Ensure you are consuming enough protein! Aim for a palm sized portion of protein with every main meal and consume protein rich snacks across the day. Protein works to keep blood sugar stable and energy consistent. Frequent blood sugar spikes caused by too little protein and too high carbohydrate will send you on a blood glucose rollercoaster. The result? Fatigue, cravings and an increase in sebum production within your skin follicle = a vicious cycle of persistent breakouts. Consuming enough protein is absolutely key to long term breakout prevention.

The most common culprits are insulin, testosterone and estrogen. Just to be clear, these hormones are only a concern if they are produced is abnormally high levels. Insulin can be high due to low protein intake and high consumption of refined foods such as processed sugar. Testosterone is commonly raised in conditions such as PCOS (poly cystic ovarian syndrome). Never fear, there is so much we can do to reduce this. Balancing your blood sugar is a great place to start and drinking 2-3 cups of spearmint tea per day is a good start. Finally, estrogen can drive inflammation in the skin when it’s produced in high levels. Be sure to support your estrogen detox pathways by consuming brassica vegetables daily and having regular poops 1-3 times daily. For a comprehensive review - get your bloods tested to confirm.

In a general sense, high levels of uncontrolled stress can promote an inflammatory state within the body. This will unfortunately prolong the healing time of breakouts. At a local level, we have cortisol receptors in our skin. Which really sucks! If you are prone to breakouts, you will likely see an exacerbation in your skin during periods of prolonged stress. It’s so easy to ignore stress, but make this a priority if you’re on your skin healing journey.

Curcumin, the activated form of turmeric is my favourite herbal medicine for general anti-inflammatory support for skin health. It’s also a very powerful support for our liver. It promotes detoxification and clearance of excess hormones from the body (especially estrogen). Given we are exposed to so many environmental toxins on a daily bases, our liver has it’s work cut out for it! Curcumin is a great herb to keep in your daily skin support toolbox.

I always recommend allowing yourself 3 months to see the full effects of your chosen interventions. Consistency is key! It takes 28 days for a skin cell to turn over. So, give yourself three full opportunities for your skin cells to respond to all of the amazing things you are doing for your overall health. The bonus effects of your investment? Not only will your breakouts be improving, your entire body and mind will feel the effects of less inflammation, more stable blood sugar and reduced stress. A win, win, win!