How Gut Health Affects Skin Health: The Inside Scoop on Clear Skin

Are you on the hunt for that perfect cleanser, cream, or pill to FINALLY clear up your skin for good? Well let's get real for a moment...

I've been where you are—spending years and thousands of dollars searching for that magical remedy. I visited multiple dermatologists who only offered pharmaceutical solutions that worked for a while but never gave me the lasting results that I was looking for. I even took antibiotics daily for three years, which temporarily helped, but the breakouts eventually returned. And worse, my digestion, energy, and mood took a massive nose-dive during time.

When my dermatologist suggested Accutane as a last resort, I hesitated. The potential side effects were daunting, and I still didn't have an answer to the burning question: WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?? After years of doctor visits and trying every topical remedy under the sun, all while feeling insecure and depressed, I decided it was time for a different approach.

Around this time, I had developed an interest in holistic medicine and so I sought help from an acupuncturist. She immediately recommended an elimination diet for 30 days to identify potential food sensitivities that could be exacerbating my skin issues. I wasn't thrilled about cutting out some of my favorite foods—cheese, bread, and sweets—but I committed to the diet to see if it would make a difference.

And guess what? It did! Not only was my skin the clearest it had been in years, I also experienced easier digestion, regular bowel movements (I had no idea you are supposed to poop at least once per day!), weight loss, better sleep, increased energy, and way less bouts of depression. It was eye opening to me that my chronic constipation, energy dips, and mood swings were all linked to my diet. (Which I thought was healthy-ish at the time despite being loaded with refined foods, gluten, conventional dairy and sugar).

Why hadn't any of the doctor's I'd seen told me that food can affect your skin? In fact, when I asked one doctor if she thought my breakouts could be related to something I was eating, she literally told me "No, there is no scientific evidence to prove that acne has anything to do with diet". Wow... someone needs to go read some research papers because that is just not true! But now I know that sadly, this mis-informed doc (whether she realized it or not) is part of the Big Pharma machine that's all driven by MONEY. But that's a story for another blog post.

Back to the topic at hand...

So with all that said, I want to let you in on a little secret I wish I had known 15 years ago: **your skin is a reflection of what’s going on inside your body.**

No topical treatment, antibiotic, or Accutane will address the root causes of your skin problems. If you fail to work on optimizing your digestion and gut health, you’ll never achieve the lasting results you’re searching for. And if you rely solely on pharmaceutical interventions, they will eventually take their toll and can lead to worse health outcomes down the line.

I know this firsthand. At age 25, I was diagnosed with an irreversible autoimmune condition—Type 1 diabetes. I believe it never would have developed had it not been for those three years of antibiotics wreaking havoc on my gut health. I (and my medical advisors) had ignored all the other signs pointing toward chronic inflammation in my body, which was the real reason I had acne in the first place.

Can you tell how unimpressed I am with the way our current medical model treats acne and other skin issues? I digress…​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

The point I'm trying to make here is not to scare you, it's to help you understand that skin problems like acne and eczema are SYMPTOMS of underlying imbalances in your body that need to be addressed in order to experience lasting results. Think of these symptoms as your body crying out for “help”! So let's dive into this topic so that you can truly understand how your gut health affects your skin health.

The Gut-Skin Axis

The gut-skin axis is a fascinating area of study that highlights the intimate connection between our digestive system and skin health. When the gut is healthy and functioning optimally, it supports a balanced immune system, efficient nutrient absorption, and reduced inflammation—all of which are essential for clear, healthy skin. Conversely, poor digestive function and an imbalanced gut microbiome can lead to a range of skin issues.

How Gut Health Impacts Acne and Eczema

For simplicity sake, let's focus on how gut health can lead to acne and eczema. Although these same principles can be applied to most inflammatory skin conditions.

Acne

Acne is frequently fueled by poor diet, impaired digestion, and blood sugar imbalances. These issues create a domino effect—leading to bacterial overgrowth, food sensitivities, hormonal imbalances, and chronic inflammation that both cause and worsen breakouts.

When your gut microbiome is out of balance, it heightens systemic inflammation and disrupts hormone levels, triggering acne. Poor digestion also means you’re not absorbing nutrients properly, which can lead to deficiencies in skin-critical vitamins and minerals like zinc and vitamin A.

Eczema

Eczema, or atopic dermatitis, causes red, itchy, and sometimes flaky skin. But what’s happening on your skin often reflects what’s happening in your gut.

An imbalance in gut bacteria (called dysbiosis) contributes to inflammation throughout your entire body—including your skin. When your gut isn’t functioning properly, it may allow undigested food particles and bacterial components to trigger your immune system, ramping up inflammation that manifests as eczema.

Here’s where it gets interesting: some gut bacteria actually produce histamine. If your body struggles to break down histamine efficiently (due to low enzyme activity), this bacterial histamine adds to your total load. Think of it like a bucket—your body can only handle so much histamine before it overflows. When it does, you get inflammatory symptoms like eczema flare-ups or other allergy-like reactions.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

The Role of Chronic Inflammation

Inflammation in the gut can spill over into the rest of the body, leading to skin problems. This is particularly evident in cases of leaky gut, where the gut lining becomes permeable, allowing harmful substances to pass through and cause widespread inflammation. Addressing gut inflammation is therefore crucial in reducing overall systemic inflammation and improving skin health.

Here are the steps I use when working with clients to improve gut health for beautiful skin:

1.) Optimize Digestion: Ensure that your digestive system is working efficiently. This can involve chewing food thoroughly, eating in a relaxed state, and possibly incorporating digestive enzymes to support the breakdown of food.

2.) Support Nutrient Absorption: Ensuring that your body is absorbing nutrients effectively is crucial. Nutrients such as zinc, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamins A, C, and E are particularly important for skin health.

3.) Lower Systemic Inflammation: Anti-inflammatory foods, such as leafy greens, fatty fish,

and berries, can help reduce systemic inflammation. Additionally, avoiding processed foods, sugar, and poor quality fats can significantly lower inflammation levels.

4.) Balance the Gut Microbiome: A healthy gut microbiome is essential for reducing inflammation and supporting overall health. Probiotics, prebiotics, and a diet rich in fiber can help promote a balanced gut flora.

5.) Identify and Address Food Sensitivities: Food sensitivities can trigger inflammation and exacerbate skin conditions. Identifying and eliminating these foods from your diet can help reduce inflammation and support healing "leaky gut".

6.) Reduce Histamine Levels: High histamine levels can contribute to skin issues like eczema. Following a low-histamine diet for a period of time while addressing gut microbiome imbalances that contribute to histamine production can be an essential step in the healing process.

7.) Optimizing Blood Sugar Balance: Enjoying a balanced diet that is rich in highs quality proteins and fats as well as non-starchy fruits and vegetables will help to keep your blood sugar balanced. This is a key to keeping a healthy gut microbiome (as bad gut bacteria will over-grow if given too many starchy and sugary foods), balancing your hormones and lowering systemic inflammation.

8.) Balance Hormones: Supporting the liver (which processes hormones), reducing stress, eating a nutrient dense diet and addressing gut health will help to achieve hormonal balance.

Let's Work Together to Restore Optimal Health

Improving your gut health is a powerful step towards achieving clear, healthy skin. As a functional nutritionist, I offer personalized consultations & gut healing protocols to help you identify and address the root causes of your skin issues.

If you’re ready to take control of your skin health and address the underlying issues, I’m here to help! Click below to peruse my services and contact me to schedule a consultation to start your journey towards optimal health and beautiful skin:

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