Ok so there is NOTHING normal about Acne during keto.  You should not get it, you are “detox-ing” or any other things that people tell you.  Acne does not have one cause and it can be a comprehensive process to get rid of it.  It involves several things including:

• skin care
• diet and nutrients
• moisture
• bacteria
• and sometimes genetics

So if you have developed acne during Keto, this is not a normal part of the process — but that doesn’t mean that there is anything wrong with you.  We are all unique creatures and we all have different things we need to work on.   Do you remember being in junior high and some kids had horrible acne and some had a few pimples and some had none.  Well it was pretty much the same set up as you are having on keto.  It is diet related, skin care related, moisture related, etc.

 

It is a comprehensive problem so there is no single thing you can do.  First though, don’t scrub the living crap out of your skin thinking that will help.  It didn’t help in high school and it won’t help now.

When you start Keto, you are putting your body into a state of change.  And your skin is going to be affected by that.  Some people experience dryness (that is quite common also as you lose weight) and some people experience Keto Flu and some people experience acne or an increase in pimples.   If it is severe, you might need to see your doctor or a dermatologist to get it under control but most people can manage it and correct it.

When I was in high school I had no issues with acne mostly because I listened to an odd couple of items of advice that my doctor told me.   They were:

– don’t eat things that start with C.  Hahaha – this one is crazy but he meant lay off the sweets and carbs like cookies and cakes and candy so it was easy to remember

– moisturize with a water based moisturizer.   Acne does not mean you need to dry the living daylights out of your skin and usually a good moisturizer (one with salicylic acid in it really can help) and moisturize at least once a day.

 

Now, I don’t know about the items that start with C because that still sounds crazy and you are already doing that with Keto but you should for sure be moisturizing!!

So here are a few things that help most people reduce or get rid of their keto related acne:

– Moisturize with a water based moisturizer (there are tons of them!) and DRINK WATER!!  Moisture comes from the inside too!!

– Watch your intake of milk products and whey protein (you really don’t need protein shakes on keto but if you like them, consider reducing them or eliminating them until you have your acne under control)   The lactose sugar in all of those isn’t great for your skin

– If you exfoliate or use a cleanser brush, reduce your brush use.  You should still exfoliate once a week but you don’t need to be brushing your face more than a couple times a week as you could be adding to the problem.

– Some acne specific items like Differin can make a dramatic difference but so can some products like Estee Lauder Night Repair so if you are not seeing results, try adding one of these.

 

– And sometimes Keto is not for everyone and you may need to go to a Low Carb diet as opposed to Keto for a while to get it under control.

– If you wear makeup, consider dropping foundation for a while or switching to something that is water based or even just a BB cream and be sure you are putting your water based moisturizer on before your makeup (it will also help your makeup go on smoother and look better) but the less makeup you put on, the better until your skin has a chance to slow down on the acne.

 

So to review – the simple list is only 3 things!

MOISTURIZE AND DRINK WATER

AVOID WHEY and LACTOSE

EXFOLIATE (but not too much)

 

Good luck — I hope you have great success and get it under control because it can be a huge ego boost if you do  🙂   If you are still struggling, see your doctor because it may be more than just acne.

 

 

 

 

This post if for information and entertainment purposes.  If you have skin issues and cannot get them under control, see your doctor.  This post is not intended as a substitute for medical advice.