The Best Cystic Acne Diet Plan: 8 Steps to Clear Your Skin Fast

I had painful cystic acne for most of my life. I tried everything from prescription antibiotic medications, over-the-counter skin care products for acne-prone skin to changing my diet and nothing seemed to ever work.

I'd go crazy as soon as pimples started to appear in search of any solution.

Biggest mistake ever.

Because of that, I never quite got to the root of the problem and only triggered even more acne.

First, acne is all about prevention and not reaction. It can take a while to clear up your pimples so it's best to treat them before they even occur.

Second, there is no such thing as an overnight fix when it comes to clearing your pimples. No matter how many influencers try to tell you otherwise.

The three things that helped me finally clear my cystic acne is a skincare routine that focuses on hydration, an acne-friendly diet, and stress management.

In this post, I'll focus on the acne diet plan that I stick to.

If you struggle with acne as I did, then you’re going to want to continue reading.

For those of us who struggle with acne, it can really impact our self-confidence and self-image.

It can be difficult to break that cycle. In fact, it took me over a decade to understand what works for my skin. Let me spare you the trouble.

There is a lot of misinformation about acne out there and I sincerely hope you'll find this post helpful in getting the clear skin of your dreams!

Of course, make sure to see a dermatologist if you have severe cystic acne because they will be the best person to diagnose and treat it.

What is cystic acne?

Before getting into the eating plan, let's get to the root of it all by understanding what cystic acne really is.

Acne, or acne vulgaris, is a very common skin problem that affects people of all ages. No, it's not just teenagers. I actually had my worst acne as an adult in university.

Cystic acne is the worst type of acne. The main difference is that bacteria gets into these clogged pores, causing large cysts that develop both underneath and on your skin.

These painful cysts are often filled with pus and they can cause discomfort, redness, swelling, inflammation, and even scarring. I still have scars from cystic acne I had years ago.

What causes cystic acne?

When there are excessive oil (sebum) and dead skin cells, pores are more likely to clog.

This oil happens to be a feeding ground for bacteria. They thrive in it. The result is acne, and the more it lingers, the worst it gets. You then get cystic acne.

Think bacteria, excessive sebum, clogged pores, and a whole lot of pain. That's what it is.

The solution is not just a product for acne, it's to prevent these pores from clogging by controlling your oil production.

How do we control oil production? Diet is a big component of it.

Let's take a look at diet.

How does diet cause acne?

While many will tell you diet does not affect the skin, I think it depends on the person and it can definitely worsen your acne symptoms.

From my experience, diet plays an important role in maintaining clear skin. Some people are blessed with the ability to eat all the junk food in the world and not have pimples.

Not the case for me. Eating junk food gives me acne breakouts for days.

If you suffer from severe acne and are unsure of the cause, consider making dietary changes. It could contribute to it without you knowing!

Besides, an acne-friendly diet could also help you lose weight and feel better. It's definitely worth it.

Hormones

While there are lifestyle considerations such as stress and sleep that can cause hormonal acne, there is also food!

In this case, dairy products are known to increase the production of insulin and hormones that can create more acne.

Blood sugar

When your blood sugar rises quickly, it causes your body to release a hormone called insulin. Having excess insulin in your blood increases inflammation and causes your sebaceous glands to produce more sebum.

The more inflammation and sebum produced, the more bacteria will thrive and the more clogged your pores will be!

High-glycemic food is known to raise blood sugar levels because your insulin levels spike after eating them.

More inflammation, more oil produced, more chances of developing acne!

Sadly, most of the food available and advertised to us has high-glycemic indexes and could be the cause of your acne breakouts.

Alright, let's get into the steps to an acne-friendly diet!

Control your blood sugar 

As mentioned, high-glycemic foods can spike your insulin levels which can cause acne.

This is the staple of my acne diet plan. I eat the least amount of high-glycemic food possible and I aim to keep my insulin levels at bay. This is what works for me.

I actually eat more fat than I eat sugar now.

Glycemic index (GI)

The glycemic index (GI) is a measurement that rates carbohydrate foods based on how much they raise your blood sugar.

The higher the GI, the more your blood sugar rises and the more likely you'll get acne over time.

