Why You Don’t Need an Acne Diet to Get Results
I'm sure you've heard it before...
“If you want to get rid of your acne, you have to clean up your diet.” That's what I was told, years ago.
So, you cut out dairy. Then sugar. Then gluten. You might have even tried to “heal your gut,” like I did.
But your acne? Still there, and maybe even worse.
What if I told you your breakouts aren't coming from what you're eating...
And what if you don't need to follow a restrictive diet to get clear skin?
I know that's the opposite of what you're used to hearing.
But this is true, in my experience. I've maintained a 95% success rate with my clients for years, and I've never put any of them on an acne diet.
Acne diets don't work—here's why.
You've likely done it all:
Gave up pizza, milk and ice cream.
Tried going gluten-free.
Quit sugar.
Fasted, drank green juice, and detoxified your liver.
Maybe you even took an allergy test and were told to avoid a long list of foods—eggs, wheat, citrus, caffeine... the list goes on.
That's exactly what happened to my client, Lacy.
She followed the results of her allergy test perfectly, eliminating every food the test said was causing her acne. She stuck to a super-strict acne diet for months.
And even after all that effort? Her acne didn't improve.
Lacy's acne finally cleared up once she stopped focusing on her diet and started treating what was actually happening in her skin.
Here's the real cause of acne.
The theory behind acne diets makes sense: avoid foods that cause inflammation, and your acne will go away. I tried this myself, with no improvement in my skin.
But that theory overlooks an important piece of the acne puzzle. The real cause of acne is something called retention hyperkeratosis - dead skin cells shedding too quickly and clogging your pores.
A diet can't stop that. Only the right topical products can.
Let's look at my client Chase.
He had severe, inflamed acne all over his face. Without changing his diet and by using topical products only, his skin cleared up quickly.
He ate dairy, sugar, chocolate, ice cream.
He drank 4–5 cups of coffee every day.
He ate gluten daily.
He vaped and drank alcohol.
He made a few small changes (cut back on peanut butter, reduced energy drinks), but his diet stayed mostly the same.
And his skin cleared up—on my usual 12-week schedule.
Here's what I tell my clients:
Only about 10% of acne is caused by diet.
Yes, there are a few ingredients that can cause breakouts—but they're usually not what you think they are. And you don't need to change your entire diet to avoid them.
If you've been trying a strict acne diet for more than 3 or 4 months and still don't see a difference… it's probably not helping, due to your retention hyperkeratosis not being addressed.
My clients get great results without cutting out their favorite foods—just by using the right products.
You can completely relax—don't need a perfect diet to get clear skin.
