and menopause. Some medications, such as corticosteroids, and cosmetics can also contribute to the development of acne.
I would love to hear some updated acne information too! All of my searches are telling me to go dairy free. I really don’t want to have to go that route…