Can Dairy Break You Out? Tackle Acne at Any Age: Tips on Great Skin from Clearstem Founder, Kayleigh Christina
February 22, 2023
Last week on the podcast I interviewed the co-founder of Clearstem Skincare, Kayleigh Christina, who also happens to be a certified holistic nutritionist.
What does one have to do with the other? Glad you asked!
As other amazing experts have told me in previous interviews, there is an undeniable connection between what is going on inside our bodies, and what is showing up on the outside. Gut health and nutrition can make a huge difference in the clarity and overall health of your skin.
When I talked with Kayleigh, I wanted to cover a few big topics:
- Acne in your 20s, 30s, 40s and beyond
- What could be clogging your pores that you’d never suspect
- An optimized AM and PM skincare routine
…but in true WGT fashion, we ended up covering so much more. Here are some big takeaways from our interview on getting good skin at any age.
Can Dairy Break You Out? Tackle Acne at Any Age: Tips on Great Skin from Clearstem Founder, Kayleigh Christina
These Vitamins, When Taken in Excess, Can Break You Out
You think you’re doing a good thing when you add supplements to your routine–and you are!–but Kayleigh says there are some that, when taken in excess, can contribute to breakouts. Here they are:
Vitamin D, B-12, zinc and biotin
Kayleigh says, “B-12 and zinc, in excess, stimulate testosterone, and testosterone produces that thick sticky oil of our skin that clogs our pores a lot easier and faster.”
And just because a supplement says “Hair, Skin and Nails” on it doesn’t necessarily mean it will be good for your skin.
“Biotin is actually the worst thing for anyone who’s acne prone, because it [can] stimulate hyperkeratosis. It stimulates the growth of the proteins of your hair, skin and nails. The underlying genetic cause of acne, it just makes worse. It’s like pouring gasoline on a fire.”
But you don’t have to give up on your supplements! Kayleigh suggests asking your doctor or natural health practitioner about adding in silica, which she says can help give you some of the benefits of those supplements, without potential the acne-causing side effects.
You’re Not Imagining It–Dairy Could Be Breaking You Out
Emphasis on could.
When a listener submitted the question, is there a link between dairy and breakouts? Kayleigh’s answer was a definite yes… but only for some people.
She says the key factor is the presence (or in this case, maybe the absence) of digestive enzymes, which can help break down dairy and other foods in your system, helping to mitigate potential breakouts. If you don’t have enough, she says, that could be part of the problem.
“[These enzymes] actually help support your body if you want to eat dairy every once awhile and not break out, because it has all those key elements [that help] your body break it down correctly.”
She recommends the supplement her company makes, which has Vitamin A, in addition to other skin-supporting ingredients.
So if you’re currently struggling with breakouts and haven’t yet found the cause, Kayleigh recommends removing dairy for 30 days and seeing if that helps.
When All Else Fails, Go Back the Basics–and that Includes Food
When every product fails, or you just don’t know what to do next with your skin, Kayleigh says a good rule of thumb is to go back to basics, and that starts with your diet.
Her tip is to eat as many whole, unprocessed foods as possible; start your day with hot water and lemon; reduce sweets and sugar; and just overall keep your body fueled with as close-to-nature foods as possible.
“Our bodies aren’t evolved enough with all these brand new ingredients to actually know what to do. And so [go] back to the basics, eating as much real food as possible. Understand that when traveling, things come up like it can’t be perfect all the time, but doing the best you can with what you have, and getting in those real foods [really helps]. And when it comes to meats and fish, focus on the higher quality ones.”