“Does the food I eat influence the look of my skin”? It’s a logical question you’ve probably asked yourself if you’re struggling with acne or other skin ailments. The answer is simple. Yes, it does.
Up until recently, medical training in many countries would include little to none nutrition. The transformative potential of diet for health has received limited acknowledgment in medical research and practice.
Many believed that diet wasn’t a factor in acne. This has started to change in recent years. More and more studies are pointing to links between acne and diet. Just as with any other bodily organ, your skin depends on how well you treat it, both inside and out.
Let’s review then what’s the link between acne and dairy. Do you remember how you hated drinking warm milk as a kid and your mum used to say it’s good for your teeth and you have to drink milk to get your calcium? Well, that may be true. It’s also true though that dairy makes you break out more. At the same time, milk and dairy products are only one source of calcium out there. Other exist, and healthier ones for that matter.
What’s the connection between dairy and acne? Why should you switch to a dairy-free diet? How can you maintain a healthy, dairy-free diet for beautiful and clear skin? Read on to find out the answers.
Can you Improve Bad Acne by Ditching Dairy?
Let’s get this out of the way immediately: Yes. Giving up dairy can result in a visible difference in your skin’s tone and texture. However, this may not hold true equally for anyone. This is because not all cases of bad acne breakouts have something to do with milk and dairy.
Also, don’t jump to the conclusion that the opposite works too. Meaning, drinking milk regularly and consuming dairy products won’t make you breakout by default. Individuals with healthy, clear skin don’t have to get rid of dairy unless other medical conditions call for it.
Research shows though, that for people with already acne-prone or oily skin types, dairy consumption does play a role in the frequency and severity of acne breakouts. More and more dermatologists report that reducing or eliminating milk and dairy in patients’ diet has helped keep acne in check.
Still, don’t expect this to happen overnight. To start feeling the benefits, you’d need to wait for a couple of weeks. All other factors equal, usually you’ll start noticing a difference in your skin’s appearance up to a month after eliminating milk and dairy from your diet.
Enjoying an occasional brie treat doesn’t amount to a disaster immediately. What we are talking about here is switching from regular and significant dairy consumption to reduced-dairy or a non-dairy diet to feel a long-term improvement in acne and skin appearance in general.
Why Eliminate Dairy for Acne?
A growing number of scientific studies reveal a correlation between dairy consumption and skin breakouts. There are several aspects of dairy important for understanding why it may cause more breakouts.
Lactose Sensitivity and Milk Allergy
Lactose is one of the carbohydrates in dairy products. Our body possesses a natural ability to break down lactose. According to statistical data, between 65 and 75% of people in the world lose the ability to break down lactose to some extent over the course of their lives.
However, not everyone becomes aware of their lactose intolerance in due time. The severity of lactose sensitivity can vary greatly. For many people, their lactose intolerance doesn’t produce any immediate, drastic symptoms.
Some people, who have noticed they get stuck nose and sinuses problems after periods of abundant dairy consumption may have a form of lactose intolerance or milk allergy but are unaware of it. In this case, lactose can also trigger skin-related inflammation. For example, this study details a case of a patient treated for eczema, asthma and sinus problems for years. After eliminating dairy completely from her diet, immediate skin improvement followed.
Lactose sensitivity and milk allergy are two different medical conditions. In both cases though, acne breakouts can be caused by the dairy-related condition.
The Hormones in Milk
You may already know that hormones affect acne. The group of so-called androgen hormones, which are also known as male sex hormones (but are also produced in females) has been linked to causing acne breakouts.
One of the androgens, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), is found to stimulate the sebaceous glands. Located in the deeper skin layers, these glands produce sebum, the skin’s natural oil. When stimulated to produce more of it, the excess sebum can clog hair follicles and cause pimples and acne.
The milk and dairy we consume today contain a lot of hormones both naturally and due to synthetic additions fed to the cows by farmers. Studies have produced conflicting results with regards to the effect of these hormones and milk in general with regards to acne.
On the one hand, remember that the milk used in the dairy industry largely comes from pregnant cows. Mama cow milk is full of naturally occurring hormones, such as DHT, which stimulate growth in calves. On top of that, many farms feed their cows with additional, synthetic growth hormones. The purpose of this is to stimulate cows to produce more milk. Unfortunately, this means that, despite the pasteurization, the milk that reaches consumers still contains hormones that are likely messing up the natural functions of your skin.
While this hormonal action is probably not potent enough to cause breakouts in individuals with healthy, clear skin, there are serious indications that it may aggravate existing acne or trigger acne in and other skin ailments in people with oily skin.
Nowadays it’s possible to choose better quality milk. To avoid synthetic hormones in milk, search for hormone-free labeled milk. Additionally, make sure the milk you and your family are consuming is organic. Or, the best option that will help you keep your skin clear is to avoid animal milk altogether. Substitute with Vitamin D-fortified plant milk.