The Clear Skin Diet (book I read)
@allyoftherain (7208)
United States
December 1, 2011 11:44am CST
I recently read "The Clear Skin Diet" by Alan C. Logan and Valori Treloar. The connection between diet and acne has been a subject of extensive debate in the dermatologist community for decades, and those of us who have are struggling with acne have gotten loads of conflicted messages about whether or not diet can influence acne. This book makes the argument in favor of the connection by presenting (and deconstructing some) studies on diet and acne, and presenting long-term observational data about countries and cultures introduced to the Western Diet. The final chapters of the book are about how to follow the clear skin diet and lifestyle.
I thought the book was really interesting, and I've been making an effort to make the dietary changes it calls for. The basic gist of the diet endorsed is to eat lots of fruits and vegetables (on every color of the rainbow), limit Omega-6 fats and consume more Omega-3 fats, limit surgery drinks or foods and foods high in fat, drink more water and green tea, eat anti-inflammatory foods, and to limit dairy. It also suggests lifestyle changes like getting enough sleep, getting enough exercise, and managing your stress levels properly.
It's too early for me to say whether or not the diet have made a long-term impact, but I think I'm already pretty convinced that diet plays a role in causing acne. I know that when I take good care of myself in general then my acne seems to clear up, and when I'm treating myself poorly and eating wrong, not exercising, etc. then I have outrageous flare-ups. In fact, while I was reading the book I was having to spend entire weekends out filming my senior project (I'm a film student), and all we ever had to eat on set was junk food, so I was eating nothing but junk food! My skin was a complete wreck. Sure, it could have also been stress, but I would say I've been dealing with more stress recently and right now my skin is the clearest it's been all year.
So I was wondering, any of you have any thoughts about the connection between diet and acne? What have you heard and what do you believe personally based on experience?
3 responses
@ElicBxn (63638)
• United States
4 Dec 11
When I was young - and I'm now closer to 60 than I like to think - but I noticed that I got pimples when I was stressed, like before finals. I had loads of other trouble with the diet stuff so I really couldn't say that the diet made that big a difference, but I never had a massive acne problem like some friends and my dad did.
1 person likes this
@allyoftherain (7208)
• United States
4 Dec 11
My Mom still sees an occasional zit in her 60s, and her worst acne years were in her 30s, so genetically I could be fighting with this my entire life. It's really frustrating. It's not nearly as bad as it was in my teenage years, but it seems like most of my peers are done with it already. And they're all under the false impression that all acne evaporates past 18, and that's just not the case.
I also have noticed significant breakouts around periods of stress, but I'm pretty sure there's a diet connection for me as well. I've cleared up pretty significantly this quarter, even though I would say I'm under much more stress than I was last quarter. But will it last? That's the question for me. It seems like anything I try only works for a little while if it works at all.
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@allyoftherain (7208)
• United States
6 Dec 11
Yeah... it's not a simple problem. Did he ever find a solution or did it eventually abate on its own?
Loads of people seem to want to tell me they know "the cure" for acne, and all I've got to do is this or that, but those "cures" never amount to anything. The stuff the doctor and dermatologists have given me have worked for a little while, but nothing keeps working.
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@leafygreens08 (754)
• United States
5 Dec 11
Sounds a lot like the same advise many other diets recommend. So are you recommending this book as having been good for your skin and weight? Why do you think it helped you so. And by the way, did you finish your film project?
@leafygreens08 (754)
• United States
6 Dec 11
I see. =) Well,you are not alone. Acne is a problem with a lot of people and not just teenagers also. Many adults and even senior citizens still have acne problems. I hope it does help though. And good luck with your film projects too. I bet it's really fascinating to work in filming. Hugs!
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@allyoftherain (7208)
• United States
7 Dec 11
Oh I know. I've got a family history of bad acne. My Mom struggled with it well into her 30s and 40s, and still sees a few zits every now and then in her 60s. It's just kinda disheartening because even though it IS a common problem, loads of people still want to treat it like it's just a teenage problem or that it's a simple problem. It's much more complex than we give it credit for, and there are multiple things that cause and contribute to it.
Ehhh... some days I'm less happy to be working on films. It's a love/hate relationship, and it's been leaning very heavily towards hate the past few months. Thanks for the luck though, I need it.
@allyoftherain (7208)
• United States
6 Dec 11
Don't know if I'm recommending it really, though I think it did make a very good case for the diet/acne connection. I just haven't been at it long enough to know if it's made a long-term difference. It does seem much better in the short term, but as I told Elic, my problem is that if something does work it only seems to work for awhile. I've never found a long-term solution for my acne.
Not being an avid reader of diet books of any kind (never had a problem with my weight) I wouldn't know what the other diets are recommending, but they did seem for the most part to be health food choices in general.
The one I mention in the post? No, not quite. It's a nine-month long series of three classes (Pre/Production, Post Production, and Sound Design) and we're in class number 2 right now, so there will be another three months of work after Christmas in sound design. But I'm a film student so if it's not one project, then it's another. I don't feel like I'm every really "done".
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@surveychick4 (380)
• United States
9 Dec 11
Diet for sure has something to do with acne. My acne doctors use to always say diet had nothing to do with it. I learned from my own experience as a teenager with serious acne that it does. Do not ever drink cokes or carbonated drinks or sugary drinks, ever. I always noticed then and now, if I even attempt to drink a sip of coke, I will wake up in the morning and my whole face will be broke out with the biggest pimples ever. The same deal with chocolate. It is sad, but the same deal. Plus, that stuff is so bad for your health. I eat very healthy now, and my skin looks better than ever. Pimples are nothing but hairs in your face that try to grow through and get infected very easily. There are many factors too, but diet is number one. Do not ever use regular soap on face. Use a special acne soap, like noxema acne products. Nutragena always tore up my face making it ten times worse and other products. I have tested them all for years. Proactive is great too, but you have to use it in combination with noxema acne products to soften the skin a from the proactive.
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