Acne: Unlock your Gut-Skin Axis for Glowing Skin Health

Clear, healthier skin is best with a whole-body approach. This means taking care of your body inside and out, including the Gut-Skin axis. The Gut-Skin axis is an important pathway to support skin health and overall wellness.

What is acne?

Acne is a common inflammatory skin disorder that can appear at any stage of life. Acne vulgaris is the most common form of acne. Acne affects up to 95% of adolescents, making it the most common skin disorder in the Western world. Clogged pores lead to acne breakouts, triggered by several factors. For example, hormonal changes during adolescence and other life stages, causing acne flare-ups. Stress, diet, and gut health also play big roles. 

What causes acne?

Acne develops due to many combined factors. Blocked and inflamed skin pores that lead to acne are due to one or more of these three factors:

• Excess or high production of sebum oil (produced to keep our skin moisturised) in skin pores.
• Blocking of skin pores with the buildup of dead skin cells.
• Disruption of the skin microbiome, leading to unhealthy bacterial growth in the pore.

Factors that contribute to the causes of acne include:

• Disrupted gut microbiome (dysbiosis)
• Hormonal fluctuations
• Poor digestion
• Diet: some foods, such as sugary or processed foods, can aggravate acne
• Stress
• Skin irritation: This includes irritation caused by pressure from clothing or sports equipment, like helmets, tight clothes, or backpacks. Squeezing or picking blemishes and harsh skin scrubbing also cause irritation. Environmental irritants include pollution and high humidity.

An imbalance in the digestive system can cause more inflammation, lower nutrient absorption, and harm microbiome health. These issues can lead to breakouts and acne prone skin.

The Gut-Skin Connection: Why It Matters

The gut-skin axis is the relationship between our digestive health and our skin. Our gut is home to trillions of bacteria. The healthy bacteria, probiotics, crucial for digestion, immunity, and inflammation control, forming a healthy part of our microbiome. An imbalanced microbiome, or dysbiosis, can harm our health. It affects immune function, changes hormone balance, and causes inflammation. These issues are connected to acne and other skin problems. [i]

Addressing gut health is a foundational step toward clearer, healthier skin as confirmed by another study published in 2024. The authors state, “Although the gastrointestinal microbiome is only one of many factors contributing to acne, in the case of acne vulgaris, it has an undeniable impact on skin conditions.” A significant link between gut dysregulation and acne, particularly for people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or constipation, has also been shown in other research.

According to Ayurvedic medicine and a natural health perspective, poor digestion is a sign of compromised gut health. Decreased nutrient absorption, poorly digested food and other factors are seen as leading to inflammation and immunity disruptions which manifest as irritated, inflamed, or acne-prone skin.

Signs Your Gut Health May Be Affecting Your Skin

If you struggle with ongoing acne, skin redness, or skin inflammation, you may want to look at your gut health. Common signs of poor gut health include:

• Bloating
• Heartburn
• Constipation or diarrhea
• Excessive gas
• Food intolerances

How to Support Clearer Skin Naturally.

 

1. Support your Gut Health

·       Promote a healthy microbiome: A balanced gut microbiome thrives on probiotic and prebiotic-rich foods.

·       Fermented foods – naturally rich in probiotics include fermented foods like yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, and kefir in your daily diet. This helps to support the diversity of probiotics for a healthier microbiome.

·       Fibre-rich foods: Fibre provides nourishment for probiotics – often termed prebiotics. Prebiotic rich foods to add to consider for your diet include vegetables such as fennel and beetroot, legumes, fruits such as peach, watermelon, pomegranate and nectarines, wholegrain cereals such as brown rice and barley. Slowly introduce higher fibre foods into your diet to minimise the build-up of gas.

·       Support digestion: Try digestive remedies like black salt, asafoetida, cumin, or ajwain in cooking to aid digestion. Many cultures use these natural remedies to reduce gas and ease indigestion. AyurScience Gasnix helps to reduce bloating and gas build up, and is low FODMAP certified, suitable for people with medically diagnosed irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

2. Reduce Inflammatory Foods

Refined sugar, dairy, and processed foods can trigger gut and skin inflammation. Reducing these foods and adding nutrient-rich options can lower breakouts and improve your skin.

3. Stay Hydrated & Detoxify

Staying hydrated is crucial. It helps detoxify the skin, clear blemishes, and keep skin rejuvenated. Avoid caffeinated drinks and opt for plain or lemon-infused water. Herbal teas like ginger or peppermint are also a great option for hydration.

4. Manage your stress

Manage your stress with mindfulness. Try practices like meditation, yoga, and other support. Adaptogenic herbs like Ashwagandha and Tulsi (Holy Basil) may also help support with stress management.  You may like to try this meditation skin-care routine.

5. Get support for hormonal imbalances

Hormonal imbalances, particularly those linked to imbalances in estrogen and androgens, can trigger acne. Support yourself with a healthy diet, improved digestion and stress management. Talk to your healthcare practitioner for more support. Hormonal imbalances often need special management. Naturopaths or Ayurvedic practitioners support with a natural and holistic approach.

6. Utilise The Power of Bakuchiol: Nature’s Retinol

Supporting your skin from within is important. Also, picking the right skincare can really help. One plant-based powerhouse that’s making waves in the skincare world is Bakuchiol.

What is Bakuchiol?

Bakuchiol is a natural extract derived from the Psoralea corylifolia plant. It has been hailed as a gentle alternative to retinol, offering similar skin-renewing benefits without irritation. Bakuchiol soothes the skin, so it’s great for all types. This includes sensitive and acne-prone skin. Try AyurScience Beauty Purity Blemish Spot Treatment enriched with bakuchiol and other anti-inflammatory herbal extracts to manage acne spots.  

Benefits of Bakuchiol for Clearer, Healthier Skin

• Boosts Skin Cell Renewal: It speeds up how fast cells turn over. This helps reduce breakouts and evens out skin tone.
• Anti-Inflammatory & Antioxidant: Helps calm redness and fight oxidative stress.
• Boosts Collagen Production: Improves skin elasticity and reduces fine lines.
• Non-Irritating & Gentle: Ideal for those who cannot tolerate retinol.

Minimising acne triggers is critical for clear, healthy skin. A holistic approach supports the body inside and out to help minimise triggers. Focus on gut health, inflammation, hormonal and stress balance to support your overall health and glow.

[i] Chen YW, Wu CY, Chen YJ. Gastrointestinal comorbidities in patients with acne vulgaris: A population-based retrospective study. JAAD Int. 2024 Sep 27; 18:62-68. doi: 10.1016/j.jdin.2024.08.022. PMID: 39629098; PMCID: PMC11613187.