You'd be surprised at just how prevalent high glycemic food is in our lives. It's mainly what I ate until I learned about them!

Here is a list of high GI foods that spike blood sugar levels:

• White bread
• White rice
• Pasta
• White potatoes
• Potato chips
• Cookies
• Bananas
• Fructose
• Sugary drinks

You can find a detailed list from Harvard Health Publishing.

Just remember to look for low GI foods.

Cut out dairy products

Or try to avoid dairy as much as possible.

I love dairy but after having it for years, I have to admit that it does not agree with my skin.

As much as I wanted to blame other things for my acne, it was part of the problem.

My skin started clearing up when I finally said goodbye to cheese, milk, ice cream, yogurt, and whey protein. I still have dairy products every now and then, just not every day.

Avoiding dairy has changed my life over the years. It's hard at first but give it a shot!

On the bright side, there are tons of alternatives nowadays!

Avoid Processed Foods

Processed foods can cause acne because they contain lots of chemicals, oils. Stay away from processed foods and stick to whole foods, such as fruits and vegetables. They are packed with nutrients that will benefit your skin and overall health.

Eating lots of greens is a great way to prevent acne. You'll get more fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants than you would by eating processed foods that are typically rich in calories and low in nutrients. Processed foods are empty calories that are not good for us.

Avoid sugary drinks

I don't drink soda, juice, or soft drinks anymore. These things are packed with sugar and they'll send your insulin levels flying.

Pure sugar, empty calories, and a lot of trouble. Stay away from those. 

Drink more water

You're better off drinking water. It's hydrating and helps flush out your body's toxins. Certain toxins can clog your pores and cause more acne.

Drinking 8 to 10 glasses of water a day is a good start. When in doubt, drink more water. 

Coffee and tea are fine but don't add sugar or milk, it defeats the purpose of this acne diet plan!

Eat more omega 3

There are two essential fatty acids: Omega 3 fatty acid and Omega 6 fatty acid.

Both are healthy and play an important role in our diets; however, it's important to keep your balance of omega 6 to omega 3 optimal.

Research suggests that the ratio should be about 1.

But guess how much it is for Western diets. 15/1 to 16.7/1.

We're eating way too much omega 6 and it's causing us a whole lot of health problems such as cardiovascular disease, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, and more.

So how does it relate to acne? Inflammation.

Higher consumption of omega 3 relative to omega 6 is associated with improvement in inflammatory acne. Since inflammation plays a role in the development of your acne, it's important to eat more omega 3! Even if you don't want to do it for acne, do it for your overall health! Your body will thank you.

Eat more probiotics

Studies have suggested that probiotics may play a role in the prevention and treatment of acne.

This is because acne is linked to disrupted digestive health. Probiotics will help improve your digestive health and keep your gut bacteria healthy.

They're mostly found in foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, pickles, kimchi, and kombucha but there are also supplements out there you can try.

Supplements that can help with cystic acne

Zinc 

Zinc is a mineral that helps keep skin healthy. It also helps reduce inflammation which in turn can help with acne breakouts.

Zinc gluconate is generally a good choice.

Probiotics

Omega 3

Vitamin D

Acne is linked to vitamin D deficiency

Cod Liver Oil

Cod liver oil is a great natural supplement that can help with acne. It contains many nutrients, including omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin A, and vitamin D.

Putting it all together

The skin-clearing diet plan action steps

1) Avoid high glycemic food

2) Avoid dairy products

3) Avoid processed foods

4) Avoid sugary drinks

5) Eat more vegetables

6) Drink more water

7) Eat more Omega 3

8) Supplement with acne friendly products as needed

This anti-acne eating plan consists of eating a healthy, nutritious, and balanced diet. It’s very important to avoid any foods that will cause inflammation and lead to more acne. You should eat lots of green vegetables, nuts, seeds, and fish, chicken. Remember to eat food that has a low glycemic index.

There are lots of possible treatments out there, from topical products to health supplements. I highly recommend you follow this plan without buying more products. More products is not the answer.

People are going to try to sell you things, but ignore the noise and stick to the first 7 steps. Once you've done that then, you could look into supplements as a bonus but focus on the essentials first!