I have been strict paleo for almost 3 months now, without cheating ever. I have had skin problems all my life (acne, greasy skin, dry skin, cracking and bleeding skin, and skin cancer even. NOTE: I'm 21). My acne has gone from a new breakout every week to now I have 1, maybe 2 pimples on my face at a time. Definitely eliminate the dairy. If you get rid of the dairy, grains and legumes, you should see it.

The reason you probably haven't noticed a change is because you have been intermittent with your diet. You won't see changes right away, pimples can form under the skin for weeks before actually appearing. You need to stick to your diet, eliminate dairy completely and stop switching back and forth. The changes back and forth in your diet are not helping; whenever your body goes through a diet change or any major change, it reacts negatively at first. You need to be consistent with the way you eat.

I have no experience with acne but I did have TERRIBLE Rosacia. I mean bad, ugly, bumpy, red rash standing out on both cheeks.

I went Paleo and gave up nightshades and ** POW ** my skin was clear in 3 months! It was incredible.

So my advice is to try dropping Nightshades. srsly.

Hope this helps!

Agreed with the consistency issue. A REAL elimination diet needs to be pure for at least 2 weeks if not more like 4-8 weeks, then you reintroduce one item at a time and wait 3 days to see/feel any reaction thereafter.

Common food causes of acne include: wheat, dairy, soy, eggs, nightshades, nuts & seeds (yes, all of them really).

This is one of my only "health" concerns personally at the moment as well and I don't eat a very high omega 6 diet but I started taking fish oil last week and noticed my skin got worse immediately. I have now been switched over to evening primrose oil for a few days and plan to continue this for a few months. It can take 1-3 months for fat-related deficiencies to clear up as opposed to micronutrient deficiencies or issues.

The most likely candidate is the dairy. I don't see anything wrong with cutting it all out, and then adding things back in to confirm, but if you do end up cheating on something, make sure it isn't the dairy.

Are these the bumps you are talking about? If so, you may need to be careful about trace gluten. http://www.helpforkp.com/

Check out Cordain's book on Acne and Paleo. Probably a lot of info there.

At acne.org there is a special thread to people on paleo fighting acne. There are a lot of usefull experiences on elimination, acne and paleo.

http://www.acne.org/messageboard/paleo-diet-t261010.html&pid=2963379&st=820#entry2963379

I think dairy as a mayor acne player is waaaay overrated and that gut flora is the key. Do we have any other sources than Cordain ?

Also what about diary ? I can't imagine that casein/lactose and fat all have the same effect on acne.

If you still need possibilities, here is an excellent elimination diet:

http://failsafediet.wordpress.com/

Someone might be sensitive to salicylates, goitrogens, oxalates, or who knows what. There are charts and good explanations at this website.

I've never had acne, but, I did find that my skin improved by leaving out store-bought cheese. I make mascarpone cheese and yoghurt from heavy cream and eat those sparingly. I started throwing out the egg whites and eating only the yolks and my skin texture improved.

I am very strict about no grains, legumes, seeds/seed oils. Also no prepared/packaged foods.

I think your idea about no fruits and no nightshades is worth a try, due to wanting to reduce inflammation.

The website about the failsafe diet explains what is in foods that cause problems and why.

All the best to you.

Robb Wolf says that acne is evidence of inflammation in the body.

Here are my suggestions:

1. Check the foods that you eat for hidden sources of:
   • sugar
   • PUFAs
   • wheat
   • omega 6
   • anything else that can cause inflammation
2. Do what you can to regulate your hormones
   • get adequate sleep before midnight (at least 9 hours / night)
   • eat enough quality fat
3. Do a proper elimination diet by:
   • eliminating all foods that are known to cause inflammation and hormone disregulation for at least two weeks
   • after at least two weeks, reintroduce each food once per a 48-hour period (ie. Eat the food on a monday and see if it causes acne by the morning of the Tuesday. Don't eat the food on the Tuesday. Repeat with a new food on Wednesday.)
   • keep a food journel and document your results

At the end of the elimination period, continue to avoid the foods that caused skin problems!

P.S. You might also try supplementing with Evening Primrose Oil.

To sum up my own experiences : nuts, nightshades, dairy and seaweed cause acne. Saturated fats , grass-fed meat/offal, wild fish, vegetables, gelatin and apple cider vinegar do not. Fat-soluble vitamins (especially k2), cod liver oil and magnesium work wonders. Stress causes acne on my chin (its a phenomenon you often see in older women that are stressed out).

If you wanna get rid of your acne, be sure to focus on health and NOT on your acne. Acne is just a symptom.

Oh, and sleep well :) !

Definitely cut out the dairy. You might consider eliminating fruit as well, then once symptoms reside, add in slowly and see what you have a reaction too. I'm cutting out fruit at the moment and am already noticing a difference. I just read that fruit is like candy on a tree :) Sad but true!

Cara http://primroseandpaleo.wordpress.com

I would avoid the accutane. My ex gf took it, twice, and dreaded it. My roomate also took it, and constantly speaks of how much he regrets it. I do wish you the best with your acne, I had it decently bad (pre-paleo) but it has since gone away.

I wish I could go back in time and undo the fact that I took accutane for what was, by any intelligent metric, insubstantial acne. Who knows what permanent side effects (in addition to my consistently dry skin) I have as a result. Whatever you do, don't take that stuff.

If you decide to take accutane, please take minimal doses.

Check online, but there are a lot of people that have success with 10g a day, or 10g every other day. I personally took 20g 2 or 3 times a week max. That way you limit and control better the side effects. Start with a very low dose. It cleared my acne and I was planning on going for a maintenance of 20g per week, but the triggered IBS in me and I dropped. The side effects are quite serious and it has been show that small doses help a lot and you will be able to evaluate along the way. My IBS healed after dropping it, but imagine if I had gone with the recommended dosages!

I'm on an elimination diet. I picked it by playing around with foods I like in a nutrition tracker (like cronometer, or fitday) to see what I could eat that would still maintain good nutrition for a few months. For breakfast and dinner I eat grass-fed ground beef sauteed with leafy greens and topped with either sweet potato or winter squash. Sometimes I add sauerkraut, spirulina, or onions/garlic. For lunch I have salad greens and canned salmon with oil and vinegar dressing. When I feel the need for fruit (about once a week), I have an orange, apple, banana, or blueberries. I also drink homemade water kefir and tea. About once a week I make some bone broth, and I try to get organ meats when I can.