Gut Health and Acne: 9 Ways To Heal Your Gut and Clear Up Your Skin

What if I told you that the health of your gut affects your outer appearance? It’s true! There is a real thing called the gut-skin axis . This important connection provides a direct line of communication between the millions of microorganisms living in your gut and your skin.  That’s why treating your skin externally isn’t the only key to achieving clear and healthy skin. We have to go deeper to get to the real root of acne.

If you’re experiencing inflammation in your skin, you can almost always bet that your gut is also inflamed. Eczema, rosacea, and acne all find their roots in your gut microbiome or your gut “colony.” Except in the case of topical skin problems, such as contact dermatitis, angry skin is letting you know that your gut needs some careful attention.

For example, have you ever suffered from a sudden breakout after noticing your digestive system is grumpy? This happens because the inflammatory response messengers in your gut are talking to your skin, letting your skin know that there’s a problem! The longer this problem is allowed to continue, the more imbalanced your gut will become, and the more you’ll see it in the appearance of your skin.

If you think of your skin as a window into the health of your gut, you can gain a lot of insight into this inner world that deeply affects your mind, body, and soul. When you have a healthy gut, your body will thank you with a strong immune system, healthy skin, a digestive system that runs smoothly, and even a well-balanced mood.  When there’s an imbalance in your gut microbiome, you’ll probably notice a range of health issues ranging from uncomfortable to downright life-altering. If you’re noticing any of the following symptoms, it’s a good idea to pay attention and possibly consult your healthcare provider for further investigation:

• Excessive gas and bloating
• Chronic diarrhea or constipation
• Acne of any kind, including acne vulgaris and cystic acne
• Rosacea, psoriasis, rashes, and other inflammatory skin conditions
• Frequent headaches
• Regular colds, viruses, and other illnesses
• Low energy levels and fatigue
• Achy joints and muscles
• Mood imbalance or anxiety
• Strong sugar cravings
• Food allergies, sensitivities, or intolerances
• Autoimmune disease

If you’re beginning to suspect that you might have an imbalanced gut, don’t worry! Use your newfound knowledge and the tips below to empower yourself for further investigation. Your body was created with the ability to heal itself, and that’s what it wants to do. You’ll be back on the road to health with every positive diet and lifestyle change you make. Severe gut issues can take time and persistence to correct, so be sure to seek support from a trained practitioner who knows how to treat gut dysbiosis properly.

Try eliminating cow’s milk, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, shellfish, gluten, soy, and fish for 30 days. If you notice a difference in your skin or your digestion, then your body is giving you a big clue. Cutting out some of the most commonly known allergenic foods and then adding them back in one at a time (with a few days between each one) can help you know if you might be having trouble with one. This is called an elimination diet , and it can prove to be very helpful in identifying foods that are throwing off your gut health.

The gut is just as connected to your brain as to your skin through the gut-brain axis. Has a bit of bad news ever hit you square in the gut? Then, you already know about how stress and anxiety can affect your gastrointestinal tract. Finding ways to reduce your stress will improve your gut health over time. There’s no way to completely remove stress from our lives, but we can definitely bring it down to a minimum. Deep breathing, yoga, spending time in nature, prayer, or meditation are just a few ideas for nurturing a life with lower stress levels.

Making changes to the way you eat can make a drastic difference in the appearance of your skin! Minimizing or eliminating refined sugar, alcohol, and processed foods will allow your gut to heal and your healthy bacteria to be restored. Choosing a diet of whole foods, or foods in their natural state, is your best bet for overall health...AND these antioxidant-rich foods will nourish your skin, too! Organic, unprocessed fruits, vegetables, and starches should make up the majority of your diet.

The presence of sufficient fiber in the gut can transform your health! Not only does fiber keep things moving along in your digestive system, but it also feeds the beneficial bacteria in your gut known as probiotics. When your diet is lacking in sufficient fiber, the microbes in your gut have nothing to eat. They then resort to feeding on the protective lining of your gut, which triggers increased inflammation, leaky gut syndrome, and other health issues. So, load up on your fruit, veggies, and gluten-free grains to give your gut what it needs!

It’s impossible to completely avoid toxins in today’s modern industrial world, but we’re not altogether powerless when it comes to limiting our toxic load. Selecting organic produce, especially when eating from the dirty dozen, helps to avoid pesticide contamination that leads to compromised gut health . Another way to reduce your toxic load is by adding plants to your home. Live greenery helps purify your air and improves your overall indoor air quality. (Plus, who doesn’t love a good excuse to buy more plants?)

You don’t have to be sipping out of your swimming pool to suffer the damaging effects of chlorine on your gut bacteria. Unless you have filtered tap water at home, then you’re probably drinking a bit of chlorine in your water every day. Chlorine kills pathogenic bacteria in water, which is great news for swimming pools...but not so great news for your gut flora. Chlorine can’t decipher between the good and bad bacteria in your gut; it kills all of it. To avoid having your gut microbiome wiped out by chlorine, drink purified water and limit the time you spend in chlorinated water (aka keep your mouth closed in the pool!).

While there is a time and place for antibiotic treatment prescribed by a health professional, the overuse of antibiotics has led to long-term side effects for many people. Just like chlorine, antibiotics don’t just wipe out the bad guys; they also wipe out the good guys who call your gut home. If you can’t avoid taking antibiotics, take care of your intestinal flora by eating plenty of prebiotic (high-fiber) foods, take a multi-strain probiotic in between your doses of antibiotics, and enjoy plenty of fermented and cultured foods. Kefir, yogurt, miso, naturally fermented pickles, kimchi, and sauerkraut are a few examples of probiotic foods that build up your gut. Look for dairy-free and low-sodium versions if you’re on an acne treatment plan.

Prescription medications, including birth control pills and anti-anxiety meds, also take a toll on the health of your gut. Even common painkillers can alter your gut microbiome. Accutane, a medication prescribed to treat severe acne, can also wreak havoc on your gut health...which can backfire on your clear skin goals. If you’re taking a prescription medication long-term, talk to your doctor about finding an option with the least amount of impact on your gut health. Also, follow the gut-building advice mentioned above for those taking antibiotics.

Did you know that gut health begins in your mouth? With your mouth being the beginning of your digestive system, what goes through your mouth will inevitably end up at the other end of the pipe. Dental decay has the potential to leak an overgrowth of harmful bacteria into your gut via your saliva. Yuck! Now you have one more good reason to brush and floss at least twice a day, and also limit decay-promoting sugar consumption!

We’ve already discussed the importance of eating a diet rich in prebiotics and probiotics, but what about taking a prebiotic and probiotic supplement for acne? Probiotic supplements have been shown to reduce the overgrowth of harmful bacteria in your body. Probiotics also inhibit P. acnes (the bacteria associated with acne) and reduce systemic inflammation, two keys in the prevention of acne breakouts.  A probiotic supplement that contains a variety of friendly bacteria strains, including Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum, is best for the treatment of acne.

While many strains of probiotics can’t survive your own stomach acid, Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Streptococcus thermophilus are all known to be able to make it through the digestive tract just fine. If your probiotic for acne treatment contains other strains of bacteria, look for one with an enteric coating, a barrier that prevents the pill or capsule from being dissolved by your stomach acid. This ensures that all the good bugs will make it to your small intestine, where they can get busy crowding out the bad bugs.

Each and every one of us was born into the world with a unique gut microbiome. Think of it as the fingerprint of your gut--no two are the same. Understanding good and bad bacteria and the gut-skin axis is an essential part of becoming acne-free. You’re now better equipped to look out for common signs of gut imbalance and ways to treat it naturally.